What you need to know today:

Politics

-- "Poland will not be the last country to ratify the EVIPA," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized during a press briefing with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh following their talks on Thursday in Warsaw. Tusk was referring to the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement. 

Society

-- A Vietnam court sentenced three Laotians to death on Thursday for trafficking drugs.  

-- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday approved the investment policy for the Can Gio International Transshipment Port project in Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to develop a port with services like container operations on 571 hectares of land, with a minimum investment of VND50,000 billion (US$1.97 billion).

-- Despite being the largest elevated station on Ho Chi Minh City's metro line 1, Tan Cang Station in Binh Thanh District has recently been marred by dozens of garbage bags and various household wastes, creating a messy scene, especially noticeable around noon on Thursday, near the pedestrian stairs under the Saigon Bridge, where piles of plastic bottles, foam containers, and wood scraps have spilled over, mingling with weeds under the bridge.

-- At the opening and expansion ceremony for the Da Nang IT Park's Software Park No. 2 on Thursday, chairman of Da Nang's People's Committee said that 30 companies have registered to lease 25,000 square meters of office space, exceeding the available area at the complex.

Business

-- During a symposium in Da Nang on Thursday, the municipal People's Committee and the Vietnam Blockchain Association (VBA) signed a cooperation deal to develop an International Financial Center. The VBA will support Da Nang with policy research, fintech, and blockchain development, as well as provide training in blockchain and AI technologies.

Sports

-- On Wednesday, Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam met with the Vietnam Football Federation to plan the 2025 renovation of the Sports Complex and Viet Tri Stadium, aiming to increase seating from 20,000 to up to 35,000 to meet international football standards.

-- The 2024 ASEAN Championship Organizing Committee on Thursday announced the 11 standout players for the tournament's best lineup, with champions Vietnam dominating with seven players across all positions, while runners-up Thailand contributed two and the Philippines one.

World News

-- China's population declined by 1.39 million to 1.408 billion in 2024, marking the third year in a row where deaths exceeded births, with experts warning of further decline, Reuters reported.

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