9th session of 14th National Assembly, a special landmark
The 9th session of the 14th National Assembly (NA) wrapped up in Hanoi on June 19 after 19 days of working in a spirit of solidarity, democracy, responsibility, and active contribution. The legislature adopted resolutions ratifying the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) along with the signing of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Convention No 105.
It adopted a resolution approving the investment policy of the national target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2021-2030, with more than 100 policies focusing on communes and villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. These decisions are important in the implementation of the Party and State’s policies and laws on ethnic affairs with the goal of “leaving no one behind”.
PM lauds media for contributions to COVID-19 fight
 |
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) and Politburo member, Secretary of Party Central Committee and Head of the PCC's Commission for Communication and Education Vo Van Thuong present the PM's certificate of merit to Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has lauded the media for its important contributions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that it has produced practical works to mark the 95th anniversary of the Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day.
Speaking at a conference held in Hanoi on June 16 to review media coverage on COVID-19, PM Phuc highlighted the Government’s important policies such as “Fighting the epidemic is like fighting the enemy”, “sacrificing short-term economic interests to protect people’s health” and “concentrated quarantine”, saying that under the Party's leadership, all people have been united and are determined to minimise infections in the community. On the occasion, PM Phuc presented certificates of merit to 18 organisations, in honour of their achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
First batch of fresh Vietnamese lychee lands in Japan
Vietnamese lychee fruits remain fresh when arriving in Japan. (Photo: VOV)
The first tonne of fresh Vietnamese lychee exported to Japan by air arrived on June 20, further affirming the value of Vietnam’s agricultural products in this market. Of the total five tonnes exported on June 18, the remaining four tonnes are being transported by sea. Upon their arrival in Japan, the Vietnamese lychee will be put on shelves at AEON supermarkets and at focal points of importers including VIENT Corporation, Yufruit and Sunrise Farm.
En route to admitting Vietnamese lychee into Japan, the two sides spent a long time, from 2014, organising lychee promotions in the Japanese market and introducing technologies in fresh lychee preservation, steam treatment, sterilisation and transportation. The inspection process was conducted in a strict manner under the supervision of authorities from both sides.
Tra Vinh University named in 2020 World’s Universities with Real Impact rankings
Tra Vinh University has more than 1,200 lecturers and about 20,000 students (Photo: giaoducthoidai.vn)
Tra Vinh University was the only university in Vietnam to be named within the Top 100 World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI) rankings for 2020, the university reported on June 15. It ranked 86th in the WURI ranking for 2020 and was 24th among the 50 best universities in startup and innovation values during a recent virtual conference held by the Hanseatic League of Universities (HLU).
The WURI ranking is a new system that measures universities’ performance in creating real value in society. It focuses on industrial applications rather than the traditional means of counting research papers and lecture-type teaching; value-creating startups and entrepreneurship rather than the traditional focus on the number of jobs filled; social responsibility, ethics and integrity; and student mobility and openness for exchange and collaboration between schools and across national borders.
International Yoga Day draws nearly 3,000 in Quang Ninh
The sixth International Yoga Day, themed “Yoga from home”, drew the participation of nearly 3,000 yogis from at home and abroad in the northern province of Quang Ninh on June 21. Earlier, a series of activities were held including yoga practice at Quang Hong Beach in Cam Pha City, yoga performances with traditional long dresses and conical hats at Tuan Mai Beach, and a programme entitled “Vietnam Yoga – Connecting Vietnamese spirit” at the Yen Tu historical and tourist site, Uong Bi City.
The sixth International Yoga Day will take place in Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen and Thanh Hoa from June 21-28. The United Nations General Assembly designated June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2015.
AI-based Vietnamese-language solutions launched
General view of the launching ceremony. (Photo: VNA)
The Ministry of Information and Communications launched a Vietnamese-language speech-to-text generator, VAIS, and a text-to-speech engine, Vbee, during a ceremony in Hanoi on June 19. The launch took place as part of a series of events hosted by the ministry to introduce a selection of “Made in Vietnam” digital platforms contributing to the country’s digital transformation and e-Government building.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung said that VAIS and Vbee, sponsored by the ministry, are the two pioneering digital platforms in Vietnam using artificial intelligence to convert speech to text and vice versa. VAIS is able to recognise various Vietnamese accents from all northern, central and southern regions with an accuracy rate of up to 95% and immediately produces results at an exceptional speed, Hung said, adding that it can even convert speech to text effectively in a noisy environment or from a long distance.
Vietnam tennis resumes with VTF Masters 500 tournament in Tay Ninh
After a break of more than three months due to COVID-19, Vietnamese tennis officially restarted on June 15 with the National Men's and Women's Tennis Championship 2020 (VTF Masters 500-1-Hai Dang Cup 2020), held in Tay Ninh Province. According to the original plan from the Vietnam Tennis Federation (VTF), the tournament was to take place in the southern province in March, but all sports events across the country were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and tennis was no exception.
With the total prize money of VND500 million, the VTF Masters 500-1 is the highest award event hosted by the VTF this year, in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tay Ninh Province and Hai Dang Joint Stock Company.
