Kaneya Manabu, former head of the Saitama Prefectural Police Department in Japan, once gave up a monthly salary of more than 100 million VND and a stable life to move to Viet Nam. Over the past nine years, the Vietnamese language has become the bond connecting him with the country and people of Viet Nam, while opening a path for him to rediscover himself.

The celebration of the 54th National Day of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (1971–2025), held under the theme “Unity,” took place solemnly in Hanoi on the evening of December 2.

On December 1 in Hanoi, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Vietnam-USA Society, and the “Two Sides Project” (2SP/USA) held a meeting between the children of Vietnamese martyrs and the families of American service members who were killed in action or went missing during the war in Vietnam. On this occasion, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations presented Commemorative Medals and Certificates of Merit to collectives and individuals of 2SP.

Hikaru Watanabe was honored on stage at the 19th Vietnamese Speech Contest in Japan held on November 2, shining under the lights and applause. Holding the microphone, he spoke about his journey to the Vietnamese language: the early days of confusion in Hanoi, friendships formed in the classroom, familiar pho shops, and moments of saying things wrong and then laughing together. In that moment, Hikaru Watanabe was not only a contestant but also living proof of the connecting power of language, an inspiration to foreign friends who love Vietnamese.