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Vietnam chooses new President

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Vietnam chooses new President

Vietnam has chosen a new president after an anti-corruption drive and power struggle within its leadership.

Vo Van Thuong takes over from Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who stepped down in January.

With its long tradition of collective leadership, the party’s senior figures since Ho Chi Minh have rarely had much of a profile outside the country.

Mr Thuong, 52, is no exception, standing out largely for his relative youth in a party which usually gives top jobs to much older officials.

He is also noteworthy for having a career almost entirely inside the party, and being steeped in its Marxist-Leninist orthodoxy.

That might seem a very conservative choice, in a country which has embraced breakneck economic growth and is also juggling delicate relationships with the US and China.

But it is also a safe choice for party Secretary-General Nguyen Phu Trong, arguably the most powerful leader Vietnam has had since the end of the war with the US in 1975.

Of the “four pillars” at the top of Vietnamese politics, Mr Trong’s post is the most influential – although the president also holds significant authority. The other two are the prime minister and the chairman of the National Assembly.

Like Mr Thuong, who is widely seen as his preferred successor, Mr Trong is also a communist ideologue who has launched a series of campaigns against official corruption.

It was allegations of corruption in the government’s response to the Covid pandemic which forced out Mr Phuc in January.

But the Communist Party, which holds a monopoly on power in Vietnam, still faces two difficult challenges.

Can it curb corruption, while still maintaining the high economic growth levels which underpin its legitimacy?

And can it engineer a smooth succession to Nguyen Phu Trong, who at 78 years old is in fragile health, yet was given an unusual third term as secretary-general in 2021 largely because the party could not agree on an alternative.

(BBC News)

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Trump declares victory

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Donald Trump declares victory in the US election as he addresses jubilant supporters in Florida.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he says to cheering crowds.

The Republican has picked up the battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia, leaving Kamala Harris with only a narrow path to victory.

Just before Trump began speaking, Fox News projected that he had won the election.

(BBC News)

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7th CIIE opening ceremony kicks off in Shanghai

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai on Tuesday (Nov. 05). 

The CIIE is the world’s first national-level exposition dedicated to imports. This year’s expo is scheduled to run from November 5 to 10. 

“Today, the seventh CIIE is opening as scheduled. Friends both old and new, from home and abroad, have come as promised. On behalf of the Chinese government, I wish to express cordial greetings and warm welcome to you all,” said Li. 

China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao moderated the opening ceremony. 

The 7th CIIE has attracted 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions. It also sets a new record with 297 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders attending the event. 

More than 400 new products, new technologies and new services are set to be unveiled during the expo, which experts believe is a strong indication of global companies’ confidence in the Chinese market, and their commitment to further development in China despite a sluggish global economic recovery.

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Singapore tops Henley Passport Index; Sri Lanka ranks 94th

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Singapore has once again been named the world’s most powerful passport, providing its citizens with visa-free access to 195 countries, according to the latest Henley Passport Index released in October 2024.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain shared the second spot, allowing entry to 192 countries, while Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden ranked third with access to 191 countries.

Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom allow visa-free travel to 190 countries, placing them fourth.

Australia and Portugal secured fifth place, offering access to 189 countries.

The United States ranked eighth, providing access to 186 countries, while India sits at 83rd with visa-free access to 58 countries.

Sri Lanka ranked 94th, allowing its citizens visa-free travel to 44 countries.

The Henley Passport Index rankings reflect the number of countries accessible without a visa and are influenced by international agreements and diplomatic relations. Asian countries, particularly South Korea, Singapore, and Japan, consistently top the list, highlighting their strong diplomatic ties globally.

Among the least powerful passports are those from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan.

With agencies inputs

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