Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Politburo member, Secretary of the National Assembly (NA) Party Committee and NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man chaired a meeting of the NA Party Committee and the NA Standing Committee to address key personnel issues on June 16.

Discussions centred on appointments to the NA Ethnic Council and the NA Committee on Deputy Affairs, as well as personnel proposals to be submitted for consideration at the 15th NA’s ongoing ninth session. Participants also looked into the proposed number of members for the current NA Standing Committee. Read full story

- The National Assembly (NA) held group discussions on the afternoon of June 16 to scrutinise the draft revised Railway Law, part of its ongoing 9th session.

Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh stated that while the 2017 Railway Law has yielded positive results, it has also revealed a number of institutional and regulatory bottlenecks that have hindered the efficiency and effectiveness of railway infrastructure development. As Vietnam prepares to implement major rail projects in the coming period, a series of specific mechanisms and policies will be necessary. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in Hanoi on June 16 for newly-appointed Australian Ambassador Gillian Bird, expressing his belief that her tenure would further advance the Vietnam – Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Son described Australia as one of Vietnam’s most trusted and important partners in the region, with high level of political trust and shared strategic vision on key issues. He welcomed the strong, substantive growth of bilateral relations, particularly as Vietnam pursues its four strategic breakthroughs under recently-adopted reform resolutions, which include administrative streamlining, technological innovation, digital transformation, and private sector development. Read full story

- The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) held a gathering on June 16 to mark the 127th anniversary of the Independence Day of the Philippines (June 12) and a decade of the Vietnam–Philippines Strategic Partnership.

In her speech, Assoc. Prof. Phan Thi Hong Xuan, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Vietnam–Southeast Asia Friendship Association described the event as a reflection of the enduring solidarity between the two nations and a shared commitment to a future of deeper, long-term cooperation within the ASEAN community. Read full story

- Investment inflows into export processing and industrial zones (IZs) in Ho Chi Minh City have surpassed 2.86 billion USD during the 2020–2025 period, equivalent to 114.59% of the initial 2.5 billion USD target, according to the HCM City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA).

Of the total, foreign investment has exceeded 935.3 million USD, including 75 newly licensed projects with over 334.3 million USD in capital. Domestic investment reached over 45.43 trillion VND (roughly 1.9 billion USD), including 202 new projects worth 37.89 trillion VND. Read full story

- The Mekong Deleta province of Kien Giang has announced a list of 40 projects calling for investment in 2025, with a total estimated capital of over 226.7 trillion VND (8.7 billion USD), aiming to accelerate local socio-economic development.

The projects span infrastructure, marine farming, industry, and tourism. Notably, the province is inviting investment in 12 major projects tied to the 2027 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in the island city of Phu Quoc, including a project to expand Phu Quoc International Airport and another to build the APEC conference centre. Read full story./.