Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on June 16

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on June 16


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

- Hanoi needs to shape a fresh vision in the new era, aiming to transform itself into a creative city where innovative talent, new ideas, and emerging technologies are prioritised and promoted, Party General Secretary To Lam said at a working session with repersentatives of the Standing Committee of the municipal Party Committee on June 16.

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Party General Secretary To Lam speaks at the working session. (Photo: VNA)

During his remarks, the Party chief acknowledged and spoke highly of strong efforts, determination for innovation and creativity, and effective actions taken by the municipal Party Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committee in recent times. Read full story

- The National Assembly (NA) unanimously approved a resolution amending key provisions of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on June 16, with all 470 delegates present at the 9th session voting in favour.

The constitutional amendment resolution states that district-level administrative units nationwide will cease operations on July 1, 2025, while providing several transitional provisions. Read full story

- The Vietnamese language proficiency exam held in Japan has reached a new milestone this year, with a record number of candidates and the introduction of the highest-level test, Level 1, for the first time.

The exam, the 8th of its kind, organised by the Association for the Promotion and Exchange of Languages of Southeast Asian Countries in Japan, took place on June 15 at the Japan College of Foreign Languages in Tokyo. It featured six levels, from the introductory Pre-Level 6 up to Level 1. Read full story

- More than 206,000 makeshift and dilapidated houses across Vietnam have been removed as of mid-June, according to the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

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Hai Duong city's leaders present gifts to a family with a newly renovated house. (Photo: VNA)

By June 14, a total of 155,501 houses had been completed, while over 51,000 were under construction. Recent additions of Hai Duong and Ca Mau provinces to the list brought the number of localities free of substandard houses to 23 out of 63 nationwide. Read full story

- Vietnam’s rice industry marked a significant milestone on June 5 with the export of the first batch of rice under the brand “Green and Low-Emission Vietnamese Rice” to Japan, one of the most demanding markets in the world.

This achievement goes beyond mere technical or commercial success, it represents a profound shift in agricultural thinking, from traditional production methods to a model that is sustainable, modern, responsible, and climate-resilient. The event sends a strong message: Vietnamese agriculture is moving forward on a green path, a path to the future. Read full story

- Global tech giant Qualcomm has just launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research & Development (R&D) centre in Vietnam, which is expected to help position Vietnam as a leading AI R&D hub in the region and the world.

According to Deputy Minister of Finance Le Tan Can called this event a “significant milestone” that marks a new phase of cooperation between Qualcomm and Vietnam in the field of AI. He urged Qualcomm to continue advancing groundbreaking AI research in Vietnam and strengthen cooperation with the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) to help develop the country’s AI workforce. Read full story

- Honda Vietnam (HVN) recorded significant sales growth in both motorcycle and automobile segments in May 2025, with year-on-year increases of 8.2% and 25.9%, respectively.

The company sold 176,878 motorcycles during the month, bringing total sales for the early period of the fiscal year 2026 (from April 1, 2025) to 347,864 units, up 7.5% compared to the same period last year. Exports also remained positive, with 16,128 motorcycles shipped abroad in May. Read full story

- Vietnamese sports received great news as the canoeing team excellently won a total of 10 gold medals, three silver medals and six bronze medals at the Asian Youth Championship, the Asian U23 Championship and the Southeast Asian Championship, held in Thailand from June 9-15.

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Rower Nguyen Thi Huong competes at the Paris 2024 Olympics in August last year. (Photo: VNA)

These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment. Read full story

- As tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate, the Vietnamese Embassy in Iran confirmed on June 16 (local time) that all Vietnamese citizens in the country are safe, maintaining stable morale and regular contact with the embassy.

Ambassador Nguyen Luong Ngoc said 38 Vietnamese nationals are currently living and working in Iran, including embassy personnel, long-term residents, and short-term visitors. The embassy has issued regular advisories, urging them to avoid gatherings, strictly follow local security guidelines, and maintain close communication with diplomatic staff./. Read full story

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