Highlights of domestic events this past week

(Baonghean.vn) - The closing of the 3rd session of the 14th National Assembly Standing Committee; the General Secretary, President, and Prime Minister joining the Central Public Security Party Committee; the Prime Minister pressing the button to commence construction of the tallest twin towers in the Northern coastal region; the announcement of conclusions on seafood in Central Vietnam after the Formosa incident...; these are some of the outstanding domestic events of the past week.

1. Closing of the 3rd session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Assembly

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan presided over and delivered the closing remarks at the 3rd session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Assembly. Photo: Trong Duc/TTXVN

In her closing remarks, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stated that after 8.5 days of diligent and serious work, the third session of the National Assembly Standing Committee had completed all the planned agenda items.

The Standing Committee of the National Assembly has given its opinion on the preparation for the 2nd session of the 14th National Assembly, scheduled to open on October 22nd; given its opinion on the acceptance and revision of three draft laws: the Law on Beliefs and Religions, the Law on Auctioning Assets, and the Law on Associations; given its opinion on 10 draft laws and one draft Resolution to be submitted to the National Assembly at the second session; given its opinion on the draft Resolution of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on the Regulations on the preparation, verification, and submission to the National Assembly for decision on the state budget estimates, the central budget allocation plan, and the approval of the state budget final accounts; approved the draft Resolution on the principles, criteria, and norms for allocating recurrent expenditures; given its opinion on the 2016 work reports of the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, the Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, and the Government's reports on crime prevention and control, law enforcement, and anti-corruption work. Consider and decide on the appointment of members of the National Judge Selection and Supervision Council…

2. The General Secretary, the President, and the Prime Minister participate in the Central Public Security Party Committee.

Three Party and State leaders participate in the Party Committee of the Central Public Security Ministry.

On the morning of September 21st, a solemn ceremony was held in Hanoi to announce the Decision of the Politburo of the 12th Party Congress on the appointment of the Party Committee of the Central Public Security Ministry for the 2015-2020 term.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; President Tran Dai Quang; Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Politburo member and Standing Secretary of the Central Committee Dinh The Huynh; along with leaders from the Central Organization Department; the Central Party Office; the General Secretary's Office; and the Ministry of Public Security attended the event.

At the ceremony, Politburo member and Head of the Central Organization Department Pham Minh Chinh announced the Politburo's decision appointing the Party Committee of the Central Public Security Ministry for the 2015-2020 term, comprising 16 members; the Standing Committee of the Party Committee consists of 7 members, including 3 Party and State leaders: General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. This is the first time in any term that the General Secretary has participated in the Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Central Public Security Ministry.

3 - The Prime Minister presses the button to officially launch the construction of the tallest twin towers on the Northern coast.

A model of the tallest tower in the Northern coastal region.

On the afternoon of September 18th, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc pressed the button to officially launch the construction of a 45-story tower in the Vinhomes Riva City urban area in Hai Phong, developed by Vingroup.

The tower was designed by Humphrey Partners (USA). The base spans 150 meters, its gracefully curved structure mimicking a flowing river. At its center is a 45-story cylindrical structure, reaching a total height of 148 meters, rising proudly. The building is clad in energy-efficient green glass.

With the desire to preserve the memories associated with the Hai Phong Cement Factory that have been cherished by many generations, Vingroup Corporation has dedicated the most prime area in the center of the urban square to build the Cement Factory Museum.

Here, alongside the well-preserved factory chimney, are precious artifacts and proud stories connected to the city's history and development. The shopping center is expected to be completed by the end of 2017, and the hotel will be operational from the end of 2018.

4 - The 5th National Congress of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning (2016-2021)

The new Chairperson of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning, term V - former Vice President Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Doan - shakes hands and congratulates Mr. Nguyen Manh Cam, former Chairperson of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning, term IV.

On the morning of September 22nd, the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning solemnly held its 5th National Congress (2016-2021).

The 5th National Congress of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning was solemnly held at a time of great significance: the first year of the entire Party and people implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Party, comprehensively and synchronously promoting the country's renewal process to soon transform Vietnam into a modern industrialized nation; and commemorating the 71st anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam...

The 5th Congress of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning elected 104 delegates to the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning. The Executive Committee unanimously elected former Central Committee member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, former Vice President, Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Doan as the President of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning for the 5th term. The Congress also honored Mr. Nguyen Manh Cam – former President of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning for the 3rd and 4th terms – as the Honorary President of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning for the 5th term.

5. Announcing conclusions on Central Vietnam's seafood after the Formosa incident.

The Ministry of Health advises people not to consume certain types of seafood from the central provinces that live within 20 nautical miles (at the bottom of the sea).

On the morning of September 20th, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced the results of testing 1,340 seafood samples from four sea areas affected by the environmental incident caused by Formosa Ha Tinh Company.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with relevant ministries, departments, and localities, collected 1,040 seafood samples daily from all fishing ports, fishing grounds, fishing boats, and aquaculture ponds in four central provinces.

The Ministry of Health concluded that all seafood such as tuna, mackerel, scad, yellowtail, silverfish, barramundi, snapper, grouper, anchovy, herring, barracuda, and other types of seafood living in the surface layer, as well as seafood from aquaculture ponds in the four central provinces, are safe for consumption. No samples were found to contain Phenol.

However, test results on seafood such as shrimp, crab, mantis shrimp, snails, squid, stingray, barramundi, octopus, rock crab, and other bottom-dwelling seafood within a 13.5 nautical mile radius revealed the presence of Phenol in 132 out of 1,040 samples from four provinces. The 132 samples found to contain Phenol were all located within a 5-25 km radius (approximately 2.7-13.5 nautical miles), with the highest contamination rates in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces and the lowest in Lang Co beach, Thua Thien Hue province.

To ensure consumer health and safety, the Ministry of Health recommends against consuming certain types of seafood that live within 20 nautical miles (bottom-dwelling seafood).

6. Vietnam publishes its first ever Diplomatic Blue Book.

Vietnam's first "Blue Book" on Diplomacy.

Vietnam's first diplomatic Blue Book consists of six chapters introducing its foreign policy and recent notable achievements.

"The book not only reviews Vietnam's foreign affairs work in 2015, but also looks back at the past five years, while highlighting the essential new contents of the foreign policy guidelines of the 12th Party Congress," Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung stated at the book launch this morning.

Deputy Minister Trung stated that this is the first time Vietnam has published a Diplomatic Bluebook, while many countries around the world annually publish similar publications, known as "Diplomatic Bluebooks," "Diplomatic Whitebooks," or "Greenbooks," to showcase their foreign policy and outstanding diplomatic activities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes to receive feedback to improve its foreign affairs work and to publish Vietnam's Diplomatic Bluebooks in the following years.

7 - Journalist assaulted by police while on assignment

Reporter Quang Thế was assaulted while on assignment. Photo: MC

While reporting from the scene of a taxi driver's death under the Nhat Tan Bridge (Hanoi) on the morning of September 23, journalist Tran Quang The (Tuoi Tre newspaper) was obstructed from doing his job and assaulted by a group of officers from the Criminal Police Team of Dong Anh District Police.

Journalist Quang Thế was assaulted right in front of the cameras of many fellow journalists from news outlets in Hanoi, who were also covering the scene of the taxi driver's death. A group of men in plain clothes cornered journalist Quang Thế on the Nhật Tân bridge, where many cars were speeding by, punching and kicking him repeatedly in the body and face, causing him to bleed from the mouth.

Later that same day, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Nam Thang, Head of the Criminal Police Team of Dong Anh District Police, acknowledged that the officers and soldiers of his unit had displayed "inappropriate behavior" and apologized to journalist Tran Quang The on behalf of the unit. According to him, this was a very regrettable incident, and the Dong Anh District Police have requested those involved to submit reports for disciplinary action.

8 - Tragedy in Quang Ninh: Four family members (grandmother and two grandchildren) brutally murdered.

The house where the tragedy occurred.

At around 7:00 AM on September 24th, Ms. Vu Thi Thanh, residing in Hop Thanh area, Phuong Nam ward, Uong Bi city, Quang Ninh province, returned home after her night shift and discovered her mother, two children, and a grandchild had been brutally murdered inside their house.

The victims included Thanh's mother, Nguyen Thi Hat, 55 years old; Thanh's two children, Pham Dinh Hung, 9 years old, and Pham Thu Ha, 8 years old; and Thanh's niece, Vu Thi Huyen, 3 years old.

Immediately after receiving the information, the Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee, Nguyen Van Doc, along with leaders of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee and Uong Bi City, went directly to the scene to direct the investigation into the cause of the incident.

Regarding this matter, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a directive requesting the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province, and relevant agencies to instruct functional forces to initiate criminal proceedings, conduct investigations, apprehend the suspect and accomplices (if any), clarify the cause of the aforementioned murder, and strictly punish them according to the law.

9. Famous Cai Luong artist Thanh Tong passes away.

Artist Thanh Tòng is one of the veteran figures of Vietnamese cải lương (traditional opera).

Artist Thanh Tòng was born in 1948 in Ho Chi Minh City. He belongs to the third generation of a famous family of traditional Vietnamese opera (cải lương) in Southern Vietnam. His grandfather was bầu Thắng, and his father was artist Minh Tơ. Famous names such as Bạch Lê, Bạch Lựu, Bạch Lý, Bạch Long, Thành Lộc, and director Phượng Hoàng are his cousins. Younger actors like Tú Sương, Trinh Trinh, and Thanh Thảo are his nieces and nephews.

From a young age, Thanh Tòng was taught by his father how to embody various roles—literary, martial, loyal, flattering, old, villainous, sentimental—to train him to become a versatile artist. At the age of 10, he performed on stage in traditional Vietnamese opera. Saigon journalists at the time bestowed upon Thanh Tòng the title of "stage prodigy." He left a deep impression on audiences with his many multifaceted roles. In 1968, the press of the time dubbed him the "King of Cai Luong Ho Quang." His plays, such as "Pham Lai - Tay Thi" and "Vo Tong Kills the Tẩu," were beloved by audiences.

In 2007, Thanh Tong was awarded the title of People's Artist. People's Artist Thanh Tong was also the teacher of many Cai Luong artists such as Kim Tu Long, Thoai My, Tu Suong...

10 - Vietnam wins first prize in the 2016 UPU International Letter Writing Competition.

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang.

After five years, Vietnam finally won first prize in the 2nd International UPU Letter Writing Competition 2016. The winning letter was from Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, a 9th-grade student from Nguyen Trai Secondary School, Nam Sach District, Hai Duong Province (academic year 2015-2016).

The letter written by Vietnamese student Nguyen Thi Thu Trang beat hundreds of entries from contestants around the world to win first prize in the 45th UPU International Letter Writing Competition. Based on the competition's theme, "Write a letter to yourself at 45," Thu Trang embodied Aylan Kurdi, the boy who died on the Bodrum coast of Turkey during a sea crossing with his family, to write a letter to herself at the age of 45. The letter received high praise from the competition's judging panel.

Aylan Kurdi's story in Heaven, Nguyen Thi Thu Trang's dream of a world without violence, without people driving each other away and forcing each other into the sea, not only touches people's hearts but also makes a very strong impression.

Following notification from the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam Post Corporation, and other relevant agencies are preparing the necessary procedures to bring Nguyen Thi Thu Trang to Turkey to receive the award at the 26th Universal Postal Union Congress in Istanbul in early October 2016.

This is the second time Vietnam has had the honor of winning the top prize in the UPU International Letter Writing Competition.

Peace

(Synthetic)