Ideological work must bring about tangible changes, stay close to reality and the people, proactively identify and promote the resolution of problems, provide timely information, and maintain honesty in dialogue, said top leader To Lam.

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee convened its seventh session in Hanoi on October 1, discussing five draft laws, a draft normative legal resolution and two important issues to be submitted to the NA. It will also consider Government reports on socio-economic development, the State budget, central budget allocation and citizens' petitions.

Vietnam and the US have made positive progress in negotiations toward an early conclusion of a fair and balanced reciprocal trade agreement so as to create a stable, long-term framework for bilateral economic, trade and investment ties, Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on October 1.

The volume of reports or projects is not a comprehensive measure of advisory quality, he stressed, noting what's more important is that whether research helps identify issues early, correctly understand their causes, select appropriate policies and resolve difficulties in reality.

By 2030, Vietnam aims to rank among the world’s top 40 in the GII; raise total social investment in R&D to at least 2 per cent of GDP, with non-State funding accounting for over 60 per cent; increase international scientific publications by an average of 10 per cent annually; and raise the number of patent applications and granted patents by an average of 16-18 per cent annually.

During the session, the NA Standing Committee will give opinions on a number of draft laws, namely the revised Land Law, the revised Housing Law, the revised Law on Real Estate Business, the Law on Legal Normative Documents, and the consolidated Law on the State Budget.

Participants discussed ways to better protect older persons’ right to health through concrete policies and action at national, regional and international levels.

At the second session, the NA is expected to consider and adopt 38 laws and seven resolutions containing normative legal provisions.

Presenting the draft revised Bidding Law, Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan said the draft, comprising eight chapters and 60 articles, aims to simplify procedures, shorten project implementation time, strengthen decentralisation and delegation of authority, improve the effectiveness of State management, and handle violations and resolve petitions in bidding activities.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung hosted a reception in Hanoi on September 30 for heads of delegations from ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat attending the ASEAN Law Enforcement High-level Conference on Cooperation in Combating Criminal Fugitives.

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of An Giang province Ngo Cong Thuc asked relevant departments, agencies, forces and local authorities to manage all fishing vessels ineligible for operation, regularly update their status and anchorage locations, and ensure that no such vessels engage in fishing activities.

Fishing logs have become mandatory in recent years for vessels of 12 metres or longer. Three months after the province rolled out an electronic version for those boats, most Gia Lai fishermen have become used to logging their catches on smartphones.

Hanoi aims to raise rural per capita income to at least VND 135 million (USD 5,163) a year by 2030, while expanding OCOP products, advancing new-style rural development and achieving full health insurance coverage among rural residents.

National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man coordination must go beyond finishing the agenda to improve the quality of NA decisions and Government enforcement; deal with policies rather than just paperwork, especially in the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena; and pin down final responsibility for each product, not just progress.

The conservation, restoration and rehabilitation of Kinh Thien Palace must be carried out on a scientific basis, with maximum respect for original elements, archaeological and historical evidence, and interdisciplinary research findings, while preserving the archaeological remains already unearthed.

The Ministry of Science and Technology was tasked with coordinating with ministries, sectors and localities to build a database and capacity map of laboratories and research and testing centres nationwide by November 2026, and assess the capacity of each facility.

The 19th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA 2026) is taking place in Hanoi from September 25 to October 5, 2026, with participants from 66 countries and territories. A total of 67 teams are competing, including 65 international teams and two Vietnamese teams.

In Nam Nha Trang ward, task forces are closely watching fishing vessels, tracking their routes, overseeing arrival and departure procedures, and tracing the origins of seafood. Meanwhile, fishermen’s understanding and adherence to regulation against unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing have steadily improved, reducing the likelihood of vessels entering foreign waters illegally.

To make the model more effective, however, bottlenecks in personnel, data, resources and coordination mechanisms identified in the third round of inspection and supervision by the Politburo and Party Central Committee Secretariat must continue to be addressed.

Ton Sinh Thanh, who is former Vietnamese Ambassador to India and senior lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said that General Secretary and President Lam’s message at the UNGA that restoring trust does not require countries to eliminate differences but to responsibly manage them was particularly significant amid growing polarisation and divisions worldwide.