☕ Afternoon briefing on October 27

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

- Vietnam highlighted basic principles of international law and the obligation of protecting the environment in relation to armed conflicts at a working session of the 77th United Nations General Assembly’s Sixth Committee (Legal) in New York on October 26.

Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said the seven basic principles of the UN Charter and the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter should be included in the list of mandatory norms. Read full story

- All relic sites and tourist attractions in Vietnam will be included in a digital map, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism (MCST).

MCST Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong said at a hybrid seminar on digital transformation in the culture, sports and tourism sector in Hanoi on October 26 that his ministry will build a digital platform and infrastructure in the time ahead, while implementing projects on the digitalisation of cultural heritage and digital transformation in the tourism industry. Read full story

- Hanoi has welcomed nearly 983,000 international tourist arrivals in the first 10 months, almost reaching the target of 1 - 1.2 million for the whole of this year, the municipal Tourism Department said on October 26. Read full story

- SunRice, Australia’s largest rice supplier, will partner with Australian and Vietnamese researchers to develop a new variety of rice that helps farmers in the Mekong Delta adapt to climate change and offers a fresh opportunity to increase exports from the region. Read full story

- Vietnam, a leading rice producer and exporter in the world, has a chance to earn higher value from the grain by capitalising on by-products.

Talking to visiting Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam, Murai Hiromichi, President of the Nagoya-based Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical company, said rice bran oil generates 320 - 350 USD per tonne in value while compounds obtained during oil extraction are used in 70 nutritional and beauty care products. Read full story

- A digital exhibition named “Vietnam’s Hoang Sa, Truong Sa – Historical and Legal Evidence” opened at Bac Binh district high school in the southcentral province of Binh Thuan on October 27. Read full story

- The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) is striving to raise the number of people covered by health insurance to 91.05 million, or 92% of the national population, by the end of this year.

Some 19.04 million people or 37.7% of the workforce are expected to join social insurance and 15.21 million (30% of the workforce) will participate in unemployment insurance. Read full story

- Doctor Nguyen Viet Giap, Director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Eye Hospital, has been honoured with the 2023 Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award.

This is the most prestigious award in the field of ophthalmology of the Asia-Pacific region, which comprises more than 40 countries and regions. Giap is the sixth member of the Vietnam Ophthalmological Society to receive the award since the association was set up 65 years ago. Read full story

- The first phase of the Vietnam Institute of Dietary Supplements (VIDS) was officially opened at the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Tan Xa commune, Thach That district, Hanoi on October 27. Read full story./.