Vietnam news in brief - August 1

Thailand declares mourning for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

Today and tomorrow August 1-2, Thailand will fly flags at half-mast nationwide to honor the late General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away on July 19 at the age of 80.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin lays flowers to pay tribute to the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: VOV

Timor-Leste President enhances bilateral ties during Vietnam visit

Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta arrived in Hanoi on July 31 to begin his official visit to Vietnam. The four-day visit aims to enhance cooperation in economics, agriculture, IT, and telecommunications. Currently, Vietnam's Viettel Military Group (Viettel Telemor in Timor-Leste) is a major telecommunications company operating in Timor-Leste with 96% network coverage.

Young director wins top prize at Vietnamese short film competition

Director and screenwriter Ninh Le on July 31 won first prize at the Vietnamese Short Film Competition. His film, "Kite Flying in the Sky," explores post-war trauma through a child's perspective. Other winners included Dinh Hoang Long's "The Pentatonic Scale" for Most Creative Short Film and Dinh Thuan's "The Liaison" for Most Popular Short Film.

Vietnam Airlines expands fleet with fifth largest wide-body aircrafts

Vietnam Airlines has received its fifth Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, the largest wide-body aircraft in Vietnam. The addition of the 30th wide-body aircraft to its fleet reinforces Vietnam Airlines' leading position in the country's aviation industry and enhances its capacity to offer premium passenger experiences and expand global connectivity.

Book collection inspires readers’ love for national history

A book collection entitled ‘Ngan Nam Su Viet’ (Thousands of years of Vietnamese History), featuring 30 books, has been released to inspire the love for the country among readers of all ages, especially students and those of the younger generation.

Over 78,000 Vietnamese workers sent abroad in H1

Vietnam sent more than 78,000 workers abroad in the first half of 2024, fulfilling 62.4% of the yearly target. Japan, Taiwan (China), South Korea, and European countries remained the largest recipients of Vietnamese guest workers.

Hanoi installs QR encryption on some streets

Roads in Hanoi's Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and surrounding areas will pilot QR code installation. Accordingly, databases on street names, biographies of cultural notables named after the streets, local landmarks will be displayed when people scan the code.

Ho Chi Minh City sets target for green energy-using buses

Ho Chi Minh City has set a target of having all of its buses using clean fuels or electricity by 2030. The city will tender contracts for 108 bus routes involving approximately 1,901 buses. The bus network covers all districts, serving travel demand of about 300,000 passengers daily.