14th National Assembly’s 11th sitting opens
The 11th sitting, and also the last meeting, of the 14th National Assembly kicked off in Hanoi on the morning of March 24.
Apart from law building and decision making on the country’s major matters, the legislators will review the performance of State, NA and Government agencies in the past tenure.
Notably, they will devote significant time to deciding on the State’s leadership positions.
The deputies are scheduled to gather at plenary sessions for 12 days, scheduled to end on April 8.
Departure ceremony held for third Level-2 Field Hospital
The Defence Ministry held a ceremony on March 23 in Ho Chi Minh City to send off the staff of the third Level-2 Field Hospital who will participate in the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien appreciated the cooperation of the United Nations, the Australian Government, and partners with Vietnam in deploying the third Level-2 hospital to replace the second Level-2 Field Hospital in accordance with plans that have been adjusted due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The third Level-2 Field Hospital was established in March 2020 with 70 staff members. They will be transported to South Sudan by military aircraft provided by Australia in two batches.
Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union solemnly marks 90th anniversary
The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) held a solemn ceremony in Hanoi on March 23 to mark its 90th founding anniversary and receive the Ho Chi Minh Order (for the third time).
Speaking at the ceremony, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong spoke highly of the important role and significant contributions made by the HCYU in the cause of national security and development.
The top leader asked Party committees and administrations at all levels, ministries and sectors to create favourable conditions in order to consolidate youth unions.
He also expressed his hope that the Vietnamese youth, particularly young Party members, will lead the way in building a prosperous nation.
High demands push Vietnamese rice's prices up: Business Recorder
Exporting rice in Long An province. (Photo: NDO)
Vietnam’s rice export prices hit a more than nine-year high this week as fresh orders trickled in, while rates for the Indian variety held near a one-month peak on healthy demand from buyers in other Asian countries and Africa, according to an article published on Pakistan’s news website Business Recorder.
The article noted that the price of Vietnam’s 5% broken rice rose to US$515-520 per tonne on March 25, thehighest since December 2011, from US$510-515 in the previous week.
“Demand is picking up and we’re seeing more ships docking at Ho Chi Minh City Port for rice loading,” a trader was quoted as saying, adding that: “Prices are expected to stay high as global demand for the grain is still strong amid the coronavirus pandemic.”
Minister warns of possible new COVID-19 wave
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long warned of the risk of a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in the country at a meeting on March 26.
Speaking at an online training course on vaccination safety held by the Ministry of Health, Long applauded efforts by the Government and people in containing the third wave of the pandemic that began on January 27.
However, there is now a high risk of a new spike in coronavirus infections, given the complex developments of the epidemic in regional countries, the minister said.
The long border line has made it hard for the country to control entries and exits, he further explained, citing cases of people illegally entering Vietnam by sea and later testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, which was confirmed by the ministry on March 26.
The ministry has required all localities that have detected entrants to immediately conduct tracing and quarantine, according to Long.
Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine authorised for emergency use
The Health Ministry (MoH) on March 23 approved with conditions Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine named Gam-COVID-Vac, also known as Sputnik V, for emergency use in COVID-19 prevention and control in the country.
It is the second COVID-19 vaccine to be authorised in Vietnam.
Although the third phase of clinical trial has not been completed, the Russian-developed vaccine has been approved in more than 50 countries, and is 91.8% effective against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
Vietnamese photographer wins prestigious international award
Drying Fish' by Vietnamese photographer Khanh Phan
A photo capturing a farmer surrounded by drying fish by Vietnamese photographer Khanh Phan has won the travel category of the Sony World Photography Awards.
The photo, entitled ‘Drying Fish’, was taken in Long Hai Market in the central province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on July 26, 2020. The wooden trays viewed from above look like a giant brocade woven by the farmer.
The Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most competitive photo contests in the world, receiving330,000 entries from around the world, among which only the 10 best photos are selected as the winners of its 10 categories of open competition.
Khanh Phan is the first and only Vietnamese photographer to win the open competition of the prestigious photo contest.
Vietnam has highest rate of new digital service consumers in SEA
Vietnam had the highest rate of new digital service consumers in the Southeast Asia region last year, it was reported at the recent World Mobile Broadband & ICT 2021 conference in Hanoi.
The report "e-Conomy SEA 2020”, which is conducted by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company, showed that Vietnam's digital economy reached a total value of US$14 billion last year, US$2 billion higher than that of the same period of the previous year.
Out of the total number of digital service users in Vietnam, new users account for 41 percent. This turned Vietnam into a country with the highest rate of new digital service consumers in the region.
Vietnam’s most outstanding athletes in 2020 honoured
Outstanding athletes and coaches are honoured on the Vietnam Sports Day. (Photo: tuoitre.vn)
A programme to honour outstanding athletes, coaches, and disabled athletes and coaches for disabled athletes was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Vietnam Sports Administration (VSA) in Hanoi on March 27, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day.
After more than two months of voting, the organising board selected 10 athletes and five coaches along withfive disabled athletes and three coaches for disabled athletes who made excellent achievements in 2020.
Captain of Hanoi Football Club striker Nguyen Van Quyet, who recently won the 2020 Vietnamese Golden Ball, was honoured as the first in the list.
For sports for disabled athletes, Javelin thrower Cao Ngoc Hung led the list, which also included Do Thanh Hai and Vo Thanh Tung (swimming), Nguyen Binh An (powerlifting), and Tran Thi Bich Thuy (chess).
