Outstanding domestic and international events on January 23

DOMESTIC

On the afternoon of January 23, at the Party Central Committee headquarters, the 13th Party Central Committee Conference opened under the chairmanship of General Secretary To Lam. In his opening speech, General Secretary To Lam said that at this conference, the Central Committee will give opinions on many important issues, including the restructuring of the apparatus.In the picture:General Secretary To Lam delivered the opening speech.Photo: Doan Tan – VNA

On the occasion of preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year At Ty, on the morning of January 23 (24th of Tet), a delegation of leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, ministries, central agencies and Hanoi city came to lay wreaths and visit President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum; lay wreaths at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs (Bac Son Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi) and offer incense to commemorate revolutionary predecessors and heroes and martyrs at Mai Dich Cemetery.In the picture:Party and State leaders visit President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on the occasion of Lunar New Year 2025.Photo: An Dang - VNA

On the morning of January 23 (Hanoi time), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, left Switzerland to return home, concluding their trip to attend the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and hold bilateral meetings in Switzerland.In the picture:Farewell ceremony for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife at the end of their trip to attend the 55th WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.Photo: Duong Giang – VNA

On January 23, in Loc Binh district, Lang Son province, the Power Grid Management Board - Northern Power Corporation in coordination with Lang Son Power Company organized the energization ceremony of the 110 kV transmission line and 110 kV transformer station in Loc Binh to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2025). The project was deployed from July 9, 2024, with a total investment of 79.6 billion VND, ensuring the capacity to provide stable electricity to Loc Binh district and neighboring areas.In the picture:Representatives of the Power Grid Project Management Board - Northern Power Corporation and Lang Son Power Company accepted the energization of the 110 kV line and the 110 kV Loc Binh transformer station.Photo: Anh Tuan – VNA

On January 23, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation to organize the "Spring Bus Trip" in 2025, bringing union members, workers, and students in difficult circumstances back to their hometowns to celebrate Tet after many years away from home.In the picture:Leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation gave Tet gifts to union members and workers in difficult circumstances returning home for Tet.Photo: Thanh Vu - VNA

On January 23, the Quang Ninh Border Guard announced that the Patrol and Control Team of Tra Co Border Guard Station had discovered and arrested two subjects, Pham Van Cuong (32 years old) and Duong Van Minh (50 years old), for illegally transporting more than 3,500 packs of cigarettes. Duong Van Minh and Pham Van Cuong could not provide documents or invoices proving the legal origin of the cigarettes and admitted that the cigarettes were all Chinese cigarettes smuggled into Vietnam. The authorities continue to investigate the case.In the picture:2 subjects with evidence at Tra Co Border Guard Station.Photo: VNA

INTERNATIONAL

On January 22, US President Donald Trump nominated Andrew Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants, as US Ambassador to the European Union (EU). Previously, Mr. Puzder was nominated as Secretary of Labor during Mr. Trump's first term, but withdrew due to concerns that he would not have enough votes to be approved by the Senate.In the picture:Mr. Andrew Puzder was nominated by US President Donald as the new US Ambassador to the EU.Photo: REUTERS/TTXVN

On January 22, the High Court of London (UK) ruled in favor of Google, thereby blocking the enforcement of a Russian court's judgment against this American technology "giant". In October 2024, a court in Russia fined Google billions of rubles for blocking Russian TV channels on YouTube. The fine will increase daily until the fine is paid in full. London High Court Judge Andrew Henshaw ruled that Google was permanently exempted from enforcement on the grounds that Google and YouTube's terms and conditions require disputes to be resolved in British courts.In the picture:Google headquarters in California, USA.Photo: Kyodo/VNA

As of January 22 local time, the Hughes Fire in northern Los Angeles County, California, had grown to 32 square kilometers, fueled by strong winds and dry brush. More than 19,000 people had been forced to evacuate. In just a few hours, the new fire, located about 80 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, had grown to more than 50 percent the size of the Eaton Fire, one of two major fires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area in recent weeks.In the picture:Firefighters extinguish a wildfire in Altadena, California, USA.Photo: THX/TTXVN

Paleontologists in Peru have unveiled the 9-million-year-old fossil of a shark related to the great white shark. This shark once lived in the southern Pacific Ocean. The nearly complete fossil of the Cosmopolitodus Hastalis was found in the Pisco Basin, about 235 kilometers south of Lima. This shark is believed to be the ancestor of today's great white shark. Although now extinct, its teeth once reached up to 8.9 centimeters in length, while adults could grow to nearly 7 meters long, the size of a small boat.In the picture:9 million year old great white shark relative fossil.Photo: EPA/VNA