Read what is in the news today, July 17!

Politics

-- Vietnam is resolved to peacefully struggle against violations of its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its sea areas, foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said Tuesday in response to reporters’ question on recent developments in the East Vietnam Sea.

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday extended his congratulations to Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and the new government of Thailand, which was sworn in on the same day after winning a general election in March.

-- Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisulith applauded the cooperation outcomes between the Vietnamese and Lao ministries of public security while hosting Senior Lieutenant General Bui Van Nam, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public Security, in Vientiane on Tuesday.

Society

-- The Vietnamese genome is different from the genomes of other populations, which is reflected in the large difference in the frequency of occurrence of many genetic changes, according to initial results of a years-long project to decode the genomes of Vietnamese people published this week by a research group from the Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology.

-- All Ho Chi Minh City residents must own a smartphone by the year 2022 if the city wants to develop a smart city and implement a fully operational e-administration, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said at a meeting in the southern metropolis on Tuesday,

Business

-- Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung received on Tuesday a Singaporean business delegation led by Teo Siong Seng, Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, to discuss opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the capital city and Singapore.

-- Vietnam’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines reported a total revenue of over VND51.6 trillion (US$2.24 billion) in the first half of 2019, up 5.5 percent year-on-year as its pre-tax profit was estimated at VND1.65 trillion ($71 million).

Lifestyle

-- Vietnam’s ancient town of Hoi An will organize a ‘lantern night’ in the streets of Wernigerode, its twin town in Germany, as part of cultural cooperation between the two town from August 23-25. Craftspeople from Hoi An will demonstrate lantern-making skills for visitors during the three-day cultural exchange event, while chefs will offer the traditional food of Hoi An.

Sports

-- Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Quoc Tuan has been appointed as Chairman of the Competitions Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), announced the VFF on Tuesday. This is the first time a representative of Vietnam has assumed the top position of the AFC Competitions Committee, which holds a major influence on the organization and development of continental football tournaments.

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