Outstanding domestic and international events on March 9

DOMESTIC

On the afternoon of March 9, General Secretary To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, arrived in Jakarta, starting a state visit to the Republic of Indonesia and an official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat from March 9-11. Afterwards, in Jakarta, General Secretary To Lam attended the opening ceremony of the direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Denpasar (Indonesia) of Vietnam Airlines and received leaders of several major corporations of this country.In the picture:Welcoming ceremony for General Secretary To Lam and his wife at Halim Perdanakusuma military airport, Jakarta.Photo: Thong Nhat – VNA

On the morning of March 9, Politburo member, Secretary of the Government Party Committee, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the meeting of the Government Party Committee Standing Committee to discuss and give opinions on preparations for organizing Party Congresses at all levels for the 2025-2030 term towards the 14th National Congress of the Party and a number of other key issues. In the afternoon of the same day, in Hanoi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the State Steering Committee for important national projects and works, key to the transport sector, chaired the 16th meeting of the Steering Committee. Also attending were Deputy Prime Ministers Ho Duc Phoc and Tran Hong Ha.In the picture:Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Secretary of the Government Party Committee chaired the meeting on the morning of March 9.Photo: Duong Giang-VNA

On March 9, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee held the inauguration ceremony of the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien urban railway line No. 1 (Metro Line No. 1), after 2 months of official operation. Metro Line No. 1 is the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City with a total length of 19.7 km, including 14 stations (3 underground stations and 11 elevated stations) connecting the center of District 1 with the eastern area, including Binh Thanh District and Thu Duc City. Each train has a maximum capacity of 930 passengers, equivalent to 147 seats and 783 standing places, with an average revenue of more than 1 billion VND/day.In the picture:Ho Chi Minh City leaders and delegates experience train travel on the inauguration day of urban railway line No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien.Photo: Thanh Vu – VNA

On March 9, at Nguyen Van Cu Park, Bac Ninh City, Bac Ninh Provincial Youth Union held the Launching Ceremony of Youth Month 2025 with the theme "Practical Action - Sustainable Efficiency". On this occasion, the Provincial Youth Union coordinated with the Department of Education and Training of Bac Ninh to organize the Bac Ninh Province Admissions and Career Guidance Festival 2025. The festival had the participation of 60 universities and colleges with more than 10,000 students of all levels in the province.In the picture:Delegates pressed the button to start Youth Month.Photo: Thanh Thuong - VNA

On March 9, thousands of tourists and people attended activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Buon Ma Thuot Victory, the liberation of Dak Lak province (March 10, 1975 - March 10, 2025) and the 9th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival, 2025. To serve the people and tourists, Buon Ma Thuot City launched free coffee activities from March 9 to 13 on Phan Dinh Giot Street; Agricultural products and OCOP products fair; Buon Ma Thuot coffee book street and 10/3 Square of Buon Ma Thuot City...In the picture:Tourists enjoy coffee on Phan Dinh Giot Street, Buon Ma Thuot City.Photo: Tuan Anh - VNA

On the morning of March 9, at Phong Nha - Ke Bang Tourism Center, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and New Race Joint Stock Company jointly organized the Quang Binh Discovery Marathon - Quang Binh Discovery Marathon 2025. This year's tournament attracted nearly 1,300 professional and amateur athletes to compete in distances of 42 km, 25 km, 10 km and 6 km.In the picture:Athletes start at a distance of 25 km.Photo: VNA

On March 9, the Criminal Police Department, Kien Giang Provincial Police announced that it had just dismantled a gambling ring in the form of online football betting with a total transaction amount of up to about 400 billion VND, prosecuted 7 defendants to investigate the act of organizing gambling (of which 5 defendants were temporarily detained), all residing in Rach Gia City.In the picture:Subjects Quach Thi Kim Nhu, Nguyen Xuan Hai, Nguyen Hoang Dat, Nguyen Dang Khoa (ringleader), Thai Hong Tay (from left to right).Photo: VNA

INTERNATIONAL

The Christian Democratic Union/Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Germany have completed the preliminary stage of negotiations to form a coalition government. The parties involved in the negotiations to form Germany's next coalition government have reached an agreement in preliminary talks and will now officially enter the process of forming a government.In the picture:Leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) Friedrich Merz (center) celebrates his victory in the parliamentary elections, in Berlin on February 23.Photo: THX/TTXVN

An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in Rafah, southern Gaza, on March 8, medical sources said, as mediators continued to push for an extension of a fragile ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas in January. Separately, the Israeli military targeted a Hezbollah member in an airstrike in southern Lebanon on the same day. The Israeli military said the target was a person who directed Hezbollah’s operations in southern Lebanon.In the picture:Building in Rafah city, Gaza Strip destroyed after Israeli airstrike.Photo: THX/TTXVN

The South Korean National Police Agency said on March 9 that it plans to deploy 192 riot police units and 12,000 personnel to Seoul on the day the Constitutional Court issues its ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, but is considering sending additional troops after Yoon Suk-yeol was released on March 8. With about 130,000 police officers nationwide, the police could deploy 10 percent of their force to ensure security for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, according to the agency.In the picture:Police stand guard outside the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea.Photo: THX/TTXVN