August 1-7: Vietnamese leaders extend sympathy to Cuba over oil tank explosion

Nhan Dan Online reviews the notable events that made headlines over this past week.

A view of the massive fire at the fuel depot, sparked overnight by a lightning strike in Matanzas in western Cuba. (Photo: AFP)
A view of the massive fire at the fuel depot, sparked overnight by a lightning strike in Matanzas in western Cuba. (Photo: AFP)

Vietnamese leaders extend sympathy to Cuba over oil tank explosion

Top Vietnamese leaders have sent messages of sympathy to their Cuban counterparts over severe losses caused by a massive blaze at an oil storage facility in Cuba’s province of Matanzas on August 5.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue extended their sympathy to their Cuban counterparts.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also sent a similar message to his Cuban counterpart.

Vietnamese economy is likely to grow 10% in Q3: VinaCapital

Vietnam’s real retail sales, excluding the impact of inflation, grew by 7.9% year-on-year in the first six months of 2022. (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese economy is likely to grow 10% year on year during the third quarter of this year, driven by strong domestic consumption, according to Michael Kokalari, chief economist at VinaCapital, one of the country’s leading investment management and real estate development companies.

Earnings growth are expected to exceed 20% this year, Kokalari said in a report entitled “The divergence between Vietnam’s strong economy & weak stock market,” which outlines expectation for Vietnam’s economy in the last five months of 2022.

National Radio Festival opens in Ho Chi Minh City

The 15th National Radio Festival (2022), themed “Flexibility in transformation – Adaptation to advance”, officially opened at a ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 4.

This year’s festival featured the participation of more than 800 delegates from 86 units, including 63 radio and television agencies from central and local levels, ministries and branches.

A total of 203 works have been shortlisted for the final round of the National Radio Festival 2022.

Vietnam ranks third at ASEAN Para Games 2022

Vietnamese swimmers at the 11th ASEAN Para Games

Vietnam claimed 183 medals, including 65 golds, 62 silvers and 56 bronzes, ranking third on the medal table at the 11th ASEAN Para Games, which concluded in Surakarta, Indonesia, on August 6.

It was the highest number of medals Vietnam has ever achieved since it hosted the Games in 2003. The Vietnamese team initially set a target to gain 35 – 40 gold medals at the regional games.

National Strategy on Climate Change for 2050 approved

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has signed a decision approving the National Strategy on Climate Change for 2050.

The overall objective of the strategy, set out in Decision 896/QD-TTg, is to proactively and effectively adapt to climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero, and deal with vulnerabilities and risks caused by climate change.

Ninh Binh among the 12 “coolest movie filming locations” in Asia: US magazine

Tourists visit Tam Coc - Bich Dong in Ninh Binh (Photo: VNA)

The northern province of Ninh Binh, where the Hollywood blockbuster 'Kong: Skull Island' was filmed in 2016, was named one of the 12 "coolest movie filming locations" in Asia, according to US magazine Travel Leisure.

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the 190-million-USD film was shot in Trang An limestone complex, Van Long Lagoon and Tam Coc, where limestone karst mountains rise out of the waters.