Vietnam fulfils role as AIPA Chair: Top legislator
Vietnam has well fulfilled its role as Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020 despite the serious impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and record floods and storms, thus contributing to increasing the country’s position and prestige in the region and the world, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said.
Addressing a conference on December 23 to review Vietnam’s AIPA Chairmanship Year, Ngan stated that right from the beginning of this year when the COVID-19 shows signs of spreading out, Vietnam proactively made scenarios for the AIPA Chairmanship Year and consulted member states about organising activities in an online format. Accordingly, the 41st AIPA General Assembly was held online – the first time in the history of AIPA. With the leadership and regulation of Vietnam, the AIPA-41 was claimed a success, reflected through the full participation and support of member parliaments, observers and international parliamentary organisations.
Christmas greetings extended to Catholic and Protestant followers nationwide
Leaders of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee visited and extended Christmas greetings to Catholic and Protestant dignitaries and followers across the country over the past week.
The leaders expressed their belief that Catholic and Protestant dignitaries and followers would continue to further promote the patriotic traditions while actively contributing to the cause of building the great national unity bloc, as well as joining the local authorities in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.
GDP growth estimated at 2.91% this year
Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) this year is expected to rise by 2.91% compared to 2019, according to Director General of the General Statistics Office (GSO) Nguyen Thi Huong.
Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on December 27 to announce socio-economic performance data for the fourth quarter and the whole year of 2020, Huong said though the figure was the lowest during the 2011-2020 period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam’s growth remains among the world’s highest. Specifically, it expanded by 3.68% in the first quarter, 0.39% in the second quarter, 2.69% in the third quarter and 4.48% in the fourth quarter.
Vietnam among top five markets globally for cost efficiency
Vietnam is among the top five countries in the world for cost efficiency, according to ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions’ Total Workforce Index (TWI). The TWI identified the top five markets globally for cost efficiency as the Philippines, Croatia, Morocco, Vietnam and Thailand. These markets are driven by favourable country dynamics, such as cost of labour and regulations.
The average Vietnamese monthly wage was US$321 a month in 2020, up by 32.6% compared to a year earlier, while the regional average was US$1,835 a month. In an increasingly complex global market, access to skilled talent is a top priority for organisations looking to build or grow their business.
Vietnam’s brand value records fastest growth worldwide: Brand Finance
Vietnam is the fastest-growing nation brand in this year’s ranking. (Photo: NDO/Duy Linh)
Vietnam has posted the fastest-growing national brand this year, with value surging 29% to US$319 billion, on the list of the world’s 100 most valuable national brands compiled by the London-based independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance. The country climbed nine places from 42nd last year to 33rd this year.
Vietnam, which has recorded staggeringly low COVID-19 cases and related deaths, has emerged as one of the top locations in Southeast Asia for manufacturing and has become an increasingly attractive destination for investors, particularly from the US, Brand Finance said.
Cam Ranh International Airport granted Airport Health Accreditation
Cam Ranh International Airport has been granted the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) by the Airports Council International (ACI) for maintaining safety and prevention measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The certificate recognises the airport’s commitment to prioritising health and safety measures in accordance with the ICAO Council Aviation Restart Task Force (CART) recommendations and in alignment with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and industry best practice.
Vietnamese students win five gold medals at Int’l Olympiad of Metropolises
All eight students from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted have claimed medals at the fifth International Olympiad of Metropolises. (Photo: NDO/Hoa Le)
All eight Vietnamese students from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted have claimed medals at the fifth International Olympiad of Metropolises (IOM), including five golds, one silver, and two bronzes. The competition, organised by the Mayor of Moscow, was held from December 16 to 22 in an online format due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gold medals went to Nguyen Hoang Nam and Tran Quang Vinh in Physics, Nguyen Duy Anh and Nguyen Le Thao Anh in Chemistry, and Do Bach Khoa in Mathematics. The silver medal went to Nguyen Duc Anh in Mathematics, while the two bronze medals were carried off by Nguyen Gia Bao and Nguyen Anh Quan in Informatics. In addition, the Vietnam team won the silver cup and ranked in the Top 5 best cities in the category of blitz-contest.
The Olympiad of Metropolises is an international team competition, which is held in Moscow every year at the initiative of the Mayor of Russia’s capital city. Its participants include 14-18 year old students who live in the biggest metropolises of the world.
Vietnamese artists win awards at MAMA 2020
Three young Vietnamese artists have been awarded prizes at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMAs) 2020 held in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Rapper Binz Da Poet was named ‘Best Asian Artist Vietnam’, while singer Amee was honoured as the ‘Best New Asian Artist Vietnam’ and Quang Dang won ‘Best Choreographer of the Year’ at the event, which was livestreamed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MAMAs are prestigious annual music awards initiated and maintained by ROK's Mnet Media since 1999. Starting in 2009, the awards were extended to ten artists from Asian countries and territories who gained many achievements in the year. Vietnam was selected to hold the award ceremony together with three other countries in the region in 2017. Previously, Vietnamese singers, including My Tam, Thu Minh, Dong Nhi, Toc Tien, Noo Phuoc Thinh, and Huong Tram, have been awarded in the category of “Best Asian Artist Vietnam”.
Vietnamese documentary on female labourers wins prize at US film festival
‘Len Thanh Pho’ (Making our Place), a short documentary on women migrants in Hanoi, has won The Best Next Gen Award at the 2020 Better Cities Film Festival which was recently held in the US. The film was produced as part of the Tryspaces project carried out by the Health Bridge Vietnam organisation and the Vietnamese Women Museum in order to research youth and public spaces in Hanoi, Vietnam.
‘Making our Place’ was among the 25 winning films which stood out from the nearly 90 entries sent to the 2020 Better Cities Film Festival, which was held virtually from October 8-11. The film fest was originally founded in 2013 as the New Urbanism Film Festival with a vision to move that conversation onto the silver screen and into the streets, engaging the broader community in the vital work of place making and neighbourhood revitalisation.
