Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News - March 21

Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will lead a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam on an official visit to Russia from March 22 to 25 at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.

Society

-- Northern Vietnam is forecast to experience sunny weather with scattered evening thunderstorms on Saturday, while the southern region will face intensifying heat and rising saltwater intrusion, according to the national weather center.

-- A dead whale weighing more than five metric tons washed ashore in Nghe An Province on Friday morning, prompting local authorities and residents to recover the carcass and bury it to protect the environment.

-- The Vietnam Food Safety Authority reported two new suspected cases of food poisoning linked to fermented sour fish in Da Nang, raising concerns after earlier botulinum incidents.

Economy

-- Nam A Bank on Friday said it will establish a wholly domestic-owned banking entity within the Vietnam International Finance Center in Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to expand global operations and strengthen long-term growth strategies.

-- Can Tho City on Friday announced plans to begin construction of two large-scale resort urban projects this year, including the 2,945-hectare Mekong City development which will accommodate up to 300,000 residents.

Ho Chi Minh City

-- Ho Chi Minh City reported 837 hand, foot and mouth disease cases in the past week, nearly doubling recent averages, prompting doctors to warn against rapid transmission and outbreak risks, especially in schools and daycare centers.

-- Ho Chi Minh City has launched a pilot program deploying community-based healthcare teams in three communes, Bac Tan Uyen, Hiep Phuoc, and Dat Do, to provide continuous, household-level medical care, a city health official said.

Travel

-- Belarusian flag carrier Belavia launched its first regular service connecting Belarus’ Minsk and Vietnam’s Nha Trang on Friday, marking a milestone in bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.