The World - News from Sept. 15, 1985

Vietnam introduced a new, devalued currency, a move that sparked panic buying in Ho Chi Minh City. All airline flights in and out of the country were canceled, and shops and restaurants closed as inhabitants flocked to exchange the old currency for new notes. The Vietnamese currency, the dong, was devalued under a Council of State decree with one new dong worth 10 old dong. The new dollar rate was not disclosed. The dollar had been worth 100 old dong under a devaluation in April but soared to 1,000 old dong during the buying spree Friday when rumors of the new currency swept the country.