Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — October 16

Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, and his Lao and Cambodian counterparts witnessed a joint rescue and disaster response rehearsal conducted by the armed forces of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in Vientiane on Wednesday.

-- Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly László Kövér will pay an official visit to Vietnam from October 18 to 22 at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

-- The Australian government is providing up to AUD$3 million (US$1.9 million) in humanitarian assistance to support Vietnam’s response to the widespread destruction and flooding across the northern and central regions following the recent storms, according to the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Society

-- The International Fund for Agricultural Development has assessed that Vietnam is no longer just a recipient of development initiatives, but also a contributor, sharing its experience in improving productivity with other countries, heard a roundtable discussion held in Hanoi on Wednesday.

Economy

-- Party General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Vietnam would continue to create favourable conditions for foreign enterprises in the energy sector, urging Murphy Oil Corporation to accelerate its oil projects in Vietnam during his meeting with President and CEO of the American energy company Eric Hambly in Hanoi on Wednesday.

-- SJC-branded gold bar prices soared to a new high on Wednesday afternoon, reaching VND148 million ($5,620) per tael, marking the highest level ever recorded in Vietnam's gold market.

-- A conference on enhancing connectivity in production, trade, services, and investment with Cambodian partners will take place on Friday in Tinh Bien Ward, An Giang Province, southern Vietnam, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

-- Toyota Motor Vietnam has proposed a production expansion project in Phuc Yen Ward, Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, aiming to boost the development of electrified vehicles, including hybrid models.

-- Sun Group held a launch ceremony for Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a newcomer in Vietnam’s aviation industry, in Hanoi on Wednesday night, introducing the country's first 'resort airline' model aimed at connecting Phu Quoc with international travelers.