Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and his spouse hosted an official welcome ceremony in Dublin on Wednesday for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President To Lam, who is on a state visit to the European country throughout Thursday.

-- Vietnam is conducting all relevant procedures to open the Vietnamese Embassy in Ireland after nearly 30 years of their diplomatic ties, Party chief and State President To Lam announced during his talks with Irish President Michael D. Higgins in Dublin on Wednesday.

-- Vietnam is extremely concerned about, discontented with, and resolutely opposes the Chinese law enforcement force’s brutal attack on Vietnamese fishermen and vessels operating in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago area, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on Wednesday evening.

Society

-- Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on Wednesday assigned the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and some relevant ministries and departments to draw up a road map to develop the Can Gio international transshipment port project, which is set to get off the ground in 2026 and be completed in 2028.

-- Ho Chi Minh City’s long-awaited metro line No. 1, which runs from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, started running on a trial basis on Tuesday. The trial lasts until November 17, the Management Authority for Urban Railways of Ho Chi Minh City said on Wednesday.

-- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development detected and prevented some 1,320 metric tons of meat contaminated with Salmonella, a pathogen responsible for foodborne infections, from being consumed in Vietnam after over four months of extensive imported meat and animal quarantine action.

-- Authorities in Bac Giang Province, northern Vietnam have declared a state of emergency after several landslides hit three of its districts.

Lifestyle

-- The first-ever fish sauce festival will kick off in Ho Chi Minh City on October 23, with 150 booths showcasing a wide range of fish sauce products. The event, set to last for five days, is aimed at honoring the value of the sauce and the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine.

-- U.S.-based social network giant Meta will join hands with the Vietnam National University-Hanoi to launch AI training courses in Vietnam starting from January next year, said Nick Clegg, the company's president of global affairs.

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