Highlights of domestic events this past week

(Baonghean.vn) -President Tran Dai Quang pays an official visit to the Republic of Cuba;British Prince William pays an official visit to Vietnam.Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc answering questions at the 2nd session of the 14th National Assembly;... these are some of the prominent domestic events of the past week.

1. President Tran Dai Quang pays an official visit to the Republic of Cuba.

On the afternoon of November 16, President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro presided over the official welcoming ceremony for President Tran Dai Quang and his wife, along with a high-level delegation from the Vietnamese Party and State.

At the invitation of the President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers of Cuba, Raul Castro, on the evening of November 14, President Tran Dai Quang and his wife, along with a high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State, departed from Hanoi for an official visit to the Republic of Cuba from November 15-17.

On this occasion, the leaders of the two countries will exchange views and agree on directions and measures to strengthen bilateral relations in the new development phase of each country.

In a statement to the press from both countries at Jose Marti International Airport, President Tran Dai Quang expressed his emotion at visiting the free, beautiful, heroic, and hospitable country of Cuba. He said that even though he had just landed at the airport, he felt as if he had returned home and reunited with long-lost relatives.

Following his official visit to the Republic of Cuba, at the invitation of Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynsky, President Tran Dai Quang and his wife will attend the 24th APEC High-Level Week held in Lima, Peru from November 17-20.

2 - British Prince William pays an official visit to Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and British Prince William Arthur Philip Louis pose for a commemorative photo (Photo: Chinhphu.vn)

On the morning of November 16th, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, arrived in Hanoi, beginning his official visit to Vietnam and attending the Third International Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade on November 17th.

Immediately upon arriving in Hanoi, Prince William held courtesy meetings with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh. According to Kensington Palace, the Prince believes that Vietnam truly has the opportunity to be a leader in wildlife conservation efforts and he looks forward to discussing this issue when he meets with the Vice President and the Prime Minister of Vietnam.

On the same day, Prince William will meet with experts in traditional medicine, several celebrities, representatives of non-governmental organizations, representatives of the arts community, and the business community in Hanoi.

3 - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc answers questions at the 2nd session of the 14th National Assembly.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc answers questions.

This is the first time Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has answered questions before the National Assembly in his capacity as the head of the Government. Previously, in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister, he had answered questions on numerous occasions at the authorization of the Prime Minister.

In his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister in the previous term, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also frequently appeared before the National Assembly to answer questions on behalf of the head of government at mid-year sessions. Most recently, at the 9th session of the 13th National Assembly in mid-2015, he received numerous questions ranging from the South China Sea issue to public debt, transportation infrastructure, river encroachment in Dong Nai, and the issue of corrupt civil servants.

This time, the topics that delegates can question Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on are divided into 10 groups of issues reserved for the four selected ministers to address the Prime Minister (Ministers of Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, Education and Training, and Home Affairs). Many of these issues have been discussed repeatedly in previous questioning sessions, such as combating smuggling, hydropower dam flood releases, resource and mineral management and exploitation, and the education reform program.

4 - Commemorating the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Fatherland Front

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong with officials and people of Phat Tich village, Phat Tich commune, Tien Du district (Bac Ninh). Font Size: |

In the atmosphere of the National Unity Day, many localities across the country solemnly celebrated the 86th anniversary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front's traditional day (November 18, 1930 - November 18, 2016). Many leaders of the Party and State attended and shared in the joy of the national unity day in several localities.

On the morning of November 13th, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attended and celebrated the National Unity Day at Phat Tich village, Phat Tich commune, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province. There, the General Secretary reiterated President Ho Chi Minh's teaching, "The Front policy is a crucial policy in all revolutionary work," and affirmed the important role of the Fatherland Front in the current revolutionary period.

On the evening of November 17th, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended and celebrated with residents of residential areas No. 1-2-10-11 in Dien Bien Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Engaging in friendly conversation with the residents, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his hope that the Fatherland Front and the people of the ward would actively contribute to Party building and participate in the management and administration of the State, so that this task would become more practical and effective in reality.

On November 18th, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attended the National Unity Day celebration at Thoi Hoa residential area, Chau Hoa commune, Giong Trom district.

5 - Opening of the International Conference on Combating Wildlife Trafficking

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh affirmed that Vietnam has always been concerned with protecting biodiversity and wildlife, especially endangered species. Photo: VGP/Do Huong

On the morning of November 17th, in Hanoi, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh attended the opening session of the 3rd International High-Level Conference on Combating Illegal Trade in Wildlife.

Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Sonsay Siphandone, Prince William of the United Kingdom, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Yury Fedotov, and nearly 100 delegates representing leaders of intergovernmental organizations and international organizations.

In his opening remarks at the conference, the Vice President emphasized that preventing the illegal trade in rare and endangered wildlife is a global issue. To effectively protect wildlife, the international community needs a comprehensive approach, focusing on and implementing a synchronized approach including: improving institutions and laws and ensuring effective law enforcement; eliminating illegal markets and implementing campaigns to reduce and eliminate the illegal consumption of wildlife; developing livelihoods within protected areas for communities living in nature reserves; and strengthening international cooperation and coordination.

6 - Awarding the 2016 Vietnamese Talents Prize

Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue - Member of the Politburo, Deputy Prime Minister - presents the First Prize in the Information Technology field. Photo source: dantri.com.vn

The 2016 Vietnam Talent Awards Ceremony took place on the evening of November 19th at the Hanoi Friendship Cultural Palace. This was the 12th year of the award, aiming to encourage and honor talent in the fields of information technology and communication, as well as science and technology, medicine, environment, and talent promotion.

The 2016 Vietnam Talent Awards in the IT field awarded: 2 First Prizes, each worth 100 million VND, to InfoRe Information Technology Joint Stock Company for its product “SMCC Semantic Analysis and Social Network Interaction Management System” and Early Start Joint Stock Company for its product “Monkey Junior”.

In addition, there are 2 Second Prizes worth 50 million VND each, 2 Third Prizes worth 30 million VND each, 1 Prize for a Promising Startup worth 15 million VND, and 2 Consolation Prizes worth 15 million VND each.

7 - The Vietnamese Math Team topped the International Math and Science Olympiad.

The Vietnamese national team arrived at Noi Bai Airport on the evening of November 13th.

The Vietnamese mathematics team won 7 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals at the International Mathematics and Science Olympiad for students under 13 years old, held in Indonesia.

Out of 12 students competing in the Mathematics competition, 7 won Gold Medals: Cao Thúy An, Nguyễn Khánh Nam, Nguyễn Nhật Minh (Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students), Giang Khánh Chi, Ngô Quý Đăng (Archimedes Academy Secondary School), Lê Đức Minh (Đoàn Thị Điểm Secondary School) and Phạm Việt Hưng (Hanoi Star Secondary School).

With 7 gold medals (accounting for 1/3 of the total gold medals), 2 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals, the Vietnamese team ranked first among 23 participating countries and territories in the Mathematics competition. In the Science competition, they won 10 silver medals (mostly from Hanoi Star Secondary School) and 2 bronze medals.

8 - Transformer substation explodes in Hanoi, 4 people burned, 1 person dead.

The scene of the explosion.

At approximately 3 PM on November 17th, a low-voltage power substation located on Minh Khai Street, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, unexpectedly exploded, injuring five people with burns. By the morning of November 18th, the family of Vu Dinh Thai (63 years old, one of the five victims of the explosion) reported that he had died due to severe injuries.

At the time of the transformer explosion, residents in the area reported hearing a loud bang followed by screams and seeing some people running around in panic, engulfed in flames.

According to the Ha Dong Power Company, the explosion occurred at a transformer substation that was undergoing trial operation before being put into official operation. However, the transformer leaked oil, causing a fire.

9 - Numerous activities to celebrate Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20th.

Students at Ly Thai To Kindergarten danced and sang to celebrate Vietnamese Teachers' Day.

To commemorate the 34th anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers' Day (November 20, 1982 - November 20, 2016), this week, many meaningful and practical activities have been organized across the country to express gratitude to teachers.

On the afternoon of November 18th, at the Ministry of Education and Training, Comrade Nguyen Thien Nhan, Member of the Political Bureau and Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, visited and congratulated officials and employees of the education sector on the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20th.

That evening, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam Education Union, in collaboration with the Science and Education Department of Vietnam Television, organized an art exchange program titled "Expressing Gratitude," to honor teachers in the noble profession of educating future generations.

Besides that, the press also dedicated many pages this week to inspiring stories about teachers, such as: the teachers teaching 10th grade in Thanh An commune, Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City, who traveled dozens of kilometers by sea to reach their beloved students; the special classroom of farmer teachers; and Teacher Vu Trong Viet with 17 years of teaching in the mountainous region of Tram Tau, Yen Bai…

Peace

(Synthetic)