Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – August 29

Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnam firmly opposes and has made a serious diplomatic démarche, demanding the immediate cessation and non-recurrence of China’s illegal activities at the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, including Hai Sam Reef and Ba Ba Island, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on Friday.

Society

-- Passengers can travel free of charge on Hanoi’s subsidised bus network and two metro lines from August 29 to September 2 as the capital seeks to facilitate travel during the National Day holiday, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

-- Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is adjusting traffic arrangements and widening the connection between the international terminal and domestic Terminal T1 to two lanes to divert some traffic away from Truong Son Street and ease congestion around the airport during the National Day holiday.

-- Vietnam’s FPT Retail has been fined VND400 million (US$15,300) for violating consumer protection rules by failing to properly register its standard-form contracts and not providing consumers with complete and accurate information about its products and services.

-- The administration of Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam, in coordination with investors, held a ceremony on Friday to launch three wind power plant projects with a combined capacity of 170MW and total investment of more than VND6.3 trillion ($241.6 million).

Economy

-- Vietnam aims to rank among the three leading ASEAN countries in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030, with the AI economy expected to account for around 6 percent of GDP and exports of AI products, services and solutions reaching about $5 billion, according to the National AI Strategy to 2045, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

-- Vietnam is seeking to strengthen connections between its stock market and international capital, particularly from the U.S., following its upgrade to secondary emerging-market status.

-- Three Vietnamese entities have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Coffee Association to promote Vietnam’s Fine Robusta coffee and strengthen cooperation with the South Korean coffee industry.