HCM City launches renewable energy use competition rented houses

An annual award aimed at encouraging rental house owners to use rooftop solar power has been launched by Ho Chi Minh City.

The “Rental houses using green energy” award will grant 280 prizes each worth 10 million VND (430 USD) every year.

This is part of efforts being made to promote economical, efficient and sustainable use of energy by resident households.

The City Power Corporation (EVNHCMC), which has launched the award, will help the owners of rental houses upgrade their existing power system and promote the development of renewable energy.

The award duration will run from December to November (next year).

A total amount of 14 billion VND (601,760 USD) is expected to be awarded to the winners in the 2021-25 period.

The EVNHCMC’s energy-saving programmes have achieved significant success to date.

Last year, the city saved 583.9 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, contributing a reduction of nearly 440,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, according to the EVNHCMC.

In the first four months of this year, the energy-saving programs have saved more than 179 million kWh of electricity.

Heavy rains forecast to continue in northern localities

The northern midland and mountainous regions are forecast to witness moderate and heavy rain on May 30 – 31, with rainfalls of 50-100 mm, even over 120 mm, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The northern delta region, and areas from the northern central province of Thanh Hoa to the central province of Thua Thien – Hue will continue to see showers and thunderstorms, and heavy rain locally.

Additionally, the Central Highlands and southern regions are expected to have showers and thunderstorms with rainfalls of 20-60 mm, even over 60 mm in some areas. Thunderstorms in the Central Highlands and southern regions are likely to last until June 2, coupled with whirlwinds, lightning, hails and strong winds.

There is a high risk of flash floods and landslides in the mountainous localities in the North, North Central and Central Highlands regions; and flooding in low areas.

Moderate and heavy rain have been recorded in the northern mountainous provinces of Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Son La on May 30 morning.

Showers and thunderstorms, with risks of tornadoes and strong winds, are forecast to hit the middle and southern areas of the East Sea, the waters of Binh Thuan to Ca Mau, and Ca Mau to Kien Giang and the Gulf of Thailand. Meanwhile, strong southwest winds of level 5-6 are forecast for the waters of Binh Dinh to Ca Mau and the western waters of the East Sea’s south area on the same day.

Vietnam see great chance to win at AFF Women’s Championship 2022

The Vietnamese women’s football team will meet their opponents from Myanmar, Timor Leste, Laos and Cambodia in Group B of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship 2022, according to the results of a draw held on May 28.

Coach Mai Duc Chung breathed a sigh of relief after the draw as his students will only play underdogs, except for Myanmar - the main challenge for Vietnam to vie for the top position in Group B.

In the most recent international tournament, Huynh Nhu scored the only goal to help Vietnam trounce Myanmar in the semi-final match at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Meanwhile, Group A is considered the group of death as Thailand will play the hosts Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia. Thailand won a silver medal at the recent 31st SEA Games while the Philippines secured a ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Australia, 12th in the FIFA women’s football rankings, are set to progress out of the group stage.

The AFF Women’s Championship 2022 will take place in the Philippines from July 4-17, with the participation of a record 11 teams.

Vietnam are current champions after defeating Thailand in the finals of the AFF Cup 2019.

Young women filmmakers shine at national short film contest

Three young women have been named best filmmakers at this year’s CJ Short Films Filmmaking Project, an prominent national contest in the genre.

The contest named Hồ Thanh Thảo, Trần Thị Hà Trang, and Đào Thu Uyên as the winners along with Đào Quang Trung and Lê Can Trường.

Thảo’s short film, called Điềm Báo (A Bad Omen), features a widow’s fight against a stranger in her dreams who causes bad luck for her son.

She won the Búp Sen Vàng (Golden Lotus Bud) awards for short film Muộn (Late) from the Centre for Assistance & Development of Movie Talents (TPD) under the Việt Nam Film Association in 2017.

Her film was sent to compete at the Singapore International Film Festival the same year.

In 2021, she received the Cánh Diều Bạc (Silver Kite) for short film Đường Cao Tốc (Highway) from the Việt Nam Film Association.

 Another filmmaker, Trang, brought to the contest her work called Cá Mặt Trăng (Moonfish). The film is about a hearing-impaired child living in a small fishing village, who tries his best to save his family and himself from impending doom.

Hà won the Cánh Diều Vàng (Golden Kite) Awards for best short film with Một Cõi Đi Về (A Place to Return to) in 2020. The film was also sent to compete at the Singapore International Film Festival 2021.

Filmmaker Uyên’s Con Dại Cái Mang (Mother’s Love) is about a mother protecting her disabled children at the CJ Short Film Making Project.

Uyên, who graduated in directing from the Hà Nội Academy of Theatre and Cinematography, has released many short films and documentaries about Vietnamese urban life and women.

She won the FY Film Festival for young filmmakers in 2017 with short film Vùng Đệm (Buffer Zone).

Trung, one of the other winners, presented Những Con Voi Bên Vệ Đường (Elephants by the Road) about a tomb builder, while Lê Can Trường’s Hương Kỳ Trong Trăng (Dreaming a Dream) depicted a man lost in his illusions.

The five filmmakers, who received VNĐ300 million (US$13,000) each, were mentored by Việt Nam’s leading filmmakers Phan Đăng Di, Nguyễn Hoàng Điệp, Trịnh Đình Lê Minh, Trần Thanh Huy, and Trần Thị Bích Ngọc, on making their films qualify for international film festivals.

Young theatre grads present 15th century historic tragedy

A play dealing with the tragedy that befell one of Vietnam's greatest politicians and poets will be staged by a private troupe this summer. The plays will star young artistes trained by the Hồng Vân Troupe.

The highlighted work of the series will be Bí Mật Vườn Lệ Chi (Secrets of Lệ Chi Manor), a production on Vietnamese history in the 15th century directed by Trần Bảo Châu. 

The play will have 20 young graduates of drama training courses launched by the Hồng Vân Drama Troupe. 

The play is next to make its debut next month.

Bí Mật Vườn Lệ Chi revolves around the unjust death of national hero Nguyễn Trãi. 

The Hồng Vân Troupe is a private theatre troupe that offers training courses for budding artists.

This year, they are offering two courses starting in August. Students and graduates from art schools, including HCM City Theatre & Cinematography and the University of Culture, are encouraged to apply. 

Bí Mật Vườn Lệ Chi will be staged at 8pm at the Bến Thành Theatre, 6 Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street, District 1 on Saturdays and Sundays in June and July.

National theatre premieres ballet based on legend

Ballet dancers from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will premier a full ballet that tells a tragic, legendary love story.

The ballet, entitled Hàm Lệ Minh Châu, is the Mỵ Châu-Trọng Thủy love story from the reign of An Dương Vương, in the 3rd century BC.

The ballet will use impressionism music written by Claude Debussy. The four-part ballet is an alternation of past and present between the love story of a modern couple and Mỵ Châu-Trọng Thủy.

The ballet will star leading dancers Phan Lương and Thu Hằng who play the two main roles.

Hàm Lệ Minh Châu will feature artists of the VNOB with videos to be shown on Led and Gauze screens in front and behind the actors.

The ballet will begin at 8pm on June 1 at Hà Nội Opera House.

Concerns over tuition fee increase in K-12 education

As cities and provinces plan to increase tuition fees in K-12 education, the public is raising concerns regarding the affordability for low-income families, and whether the fee increase means an improvement in education quality.

Hà Nội People’s Council recently announced a draft resolution that will increase tuition fees in secondary schools to between VNĐ50,000 (US$2.15) and VNĐ300,000 per month, double the current range of VNĐ19,000 to VNĐ155,000. 

HCM City People’s Committee also expected to increase tuition fees to up to VNĐ240,000 per month for all levels of K-12 education, except for primary schools where fees are exempted. 

Depending on the area and levels of education, the new amount could be five-fold the current tuition rate. 

In Gia Lai Province of the Central Highlands, the monthly fee is expected to be between VNĐ50,000 to VNĐ86,000 for kindergarten and secondary schools, and between VNĐ100,000 to VNĐ133,000 for high schools. 

The lowest tuition fee in the province is currently VNĐ15,000 per month, which means the new fee range would be a significant increase.

The change is expected to take effect in the next school year.

According to Hồ Tấn Minh, head of the office of HCM City Department of Education and Training, tuition fees only make up a small amount of the school’s expenditure on extra activities for students. 

Đào Hải Yến, deputy head of the planning and finance division at Hà Nội Department of Education and Training, the new framework proposes tuition fee ranges in the 2022-2025 period. The ranges are specified for each education level in urban, rural, mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

Based on the Government’s framework, local People’s Councils will decide on the specific amount for each school in each area. 

In the first year of implementation, Hà Nội expects to apply the lowest fee level for all regions and schools, then proceed to increase the amount in the following years. 

Yến said that the Government’s regulations allow localities to increase tuition fees each year, up to 7.5 per cent. 

In 2026, the tuition fee range could differ when a new decree is introduced. 

Binh Thuan launches 2022 summer tourism season

The south-central coastal province of Binh Thuan held an event on May 28 to kick off the 2022 summer tourism season.

The province has also worked with neighbouring provinces to form regional tourism routes and diversify the forms of tourism to meet the needs of holiday-makers.

According to the provincial tourism department, the implementation of promotional programmes is expected to drive the local tourism industry to rebound soon.

In the first four months of 2022, Binh Thuan welcomed more than 1.4 million tourists and generated a revenue of 2,700 billion VND (116.2 million USD).

HCMC football fans eagerly buy tickets for Vietnam - Afghanistan friendly match

On the first day of ticket sales, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) sold more than 10,000 tickets for stands A4, A5, and B, whose par value is VND300,000 per ticket, and stands C and D, whose par value is VND150,000 per ticket. The tickets for stands A1, A2, and A3 alone, whose face value is VND400,000 per ticket, are used as invitations for officials, VFF partners, and members of the Vietnamese team.

According to Mr. Tran Dinh Huan, Director of Thong Nhat Sports Center, the unit applies the same ticket sales method as implemented in the AFC Champions League in April 2022 to try to avoid hustling and pushing from buyers. Accordingly, football fans queue up outside, then each time, five people in each row are allowed to the ticket counters. The ticket counter at stand A is arranged with two tables and four sellers to facilitate the sale. When the tickets are sold out, they will end ticket sales.

Luu Thi Thanh Huyen in Phu Nhuan District said that although it was only a friendly match, it was a fascinating match for HCMC football fans. Especially after the gold medal of the U23 Vietnam Football Team at the 31st SEA Games, the heat is even greater. “I bought four tickets to stand B, though I had to come here early to queue to buy tickets, it was worth it. When we arrived at the stadium, waiting in line was not much of a problem because the stadium management unit had tightened security," Huyen said.

The friendly match between Vietnam and Afghanistan will take place at 7 p.m. on June 1 at Thong Nhat Stadium. 

VIRESA to help organise e-sports in SEA Games 32

The Vietnam Recreational and Electronic Sport Association (VIRESA) will support E-sport Federation Cambodia (EFC) to organise e-sport events at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

A cooperation signing ceremony between the two sides was held in Hà Nội on Tuesday, one day after the close of the SEA Games 31.

Vath Chamroeun, general secretary of the Cambodian SEA Games Organising Committee, said VIRESA's support was important for Cambodia, especially when the Kingdom was to host the regional sports meet for the first time.

100 Cambodian officials were sent to Hà Nội to learn and experience Việt Nam's SEA Games preparation and organising activities.

E-sports will be one of 40 sports held at the 32nd SEA Games, scheduled from May 5-16, 2023. All 11 ASEAN member countries will take part in the Games.

At the 31st Games, e-sports was held for the second time. It was the only sport that was organised at private expense. VIRESA took charge of all preparation steps from facilities to player selection and refereeing activities.

E-sports were held from May 13-22 with eight events. Athletes competed for 10 sets of medals.

Vietnam attends Int’l Food and Culture Bazaar in Brazil

Vietnam was among exhibitors at the International Food and Culture Bazaar held at the Brasilia Art Museum (MAB) in Brazil last weekend, showcasing Vietnamese handicrafts and traditional cuisine.

Featuring 45 booths run by exhibitors from 35 countries across the globe, the bazaar aimed to raise fund for three charitable organisations that support the homeless and impoverished women in Brasilia. It attracted more than 3,000 visitors, including many from other South American countries.

On display at the Vietnamese booths were creative handicraft products from Vietnam, including lacquered and mother of pearl inlay coconut bowls, embroidered “non la” (conical hat), and silk scarves.

There were also Vietnamese traditional food and drinks, such as fried spring rolls, banana cakes and iced tea, alongside various books, magazines and photos introducing life, nature and people of Vietnam.

New high school curriculum still ensures role of history education: Deputy minister

The new senior high school curriculum still ensures the role of history education, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do said, referring to the ministry’s decision to make history an optional subject in the national senior high school curriculum that will take effect from the next academic year.

Beginning the 2022 – 2023 school year, besides seven mandatory subjects, senior high school students (from grade 10 to 12) can choose to study five subjects from three groups of subjects, which are social science subjects (geography, history, economy-law), natural science subjects (physics, chemistry, biology) and technology and arts (technology, computers, and arts).

The move has triggered public concerns that fewer and fewer students will choose history once it becomes optional and the subject is at risk of "disappearing" from the curriculum at many senior high schools.

Responding to the concern, Deputy Minister Do said under the new general education plan, the last three grades in senior high schools will be the career-oriented education phase after the nine-year “basic education phase” from the first to ninth grades. 

History will remain a compulsory subject throughout the basic education phase when students are taught about general knowledge of the world’s and Vietnam’s history from primitive to modern times, the deputy minister said, emphasising that all students will receive comprehensive education of Vietnamese history at junior high school level (from grade 6 to 9). 
 
He further said that from the next academic year, the curriculum from the sixth to twelfth grade dedicates 20 percent of school time for local education content, including local history. 

Prof., Dr. Nguyen Minh Thuyet, chief-editor of the new general education programme, said as history is a compulsory subject during the first nine school year of a student, it will provide students with basic knowledge to develop their own qualities and core competencies.

Football tournament promotes cohesion among OVs in UK

The third football tournament of the Vietnamese people association in the UK kicked off in Birmingham city on May 29.

The annual tournament attracted the participation of 21 teams of Vietnamese living and working in different regions such as London, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool.

Initiated in 2018, the event has become one of the major community activities, receiving the enthusiastic support of a large number of overseas Vietnamese in the UK. Birmingham currently is home to the second largest number of Vietnamese working, living and studying in the UK, after London.

Le Nam, the head of the organising board of the tournament, said the board invited a number of teams from the Republic of Korean, Nepal and China to join in order to enhance exchange and connection among the communities.

This year’s tournament, which gathers over 1000 players and supporters across regions in the UK, also saw the participation of two women’s teams, he added.

Vietnamese cuisine introduced in Berlin

“Van nghe thang Muoi” (October art) club in Berlin held an event on May 29 to introduce the Vietnamese culinary culture to international friends.

Participants at the event were excited to enjoy traditional dishes of Vietnam such as nem (spring roll), pho (noodle), xoi gac (red sticky rice), bun cha (grilled meat with rice noodle), and banh cuon (steamed rice pancakes).

Addressing the event, Vice President of the club Ta Kim Lien said that through the event, the club aims to promote Vietnamese culture in Germany, along with its efforts in popularising Vietnamese arts in the European country.
 
Meanwhile, Nguyen Minh Hanh, the wife of the Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany, underlined the meaning of the event to the Vietnamese community in Germany.

Reigning champions prepare to defend AFF Cup title

The national women's football team gathered to train on May 30 in preparation for the AFF Cup, which will take place in July in the Philippines.

Coach Mai Đức Chung has called 28 players to join the one-month camp in Hà Nội, before they travel to France at the invitation of the French Football Federation from June 27 to July 2. They will play a friendly against the French national side, who are ranked third in the world, on July 1.

They will then fly to the Philippines to defend their regional title from July 2-14.

Việt Nam are in Group B with Myanmar, Timor Leste, Cambodia and Laos.

Group A includes three-time AFF women’s champions and Southeast Asian Games runner-up Thailand, as well as Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and the hosts.

Australia rejoins the AFF Cup after four years. In 2018, they sent the U20 team and finished second after losing 3-2 to Thailand in the final.

This year, it is not clear whether Australia will send their strongest side or the youth team to the Filipino event.

Teams will compete in a round-robin format at Binan Football Stadium in Binan City and Imus City Grandstand in Imus, Cavite. The best two teams of each group will advance to the semi-finals.

Although Việt Nam, who won the seventh SEA Games title on May 21, are confident they can get out of their group, coach Mai Đức Chung is still careful when talking about rivals.

Winners of Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2022 awarded

Winners of the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2022 were awarded at a ceremony held in Hanoi on May 29.

The contest was launched by the Thieu nien Tien phong va Nhi dong (Young Pioneers and Children) Newspaper and Tan Viet Books Company, targeting elementary and secondary students across the country.

It aims to encourage reading habits among younger generations and promote the building of a learning society.

Themed ‘Share a favourite book that changes you in a positive way’, the event attracted nearly 10,000 submissions by entrants nationwide. The entries were vividly presented in several creative ways such as writings and drawings.

At the awards ceremony, the organising board presented 44 individual prizes, including 6 A, 8 B, 10 C and 20 consolidation prizes, plus 12 collective prizes for the most outstanding competitors.

Japan agrees to hold summit with ASEAN next year

A special ASEAN-Japan summit would be held in 2023 to discuss in-depth regional and international issues, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has said.

The PM said he had suggested the event to his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in their meeting in Tokyo on May 27, according to the news agency Bernama.

He said that Japan should make an engagement not only with Malaysia but ASEAN; and Kishida agreed to hold the summit next year.

Ismail Sabri said he also told Kishida that Malaysia would not compromise on any form of threat to its sovereignty in the East Sea.

In handling the complex issue of the waters and involving inter-state relations, all related countries must remain committed to maintaining the freedom of navigation there, he said.

Youth Union launches 2022 summer volunteering campaign

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union held an event on May 29 in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, kicking off the 2022 summer youth volunteering campaign.

An expected 10,000 young people will join volunteering groups in disadvantaged communities in remote and ethnic regions throughout the country, as well as villages associated with President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary career.

In addition to conventional activities, volunteers will also examine residents for post-COVID symptoms, and build and upgrade restrooms in disadvantaged schools.

US-funded project for community resilience implemented in Thua Thien-Hue

The Vietnam Red Cross Society has launched an US-funded project, titled Consultancy Service for Comprehensive Model for Community Resilience in Vietnam (CMCR), in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue.

With over 5.4 billion VND (232,959 USD) earmarked for its implementation in the province, the project is expected to support more than 18,000 people in Huong Vinh commune’s Phu Thuong ward and Huong Thuy township’s Thuy Chau and Thuy Phuong ward.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the 2.4 million USD project is conducted by a consortium of the American Red Cross (with and through Vietnam Red Cross), Catholic Relief Services, HelpAge International, Plan International and Save the Children International.

The implementation aims at increasing disaster resilience through strengthening the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) structure, and leveraging resources at communities, schools and other stakeholders involved. Key activities included training courses to boost disaster-response skills and planning capacity, drills, and safe school construction.   

Launched in Thua Thien – Hue, and Ha Giang and Son La province in North Vietnam, it runs from May through September 2023 to benefit over 57,000 people, including children, women, the elderly, and ethnic minority residents.

AFC announces list of Vietnam team to play in U23 Asian Cup final

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has released a list of 23 members in the Vietnamese team to compete at the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals, which will take place in Uzbekistan from June 1 to 19.

The list saw the elimination of Tran Van Cong and Vu Minh Hieu compared to the one announced earlier by head coach Gong Oh-kyun of the squad. Meanwhile, all 14 key players who won the goal medal at the recent SEA Games 31 hosted by Vietnam are kept on the list. They include goalkeeper Van Toan, defenders Viet Anh and Thanh Binh, midfielder Ly Cong Hoang Anh, and strikers Nguyen Van Tung and Nham Manh Dung.

Freshly completing their short training session in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the U23 team of Vietnam is now in Uzbekistan for the finals.

According to the draw results, Vietnam is in Group C with the defending champion of the Republic of Korea (RoK), Thailand and Malaysia. The squad will play the first match against Thailand on June 2, then meet the RoK on June 5 and Malaysia on June 8.

Binh Thuan’s fishermen given national flags, life jackets

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) Central Committee in collaboration with the VRCS’s chapter in the south central province of Binh Thuan and sponsors on May 30 presented 140 national flags, 1,250 life jackets, and 140 first aid bags to local poor and near-poor, and disadvantaged fishermen.

Former State President Truong Tan Sang and representatives from the VRCS and local officials attended the hand-over ceremony.

As part of activities in the programme "Safety for poor  and disadvantaged fishermen” launched by the VRCS Central Committee in the period of 2022-2027, the event is hoped to encourage local fishermen to maintain their operations in fishing grounds.

With a long coastline, Binh Thuan is one of the three key fishing grounds of the country.

The province currently has 7,500 fishing boats with about 26,500 fishermen, including those from poor and near-poor, and disadvantaged households, who are directly engaged in offshore fishing activities. More than 7,800 local fishermen are fishing without life jackets or lifebuoys. 

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes