Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News A🐭gency.

- State President Luong Cuong on February 20 urged the Ministry of National Defence to take the lead in implementing the restructuring scheme based on the principle of one agency handles multiple tasks, and each task is assigned to only one body.

The State leader made this request during a working session with the ministry regarding the implementation of the Politburo's Resolution 05-NQ/TW on the organisation of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) for the 2021-2030 period and beyond. Read full story

- Defence cooperation continues to be a bright spot in the Vietnam-Canada relations, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said at a meeting with Canadian Deputy Minister of National Defence Stefanie Beck in Hanoi on February 20.

The two sides reviewed recent progress in bilateral relations and expressed their satisfaction with the strong momentum across various sectors. Read full story

- Nguyen Van Duoc, member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, was elected Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee for the 2021-2026 term on February 20.

Duoc was elected with 83 out of 84 votes at the 21st session of the 10th city People’s Council. Read full story

- Vietnam has become Singapore's 9th largest trading partner, with two-way trade rising by 16.83% year-on-year to 3.39 billion SGD (2.53 billion USD) in January, according to the latest trade statistics.

Data from Singapore's corporate management agency revealed that the city-state’s total trade volume in January reached 114.15 billion SGD, marking a 6.75% increase from the previous year. Exports rose by 2.97% to 59.4 billion SGD, while imports grew by 11.17%, reaching 54.75 billion SGD. Among Singapore’s top trading partners, Taiwan (China), Malaysia, China, and the US led the way, with bilateral trade volumes of 14.9 billion SGD, 13.2 billion SGD, 12.8 billion SGD, and 11.21 billion SGD, respectively. Read full story

- Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City had a working session with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on February 20 to review the progress of key ADB-funded drainage and wastewater treatment projects. The discussion focused on the Tham Luong - Ben Cat Basin Drainage and Climate Adaptation Project (CRUS 1) and the West Saigon Basin Drainage and Climate Adaptation Project (CRUS 2). Participants also explored potential cooperation between HCM City with Milan, Italy, on environmental and climate initiatives. - Vietnam's technology corporations on February 20 attended an investment forum and a series of business-matching events held within SEMICON Korea 2025 in Seoul, which aims to promote cooperation and investment from the Republic of Korea (RoK) into Vietnam’s semiconductor and high-tech industries.

Jointly hosted by the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC), the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK and the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Association (SEMI), the forum attracted over 150 delegates from leading Korean and international corporations, businesses, and universities, including ARM, SK, Samsung, Hana Micron, and Seoul National University. Read full story

- Vietnam’s Embassy and representative offices in France held the ASEAN Night event on February 19, hosted by the ASEAN Committee in Paris (ACP).

Held at the InterContinental Le Grand Hotel, the event brought together representatives from all ASEAN nations, along with French and international guests, to celebrate the region’s cultural diversity and strengthen diplomatic ties. Read full story

- The Bank for Investment and Development of Cambodia (BIDC), a subsidiary of Vietnamese bank BIDV, has awarded 25 full scholarships worth 200.000 USD in total to outstanding Cambodian students facing financial difficulties.

The scholarships are part of the “BIDC Scholarship” programme, launched in collaboration with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. It aims to support talented students in pursuing higher education. Read full story/.