Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 21

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 21

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

- A special military flight on August 21 carried 7,104 biological samples from the remains of fallen soldiers from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi for DNA testing, following a tribute ceremony held at the military terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

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The biological samples collected from martyrs’ remains are carefully arranged in a CASA C-295 military transport aircraft of the Air Defence-Air Force Service for transportation to Hanoi for DNA testing and identification. (Photo: VNA)

The ceremony was jointly organised by the Steering Committee for the search, collection and identification of martyrs’ remains of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Air Defence – Air Force Service. Read full story

- The National Assembly convened a plenary session on August 21 to discuss policy orientations for amendments to the 2024 Land Law and the 2023 Housing Law as part of the agenda of its first extraordinary sitting.

The amendments to the 2023 Housing Law aim to further institutionalise the Party and State's policies on improving the socialist-oriented market economy, creating a favourable, transparent and secure legal environment with lower compliance costs, improving the investment and business climate, and simplifying administrative procedures for construction investment. Read full story

- Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, on the evening of August 20 announced five winners at the final round of the Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge (QVIC), held as part of the InnoEx Business Innovation Forum in Ho Chi Minh City.

Winning a total of 255,000 USD, the solutions are innovative AI applications developed by Vietnamese startups in areas including edge computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and healthcare. Read full story

- The Government has proposed a 30% reduction in personal and corporate income taxes for small-scale business households, individuals and enterprises in 2026 and 2027, as part of measures to ease business difficulties and support economic growth.

The proposal was presented to the 16th National Assembly at its first extraordinary session on August 21. Read full story

- The Vietnamese Government has introduced a new mechanism enabling foreign technology companies, including Russian IT developers, to participate more deeply in national digital transformation projects throug public-private partnership (PPP), opening up significant opportunities for technology exports while imposing strict localisation requirements.

The information was highlighted in reports published by Russian technology news portal www1.ru, and Novosti IT-Kanala, a reputable electronic publication of Russia specialising in the IT sector. Read full story

- The Ministry of Justice, in coordination with the European Union (EU) and UNICEF Vietnam, held a policy dialogue in Hanoi on August 21, under the theme “Child protection in the digital environment: Legal frameworks and practice of implementation.”

The event was organised under the EU Justice and Legal Empowerment Programme, Phase II (EU JULE II). Read full story

- The second Thang Long – Hanoi Festival 2026, themed “Heritage Flow”, will take place from September 11 to 20 at heritage sites across Hanoi, aiming to celebrate the city's cultural heritage and promote its creative industries, the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced at a press conference on August 20.

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A representative of the organising board answers questions about the second Thang Long – Hanoi Festival 2026 at the press conference on August 20. (Photo: VNA)

Le Thi Anh Mai, Deputy Director of the department, said the 2026 festival will continue to take heritage as its foundation while placing greater emphasis on how heritage is passed down, reimagined and brought into contemporary life. Read full story

- Hanoi is rolling out free health checkups for more than 2.2 million preschool and school-age children across the city ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year, aiming to detect health problems early and strengthen preventive care.

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A doctor provides dental checkup for a student. (Photo: VNA)

Nguyen Sieu Primary School in Yen Hoa ward has became the first school in the ward to provide checkups for children aged six to under 18./. Read full story

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Vietnamese Consul General in Vladivostok Nguyen Viet Kien recalled the historic significance of the August Revolution and National Day, which opened a new era of independence and freedom for Vietnam. He highlighted the valuable support extended by the former Soviet Union and present-day Russia to Vietnam’s national construction and development.

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