First extraordinary session of 15th NA wraps up
The first extraordinary session of the 15th National Assembly held via videoconference wrapped up on January 11 after four and a half days of sitting.
With high consensus, the parliament adopted the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Public Investment, the Law on Public - Private Partnership Investment, the Law on Investment, the Law on Housing, the Law on Bidding, the Law on Electricity, the Law on Enterprises, the Law on Special Consumption Tax, and the Law on Enforcement of Civil Judgments.
It also ratified four resolutions, namely the resolution on fiscal and monetary policies supporting the socio-economic recovery and development programme, the one on investment in the eastern North - South expressway project for 2021 - 2025, another on piloting some special mechanisms and policies for Can Tho city’s development, and the resolution of the first extraordinary session.
Vietnam’s frozen avocado enters Australian market
Vietnamese frozen avocados (Photo: VNA)
Three tonnes of frozen avocado from Vietnam’s Central Highlands arrived in Australia on January 11, marking a new stride in building brand and seeking markets for the fruit.
The shipments were sold out to local distributors and will soon hit the shelves in Australia, said Uu Dam Vietnam company, the exporter.
The exportation of the fruit to Australia has been studied and bolstered by the Vietnam Trade Office in the Oceania country since 2020.
Vietnam ranks third worldwide in terms of rubber export value
Vietnam’s ranked third in the world in terms of rubber export value, with 3.24 billion USD in 2021, up 36.2 percent from the previous year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said.
Vietnamese rubber has been present in more than 80 countries and territories, and the sector has penetrated more intensively in major markets.
Last year, the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) churned out 402,900 tonnes of rubber latex, surpassing its set target by 6 percent and up 30,000 tonnes from the previous year. It also purchased 90,500 tonnes of rubber latex, exceeding the target by 28 percent, and sold more than 490,000 tonnes, 7 percent higher than the target.
Cat Linh – Ha Dong urban metro line inaugurated
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Delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban metro line. (Photo: NDO/Thanh Dat)
The Cat Linh – Ha Dong urban metro line in Hanoi, was officially inaugurated on January 13, after two months of being put into operation.
The official inauguration of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong route marks an important milestone in the successful implementation of the first urban railway project in Vietnam and Hanoi in particular, which will provide valuable experiences in the construction of other urban railway projects throughout the city.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said that the operation of the metro line, after ten years of construction, is of special importance in changing the habits of citizens’ participation in public transport, reducing congestion, limiting personal vehicles, and minimising environmental pollution.
Retailers’ alliance launched to help reduce use of disposable plastic bags
An alliance of retailers who pledged to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags made its debut at a ceremony held by the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade on January 14.
This is part of activities within the framework of the “Rethinking Plastics - Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter in Vietnam” project funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Government.
The 16-member alliance is the first initiative to bring together retailers, helping them find a common voice in reducing the use of single-use plastic bags, towards protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development in Vietnam.
Ceremony held for first time to honour wildlife conservators
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Wildlife conservators honoured at the ceremony (Photo: VNA)
A ceremony was held on January 13 to honour 21 organisations and individuals with outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in Vietnam during the 2010 – 2020 period.
The event, the first of its kind, was co-organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the World Bank in Vietnam, and the World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam (WWF-Vietnam).
The event aimed to acknowledge conservation initiatives and solutions and encourage further contributions to the protection of bio diversity in the time to come.
Red River Delta named among top places to visit in 2022 by New York Times
Vietnam’s Red River Delta has been named by the New York Times as one of 52 places to visit in a changed world, where travellers can be part of the solution.
In its 2022 travel list, the newspaper described the Delta as a less-visited region, with the age-old traditions of Vietnam. It said besides Vietnam’s world-famous beaches and dynamic megacities, visitors should head north to the traditional villages of the Red River Delta, to immerse themselves in centuries-old cultural practices and see a way of life that is at risk of disappearing.
The New York Times highlighted the art of ‘quan ho’, which was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage practice in 2009. Quan ho is a call-and-response folk music style performed by alternating all-female and all-male duets from neighbouring villages.
Vietnam Motorkhana Championship 2021 opens
Vietnam Motorkhana Championship 2021 opens (Photo: VNA)
The Vietnam Motorkhana Championship 2021, the first-ever international-standard professional sport car race in Vietnam, opened in Hanoi on January 15.
The event was co-organised by the Vietnamese Motorsport Association Limited Liability Company (VMA LLC) – a member of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Centre.
Attracting 14 racers licensed by the National Sporting Authority (ASN) of the FIA in Vietnam in the first category and 11 others from VMA LLC’s clubs nationwide in the second category, the event was designed to test the acceleration, braking and handling of cars as well as skills and judgment of drivers. Racing cars are mostly sedan, hatchback, CUV and SUV models.
