July 19-25: 15th NA Standing Committee convenes first session

Nhan Dan Online reviews the notable events that made headlines over the past week.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue performs the swearing-in ceremony during the 15th National Assembly’s first session in Hanoi on the afternoon of July 20, 2021. (Photo: VNA)
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue performs the swearing-in ceremony during the 15th National Assembly’s first session in Hanoi on the afternoon of July 20, 2021. (Photo: VNA)

15th NA Standing Committee convenes first session

The 15th National Assembly (NA) convened its first session in Hanoi on the morning of July 20.

During the session, which is scheduled to conclude on July 28, the legislative body will elect and approve leadership positions of State agencies, and mull over reports on socio-economic development and other major issues.

Notably, the legislature considered and decided the numbers of NA Vice Chairpersons and members of the NA Standing Committee, and elected NA Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons, members of the NA Standing Committee, NA Secretary General, Chairperson of the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs, heads of NA committees, and the State Auditor General. On the first working day, Politburo member and Chairman of the 14th National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue was elected as Chairman for the 15th tenure.

It will elect State President, Prime Minister, Vice State Presidents, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, and Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy. The NA will also decide the structure and number of Cabinet members, and ratify the appointment of Deputy PMs, Ministers and other Cabinet members, along with the list of Vice Chairperson and members of the Council of National Defence and Security (if any), and the appointment of judges of the Supreme People’s Court.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee is scheduled to present a report on the opinions of voters sent to the first session. The legislature will also consider and adopt resolutions on the programme on law and ordinance building in 2022, the 2022 supervision programme, and the establishment of a group in charge of thematic supervision.

First batch of Sputnik V vaccine produced in Vietnam

A medical specialist holds a vial of Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in a department store in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2021. (Photo: Reuters)

On July 21, VABIOTECH, one of Vietnam’s leading pharmaceutical companies, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced the production of a test batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in Vietnam.

According to VABIOTECH, the made-in-Vietnam Sputnik V vaccine will be used in the national immunisation programme after the technology transfer is completed and it goes through quality control by Gamaleya Centre, the Russian research institute that developed the Sputnik V vaccine.

To date, Sputnik V has been registered in 68 countries with a total population of over 3.7 billion, which is nearly half of the global population. In Vietnam, Sputnik V received the approval of the Ministry of Health on March 23, 2021.

Vietnam E-commerce White book 2021 released

The Vietnam E-commerce White book 2021 was recently released by the Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency (IDEA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The White book, built from an official statistical survey in 2020 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade with samples from more than 8,000 businesses and 1,000 consumers nationwide, provides an overview of the state of e-commerce application in Vietnamese communities and businesses in 2021.

According to the IDEA, amidst the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, Vietnam has seen positive changes in online purchasing with both consumers and firms moving online. Revenue from e-commerce activities surged in the past five years, from US$5 billion in 2016 to over US$10 billion in 2019. The growth rate of retail e-commerce in 2020 was stable at 18%, with revenue reaching US$11.8 billion.

Son La exports longan to EU and UK markets

July 19-25: 15th NA Standing Committee convenes first session ảnh 2

At the event (Photo: VNA)

Son La Province held a ceremony on July 21 in Song Ma District to announce the decision to grant certificates of trademark registration for "Son La longan" and to cut the ribbon to send off the batch of Song Ma-Son La longans to the EU and UK markets for 2021.

At the ceremony, the leader of the National Office of Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Science and Technology awarded certificates of trademark registration for "Son La logan" to the leader of the People's Committee of Son La Province. In addition, the provincial Department of Science and Technology granted the right to use the certification to 25 cooperatives in Song Ma District.

The delegates also cut the ribbon to send off the batch of Song Ma-Son La longans to the EU and UK markets for 2021.

Top 10 prestigious technology firms in 2021 announced

The Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel), FPT Group, and Mobifone are among the top 10 prestigious technology firms in 2021, as announced by Vietnam Report.

Other firms named in the list include Vinaphone, CMC Corp, VNG, HANEL, Vietnam Technology & Telecommunication JSC (VNTT) and Hanoi Telecom.

The list was made based on the financial status of the firms and their prestigious ranking using Media Coding method and evaluations from relevant parties.

On the occasion, Vietnam Report also announced the top 10 prestigious software service, solution, and system integration providers of Vietnam in 2021.

Vietnamese students achieve excellent results at international Physics, Biology and Mathematical Olympiads

The Vietnamese team joins the International Biology Olympiad 2021. (Photo: MOET)

Vietnamese students secured five gold, six silver and four bronze medals at the International Physics Olympiad 2021 (IPhO 2021), the International Biology Olympiad 2021 (IBO 2021), and the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2021), as announced by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

IPhO 2021 was organised virtually by Lithuania and saw the participation of 368 candidates worldwide. In the end, Vietnam ranked seventh after the Republic of Korea, China, Russia, the US, Taiwan (China) and Romania.

Meanwhile, according to the official results from the host Portugal on July 23, all four Vietnamese students competing at the IBO 2021 also won prizes, including one gold, two silvers and one bronze medal.

Vietnam awarded two honourable mention certificates at FIAP international contest

Vietnam has won two honourable mention certificates in the print and digital categories at the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP)’s 29th Colour Biennial 2021, announced the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA).

Accordingly, the two certificates were presented to two photo collections themed ‘Traditional Crafts’ in the print section and ‘Vietnam Viewed from Above’ in the digital session. Vietnam’s entries to the contest were selected from nearly 760 artworks by 200 photographers by the VAPA.

Regarding individual photo awards, Vietnamese photographer Dzung Nguyen also won an honourable mention certificate for his photo entitled ‘Phoi Chieu Coi’ (Drying sedge mat).

Vietnamese cuisine promoted in Algeria

Students at the ESHRA learn to cook Vietnamese nem (fried spring rolls) (Photo: VNA)

The Embassy of Vietnam in Algeria together with the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management of Algiers (ESHRA) held an event on Vietnamese and Algerian cuisine on July 25.

The event aimed to promote Vietnamese food to Algerian friends and help the staff at the Embassy learn more about the local cuisine.

The cooking process for two of Vietnam's renowned traditional dishes - nem (fried spring rolls) and pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) - was introduced at the event, along with two Algerian traditional dishes - Méchoui (slow roasted lamb) and salad hamis.

Three Vietnamese cities among world’s greatest places of 2021: Time

Three Vietnamese cities, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang Province), have been named among the world’s top 100 extraordinary destinations to explore in 2021, as voted on by the renowned US-based Time magazine.

Vietnam is the Southeast Asian country with the most representatives in the Time list, which is expected to bring opportunities for the country’s tourism as the COVID-19 pandemic passes.

“Vietnam’s 1,000-year-old capital is embracing change while maintaining a strong sense of identity,” according to Time. It hailed that Hanoi’s incredible street-food culture is another source of fierce civic pride.

The magazine also paid compliments to Ho Chi Minh City’s incredible food and Phu Quoc, the teardrop-shaped resort and fishing island which has become one of the fastest-growing destinations in Southeast Asia.

Fansipan named among 5 out-of-this-world destinations to explore ‘space tourism’ without leaving Earth

Fansipan named among 5 out-of-this-world destinations to explore ‘space tourism’ without leaving Earth

The summit of Mount Fansipan in Vietnam’s Lao Cai Province has been named among 5 out-of-this-world destinations to explore ‘space tourism’ without leaving Earth by Booking.com after its survey of more than 28 million properties in more than 152,000 destinations worldwide.

According to the page, Fansipan is an incredible place where visitors can feel like they are in space without actually having to leave the planet. To reach the summit, tourists can choose to hike or trek, which normally takes two to three days, or ride up to the summit via cable car.

Upon reaching the towering top, visitors will be rewarded with an unbelievable sight of cloud-covered peaks stretching all the way to the horizon.