Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News - November 21

What you need to know today:

Politics

-- During a meeting with Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Algeria on Thursday, Algerian National People’s Assembly Speaker Ibrahim Boughali affirmed that Algeria is ready to support Vietnamese businesses investing in the country, offering special incentives based on the strong relationship between the two nations. 

Society

-- According to the World Health Organization, as of Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recorded 31 suspected and confirmed cases of infant botulism linked to the ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula. The product has been authorized for sale on several e-commerce platforms in Vietnam. WHO noted that botulism is rare but extremely serious and potentially fatal.

-- A representative of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Thursday that the organization has raised VND31.4 billion (US$1,190,474) in cash and goods for charity work this year from various South Korean businesses investing and operating in Vietnam.

-- Long queues formed at gas stations across Da Lat, a famed tourist destination in Vietnam's Central Highlands, as residents rushed to buy fuel following reports that restrictions on trucks traveling over the Ta Nung Pass could disrupt supply. The pass is currently the only route still open to cargo vehicles, with the Prenn, D’Ran, and Mimosa Passes damaged by landslides and the Sacom Pass open but off-limits to trucks due to dam safety concerns.

-- Despite being in their 60s and 70s, many seniors are enthusiastically joining the free swimming classes organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Aquatic Sports Center under the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

Business

-- Maritime Fairtrade reported on Thursday that UK-based shipping company Zodiac Maritime has become the first customer of the new shipyard in Vietnam involving Samsung Heavy Industries, with a contract for three Suezmax oil tankers worth about $80 million each and scheduled for delivery in 2028.

-- Singapore’s UOB Bank released on Thursday its ASEAN Consumer Sentiment Study, which found that 94 percent of the Vietnamese consumers surveyed feel confident managing their personal finances, with many maintaining regular saving habits.

World News

-- "Talks at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil were disrupted on Thursday after a fire broke out in the venue, triggering an evacuation just as negotiators were hunkering down to try to land a deal to strengthen international climate efforts," Reuters reported.

-- South Africa and the European Union vowed to defend multilateralism on Thursday, ahead of the G20 summit, as they signed a partnership on critical minerals, according to Reuters.