☕ Afternoon briefing on August 19

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 19

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man presided over the NA Standing Committee’s 36th meeting which opened in Hanoi on August 19.

In his opening remarks, the top legislator said a question & answer (Q&A) session will be arranged during the four-day meeting, and law makers will discuss 12 important issues. Read full story

- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping and his spouse chaired a grand welcome ceremony for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam To Lam and his spouse in Beijing on August 19 morning.

The welcome ceremony was held with 21-cannon salute, the highest level for a head of state. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received visiting Lao Minister of Planning and Investment and Chairman of the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Committee Phet Phomphiphak in Hanoi on August 19.

The Government leader commended the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam cooperation committees for their efforts in the first half of 2024, helping the countries tackle numerous challenges in key cooperative projects and step up joint work in various fields. Read full story

- The wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam, Ngo Phuong Ly on August 19 attended a tea party hosted by Professor Peng Liyuan, the wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President Xi Jinping.

The party took place within the framework of the ongoing state visit to China of Party General Secretary and President Lam and his spouse at the invitation of Party General Secretary and President Xi and his spouse. Read full story

- The National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) and the Central Vietnam Power Project Management Board (CPMB) in collaboration with relevant units sent electricity to the Quynh Luu - Thanh Hoa 500kV Circuit-3 transmission line on August 19 morning.

As part of the 500kV Circuit-3 power transmission line project, which runs from Quang Trach in the central province of Quang Binh to Pho Noi in the northern province of Hung Yen, the line is invested by the EVNNPT, managed by the CPMB, and operated by Power Transmission Company 1 (PTC1). Read full story

- The Ministry of Health (MoH) has requested increased monitoring to detect suspected monkeypox cases at border gates and proactive surveillance in healthcare facilities after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) amid the potential risk of disease spread.

The MoH announced on August 19 that since the beginning of 2024, particularly in the last two months, the WHO has recorded an unusually high increase in the number of monkeypox (mpox) cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read full story

- The rice-shrimp cultivation area of Thoi Binh district in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau has received Best Aquaculture Practices' (BAP) certification of the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA).

The certification is the first presented to an aquatic farming establishment in Vietnam. Read full story

- The Generative AI Summit 2024, themed 'Uncharted Frontiers,' was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18.

At the event, experts noted that artificial intelligence (AI) is a foundational technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, playing a crucial role in enhancing production capabilities and national competitiveness. Read full story

- An integrated water resources management project partly funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) will be carried out in Tuan Giao district, the northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien, to serve people’s daily life, climate change adaptation, and socio-economic development.

The project is set to have total investment of nearly 1.4 trillion VND (55.9 million USD), including almost 40.08 million EUR (44.2 million USD) in loan from the AFD, 1.5 million EUR in non-refundable aid, and over 306 billion VND in reciprocal capital from Dien Bien. Read full story

- A large number of Vietnamese people in Hong Kong (China) have come to a local pagoda on the occasion of the Vu Lan Festival to express gratitude to ancestors and pray for the best for their families, which is also an act to uphold traditional customs of the homeland.

Like other residents in Hong Kong, Vietnamese in this special administrative region often visit pagodas every traditional festival to worship Buddha. Read full story./.

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Vietnamese Ambassador to Ireland Pham Toan Thang (right) presents a souvenir to Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork Margaret McDonnell (Photo: VNA)

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