☀️ Morning digest on October 20

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

- The upcoming official visit to Finland by Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, from October 20 to 22, is expected to strengthen the Vietnam- Finland traditional friendship and open up new opportunities for strategic collaboration between the two sides.

This is the first official visit by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary to Finland since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973. The visit demonstrates Vietnam’s consistent policy of treasuring its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Finland. Read full story

- Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly László Kövér arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on October 18 morning to start his five-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

At Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the Hungarian top legislator and his entourage were welcomed by Tran Van Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council; Thai Quynh Mai Dung, member of the NA's Committee on National Defence, Security and Foreign Affairs; and representatives from the city’s Department of External Relations. On the Hungarian side were Ambassador Baloghdi Tibor and Consul General Lehocz Gabor. Read full story

- The 10th session of the 15th National Assembly (NA) will open in Hanoi on October 20.

Over the past time, the NA Standing Committee, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Government, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the NA General Secretary, the NA’s Ethnic Council, NA committees, NA delegations, the NA Office as well as related agencies and individuals, have been actively preparing the documents for the 10th session. Read full story

- National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man on October 19 chaired a meeting between the Standing Board of the NA Party Committee and heads of Party groups overseeing delegations of NA deputies from provinces and centrally-run cities ahead of the 10th session of the 15th legislature – the final session of this tenure.

Addressing the event, Chairman Man described the 10th session as a historic and highly significant meeting with a large and complex workload. It will institutionalise the latest guidelines and conclusions of the Party Central Committee and its Politburo and Secretariat, particularly key orientations adopted at the 13th Party Central Committee’s plenum, which emphasise the need to “turn institutional reform into a competitive advantage and a driving force for development.” Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has emphasised the need for efforts to complete public investment disbursement by 100% for this year, with ministers, heads of sectors and leaders of localities promoting their leadership responsibilities, and relevant parties strengthening supervision, all for happiness of the people.

Addressing a nationwide conference on October 18 on public investment promotion for 2025, the fourth such meeting this year, the PM affirmed the Government’s strong commitment to accelerating disbursement through institutional reform and effective law enforcement, with multiple laws and decrees revised to remove systemic barriers. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the delegation of National Assembly (NA) deputies in Can Tho on October 19 met with voters in the Mekong Delta city in preparation for the 10th session of the 15th NA.

The session, the final and highly important plenum of the 15th legislature, is scheduled to open on October 20. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference in Can Tho city on October 19 afternoon, regarding the implementation of expressway projects in the Mekong Delta, during which he emphasised that building infrastructure projects here is a demand from the heart.

Currently, construction is underway on 11 expressway projects/component projects with a total length of 434.7 km in the region. Among them, the Ministry of Transport is the governing body for five with a total length of 211.7 km, including four scheduled for completion in 2025 with a combined length of 191.17 km. Read full story

Bai Kem is often described by visitors as "Paradise on Earth". (Photo: Fatel Belek)

- Recently, Travel + Leisure, the prestigious US travel magazine, published a feature praising Phu Quoc as one of the most alluring destinations on Earth to visit at the end of 2025 and even one of the best places for expats to live. The article outlines why the island has become an increasingly global phenomenon, captivating not only travelers but also long-term residents.

“NOTHING COMPARES TO JETTING OFF on a holiday just as the weather turns cold. And if your destination is southern Phu Quoc, you know you’re in for a treat”, Travel + Leisure wrote, inviting international readers to experience Vietnam’s tropical season. The magazine commended the island’s ongoing transformation, noting that Phu Quoc never ceases to surprise; each year it reinvents itself beyond its stunning beaches and luxury seaside resorts. “The island’s rise … has been nothing short of phenomenal.” the magazine wrote. Read full story

- In many remote villages once bound by old customs such as home births, spiritual rituals, and restrictive postpartum practices, positive changes are emerging thanks to the dedication of village-based midwives who are bringing safer childbirth and maternal care to women in the highlands.

In Po Si Ngai village of Ban Xeo commune, Lao Cai province, Thao Thi Pa, a Mong ethnic woman, has served as a village-based midwife since 2011. In the early years, poor road conditions made access to medical facilities extremely difficult. Most women still gave birth at home according to traditional customs. Nine out of ten deliveries took place in houses or makeshift huts, posing serious risks to both mothers and babies. Many families believed in rituals rather than regular prenatal check-ups./. Read full story

VNA