Politics

☀️ Morning digest on May 18

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

☀️ Morning digest on May 18

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

- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam has expressed his confident that under the light of Ho Chi Minh Thought, the entire Party, people and army will successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, achieve the two strategic centennial goals, and realise the aspiration of building a prosperous and powerful nation.

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President Ho Chi Minh works at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. (File photo: VNA)

In an article written on the occasion of President Ho Chi Minh’s 136th birth anniversary (May 19, 1890 – 2026), the leader affirmed that “Ho Chi Minh Thought serves as a guiding light along our development path.” Read full story

- As the country enters a new era, the demand for rapid and sustainable development requires Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) to step up its efforts, act more decisively, and deliver more pronounced breakthroughs, so as to truly live up to the stature and mission of a national university, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has said.

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Party General Secretary and State President To Lam speaks at the ceremony marking the 120th anniversary of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (May 16, 1906 –2026). (Photo: VNA)

The leader made the remarks at a ceremony marking the university’s 120th anniversary (May 16, 1906 –2026) in Hanoi on May 16. Read full story

- The Global Connect Vietnam France (GCVF) association was officially launched in France on May 16 with the aim of connecting Vietnamese intellectuals, experts and entrepreneurs in France and Europe, while promoting cooperation in the fields of technology, innovation and artificial intelligence (AI).

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Trinh Duc Hai described the establishment of GCVF as evidence of the growing stature, vision and aspiration to contribute of the Vietnamese intellectual and business community in France. Read full story

- The Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Plant in the central province of Thanh Hoa has received more than 950,000 barrels of Djeno crude oil imported from the Republic of Congo for fuel production to meet domestic market demand.

The crude shipment was arranged by Nghi Son Petroleum Products Distribution Branch (PVNDB), a subsidiary of the Vietnam National Industry - Energy Group (Petrovietnam), to help maintain stable operations at the refinery. Read full story

- The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Central Committee's Board for Cultural Affairs has announced that Vesak Celebrations 2026 will take place in Da Lat of Lam Dong province, featuring 15 experiential activities combining Buddhist rituals with cultural, artistic and community programmes.

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A ritual of Vesak 2025 takes place on May 12, 2025 at Tu Dam pagoda in Hue city.(Photo: VNA)

The event, scheduled to take place from May 23 - 25, is expected to attract tens of thousands of monks, nuns, Buddhists, tourists and local residents, while a series of extended activities will continue until June 1. Read full story

- Vietnam will host the 21st Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies (AAAP) Animal Science Congress (AAAP 21) from October 28 - 31 in Hanoi, marking the second time the country has organised this major international event after the first in 2008.

According to the Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam (AHAV), the event is expected to gather between 1,300 - 1,500 delegates, including around 500 leading international scientists, experts and businesses in the livestock sector. Read full story

- Activities within the “I Love My Fatherland” journey and a communications campaign of the same name marking the 70th anniversary of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF) (October 15, 1956–2026), will run from May to October.

A ceremony was held in the central province of Nghe An on May 16 to kick off the journey, which will feature a combination of education on traditions, field-based programmes, and digital communications. Read full story

- A show staged on May 15 by the Vietnam Puppet Theatre in Kaysone Phomvihane city, the capital of central Savannakhet province, part of the Vietnam Cultural Week in Laos 2026, created a genuine cultural sensation and reinforced the deep-rooted bond between the fraternal Vietnamese and Lao people.

Following two sold-out shows in Vientiane, Vietnam’s traditional water puppetry continued to pull in strong audiences. The 700-seat auditorium of the Savannakhet provincial cultural house was filled to capacity on both floors well before the show began./. Read full story

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