☀️ Morning digest on July 25

The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

☀️ Morning digest on July 25

Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also Head of the National Civil Defence Steering Committee, has called for enhancing preparedness at the grassroots level, stressing that communes, wards, and special zones must act as “fortresses” in civil defence, especially disaster prevention, response and recovery.

Addressing the committee’s first national meeting on disaster prevention and control, and search and rescue efforts on July 24, PM Chinh warned of increasingly complex and destructive natural disasters, urging a strategic shift from passive reaction to proactive prevention and long-term preparedness. Read full story

- National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, accompanied by his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, toured the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar on the morning of July 24 (local time) as part of their ongoing official visit to Senegal.

Joining the visit were President of the Senegalese National Assembly El Malick Ndiaye and Vice Presidents. Read full story

- The Government of Germany on July 23 officially submitted the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to the German Bundestag for ratification.

This legal document has been jointly advocated by the Vietnamese Government, the German business community, and partners within the frameworks of Vietnam – EU and Vietnam – Germany relations. Read full story

- Deputy Auditor General Bui Quoc Dung led a delegation from the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) to the Cour des comptes (French Court of Accounts), as part of a working visit to Azerbaijan and France from July 15–24, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties between the two supreme audit institutions.

The Vietnamese delegation was received by senior French officials including Jean-Yves Bertucci, President of the Court’s Litigation Chamber; Audrey Chaffard and Thomas Basset, senior judges; and Guillaume Brule, deputy director of international relations. Read full story

- Vietnam's aquatic products have continued to make significant strides in the Singaporean market, with impressive trade figures in the first six months of 2025, helping Vietnam temporarily surpass Norway to become the third-largest supplier to Singapore, following Malaysia and Indonesia.

Statistics showed that in the first half of this year, the value of Singapore’s seafood imports (code HS:03) from Vietnam reached 57.2 million SGD (42.33 million USD), up 10.8% year-on-year, accounting for 10.2% of the total import market share of seafood in Singapore. Read full story

- Vietnam has maintained its position as the third-largest rice supplier of Singapore, according to data from Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, cited by the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore.

In the first half of 2025, Singapore imported rice products worth 60.9 million SGD (over 47.7 million USD) from Vietnam, accounting for 24.5% of the country’s total rice imports. The value marked a 17.1% decline year-on-year, which may be attributed to falling export prices. Read full story

- As part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Vietnam-Russia diplomatic relations, a special art exhibition themed “Master and Student: The Melody of One Journey” has opened at the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery of the Russian Academy of Arts in Moscow.

The exhibition features around 90 works spanning painting, graphics, sculpture, and decorative arts, created by renowned Soviet and Russian artists and their Vietnamese students. Many of the contributors are members of the former Soviet Union Academy of Arts and the current Russian Academy of Arts. Read full story./.

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☕ Afternoon briefing on December 24

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 24

Outstanding domestic and international events of 2025 selected by the VNA, the Christmas atmosphere in Vietnam, and a seminar aimed at exploring cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Russia in the digital era are among news highlights on December 24.

The closing of the 13th Party Central Committee's 15th plenum on December 23 (Photo: VNA)

📝OP-ED: Party Congress personnel: No room for rumours!

As Vietnam stands on the threshold of a promising new development phase brimming with opportunities and high expectations, staying alert to fake news, rumours, and baseless accusations is not merely a voice of rationality but a civic duty towards the nation’s future.

☀️ Morning digest on December 24

☀️ Morning digest on December 24

The PM's demand for coordinated efforts to repair infrastructure and restore livelihoods following storms and floods in the central region; the establishment of the Central Steering Committee for People’s Air Defence; and the phone talks between the Vietnamese and French foreign ministers are among news highlights on December 23 evening.

Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Sen. Lieut. Gen Phung Sy Tan presents a souvenir to Gen. Phorn Nara, Secretary General of the National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical, Nuclear, Biological and Radiological Weapons of Cambodia (CBRNE) in Hanoi on December 23 (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Military official hosts Cambodian chemical weapons authority chief

The success of the second Vietnam - Cambodia border defence friendship exchange in November has contributed to the practical and effective cooperation among the two countries’ armies, local authorities, and border communities, for a borderline of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation, and development.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung at the phone talks with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot on December 23 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese, French foreign ministers hold phone talks

France wishes to increase cooperation with Vietnam in such strategic sectors as energy, transport, and aerospace, while continuing to work closely with Vietnam to promote multilateralism and tackle global challenges, said French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.

Party General Secretary To Lam delivers remarks at the closing session of the 15th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee in Hanoi on December 23 (Photo: VNA)

Announcement on 15th plenum of 13th Party Central Committee

The 15th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee was held in Hanoi from December 22 to 23. The Party Central Committee agreed to adopt the report of the 13th Party Central Committee to be submitted to the 14th National Party Congress on personnel for the 14th Party Central Committee.

An overview of the closing session of the 15th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on the morning of December 23. (Photo: VNA)

Party Central Committee’s 15th plenum wraps up

The implementation of the 1991 Party Platform and its revised and supplemented version in 2011 has reaffirmed the correctness, creativity, and appropriateness of the Party’s "Doi moi" (renewal) path, as well as the inevitability of Vietnam’s socialist-oriented development, which is in line with national realities and global trends, said the Party leader.

The Vesak Day 2025 Celebration in Hue city (Photo: VNA)

📝OP-ED: “Freedom of Religion” not subject to politicisation

It is not difficult to recognise the report’s outdated tone, built on unsubstantiated arguments, entrenched prejudice, and imposed interpretations regarding the freedom of religion in Vietnam. This is also not the first time the organisation’s conclusions have exposed clear shortcomings in objectivity and methodology, raising questions about political motivations behind what is presented as a human rights assessment.