Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 16

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 16

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

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has suggested that the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports work closely with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to accelerate the establishment of the Laos–Vietnam University and the Vietnam Cultural Centre in the neighbouring country, and enable Lao students in border areas to study at Vietnam’s semi-boarding inter-level schools.

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Lao Minister of Education and Sports Thongsalith Mangnormek in Hanoi on December 16. (Photo: VNA)

Receiving Lao Minister of Education and Sports Thongsalith Mangnormek in Hanoi on December 16, PM Chinh noted that during Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to Laos and the 48th meeting of the Vietnam–Laos Intergovernmental Committee, the two sides agreed to further deepen and elevate bilateral ties to a new level of “great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion,” with education and training identified as a key pillar in strengthening strategic linkage between the two countries in the new period. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed relevant agencies to thoroughly review procedures for ground-breaking and inauguration ceremonies for projects celebrating the 14th National Party Congress, in line with regulations, while ensuring full preparation of sites, technical logistics, facilities, and security and safety measures.

The Prime Minister made the request while chairing a meeting between the Government’s standing members and ministries, sectors and localities on December 16 on preparations for the events. Read full story

- “Vietnamese Women” app, a secure digital platform designed to enable millions of Vietnamese women to connect, share experience, acquire new knowledge and skills, foster mutual growth, and build a strong Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU), is now available for download on Google Play (for Android devices) and App Store (for iPhone and iPad).

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Officials mark the launch of the “Vietnamese Women” app. (Photo: VNA)

The app was unveiled during the 15th plenary session of 13th-term VWU Central Committee in Hanoi on December 16. In its pilot phase, it focuses on practical features tailored to the daily needs of VWU members and women nationwide, including real-time information feeds from the union, thematic sections providing essential life skills and knowledge, and online surveys to ensure women’s voices are heard more quickly and fully. Read full story

- Prosecutors on December 16 proposed lighter sentences for several defendants in the ongoing appeal hearing of the high-profile Phuc Son Group corruption case, citing a thorough review of case documents, first-instance trial records and new mitigating factors presented at the appellate stage.

They recommended cutting the sentences of Hoang Thi Thuy Lan, former Secretary of the Party Committee of Vinh Phuc province (before its administrative merger with Phu Tho and Hoa Binh), by 24-30 months; Le Duy Thanh, former Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, by 30-36 months; and Pham Hoang Anh, former Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, by 18-24 months. Read full story

- The Vietnam Railways Corporation will transport 1 million bricks free from the North to the Central to support home construction and repairs for families affected by recent storms and floods, as part of the Quang Trung campaign initiated by the Prime Minister.

The activity aims to accelerate the campaign, which seeks to rapidly building and repairing homes for households affected by natural disasters in central localities. Read full story

- Three flights operated by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, and Bamboo Airways will make the first official “inaugural landings” at Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai on December 19.

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The terminal of Long Thanh International Airport under construction (Photo courtesy of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Construction on December 15 noon issued an official dispatch to the three domestic airlines, requesting them to operate official flights to this mega project, currently in the final stretches to the finishing line. Read full story

- Nam Can Tho University Hospital on December 15 hosted a ceremony to announce its accreditation by the American Accreditation Commission International (AACI), a US-based body, becoming the first facility in the Mekong Delta and among a select few in Vietnam to earn the distinction.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the Can Tho municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep said the accreditation confirms the hospital's compliance with rigorous benchmarks in patient safety, clinical excellence, governance, infrastructure, medical equipment and, notably, a patient-centric approach, which are core values of modern healthcare aligned with global norms. Read full story

- The Made in Vietnam Fair, slated for December 18–22, is expected to bring together around 150 booths representing major groups, local manufacturing enterprises and Vietnamese brands from provinces and cities across the country.

The fair will showcase a wide range of products, including industrial and consumer goods, processed foods, agricultural produce and handicrafts, with the participation of distribution systems, e-commerce platforms, digital platforms and digital financial solution providers operating in Vietnam./. Read full story

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