An image of Hoi An ancient city in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Nam with symbols of Chua Cau (Bridge Pagoda) and colourful lanterns was featured on Google’s homepage on July 16.

Parama Dhamma Chetiya Pirivena Institute (Institute of Buddhist Education) in Sri Lanka presented Award of Abhidhamma and Philosophy to Senior Venerable Thích Nhật Từ in a ceremony held on July 14.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has adopted a resolution on climate change and human rights co-authored by Việt Nam, the Philippines and Bangladesh, during its 41st session in Geneva, Switzerland on July 11-12.

On April 29 2019, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom released its annual report, and later the US Department of State issued its report on international religious freedom 2018 on June 21.

The first Vietnam Festival was organised in Lyon, France on July 6-7, entertaining visitors with traditional music, lion dances and ao dai (long dress) performances.

Vietnam accepts 241, or nearly 83 percent, of 291 recommendations made by UN member countries within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, said Deputy Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung.

Experts from India and Russia have visited My Son sanctuary in the central province of Quang Nam from late June to early July 2019 to help with the restoration of the world cultural heritage site, director of the sanctuary’s management board Phan Hộ said on July 3.

Vietnam respects and guarantees citizens’ rights to freedom of belief and religion, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lê Thị Thu Hằng said at a regular press conference in Hanoi on July 4 while responding to reporters’ question about Vietnam’s assessment of the US State Department’s recent Report on International Religious Freedom.

Buddhist nun Thích Nữ Giới Tánh, head of the Vietnamese Buddhists’ Association in the Republic of Korea (RoK), on July 1 received the Buddhist Peace Prize Awards presented by the RoK’s Buddhism.

The 11th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) was held in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar on 21–23 June, marking the 50th anniversary of the ABCP.

A delegation of Sepon district public security, Savannakhet province of Laos paid a visit to Hoang Phuc pagoda located in Quang Binh province’s Le thuy district on June 12.

The Religious Committee in Gia Lai province held on May 31 a reception for a visiting delegation of the Cults & Religion Department of Preah Vihear province, Cambodia.

The Vietnam Buddhist Shangha (VBS) coordinated with the Embassy of Vietnam in Mozambique to celebrate the Lord Buddha’s 2563rd birth anniversary in Maputo on May 29.

A ceremony was held at Bang Long Pagoda in Vientiane, Laos, on May 21 to mark the Buddha’s 2563^rd birthday, with the participation of hundreds of Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers from the Vietnamese community in the country.

In recent days, Vietnamese Buddhist worshipers in several cities and provinces in the Czech Republic organized activities to celebrate the Buddha’s Birthday at Buddhist places of the Vietnamese community.