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

- Vietnam has sent letters and messages to leaders of countries, international organisations, political parties and international friends to express gratitude for their heartfelt condolences over the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The thank-you letters and messages were cabled by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, standing member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat Luong Cuong, and other Party and State leaders. Read full story

- A summit focusing on women's leadership in cooperatives kicked off in Hanoi on July 29, highlighting the role of women in driving economic growth.

The annual Asia-Pacific Women CEOs in Cooperatives Summit, held as part of the International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP) Regional Board Meeting, carries the theme "Empowering Leadership: Navigating the Future of Cooperatives with Women at the Helm". Read full story

- Vietnam and its traditional friends in Africa, including Burundi, share similarities in their struggles for national liberation and development, providing a foundation conducive to further deepening substantive friendship and cooperation, said Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.

During a reception in Hanoi on July 29 for Révérien Ndikuriyo, Secretary General of the National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) - the ruling party in Burundi, Trung thanked the CNDD-FDD, Government and people of Burundi for their heartfelt condolences over the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Read full story

- The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has praised Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for his pivotal role in advancing bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

In its statement, the department acknowledged that the upgrade of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership would not have been possible without the personal support and leadership of the General Secretary, saying that this milestone partnership reflected the two countries’ ambitious agenda regarding climate change and sustainability, digital transformation and innovation, national defence and security; economy, trade, and education as well. Read full story

- The International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP), in collaboration with the ICA-AP Women's Committee and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA), convened the ICA-AP Regional Board Meeting in Hanoi on July 29.

In her opening speech, VCA Chairwoman Cao Xuan Thu Van commended the ICA-AP Regional Board for its efforts to unite ICA-AP member countries and create platforms for female cooperative leaders in the region to share valuable experience in economic development. Read full story

- Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung was granted a third-class Issara (Freefom) Order of Laos on July 29 for his contributions to enhancing great friendship, special solidary and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries during nearly eight years working as ambassador in the neigbouring country.

Authorised by the Lao Prime Minister, Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith presented the decoration to Hung. Read full story

- Nine religious dignities, including Most Venerable Thich Tinh Lien, head of the An Nam Tong (Annamkiya) Buddhist sect and abbots of Vietnamese Buddhist pagodas in Thailand have received a royal decree from Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua.

The pagodas are Pho Phuoc, Khanh Van, Thuy Ngan, Khanh Tho, Phuoc Dien, Ngoc Thanh, Hoi Khanh, Hung Thanh and Hung Phuoc pagodas. Read full story

- Foreign investors registered to put in more than 18 billion USD in Vietnam as of July 20, a rise of 10.9% over the same period last year, according to the latest updates of the Foreign Investment Agency.

Of the figure, more than 12.55 billion USD has been disbursed, up by 8.4%. Read full story

- The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum experienced 21 earthquakes on July 28, followed by an additional 11 tremors between midnight and 7am on July 29, raising concerns about unusual seismic activity in the region.

All the earthquakes occurred in Kon Plong district. At 3:14 pm on July 29, the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre under the Institute of Geophysics recorded an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale, at a location 14.904 degrees north latitude and 108.214 degrees east longitude with its centre at a depth of approximately 8.1 km./. Read full story