VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER
25
15:46 HCM City to
receive 56,555 tonnes of rice from national reserve  The General
Department of State Reserves under the Ministry of Finance has issued a
document on the provision of over 56,555 tonnes of rice from national reserve
to Ho Chi Minh City to support pandemic-hit residents. The
department has signed contracts with the Phat Tai Company Limited in Dong
Thap province, Thuan Minh Import-Export JSC in HCM City and Trung
An High-Tech Agriculture JSC in Can Tho city to buy enough rice to
supply to HCM City. The HCM City
State Reserve Department is tasked to work with local authorities to
distribute fee rice to people in need. Earlier, the
General Department has given 14,500 tonnes of rice to the city. The
distribution was completed on September 9./. Local students win ASEAN Youth Social Journalism Contest 2021 Vietnamese
students Nguyen Nhat Vi and Pham Quang Vinh, both of whom are studying at
RMIT University, have won third prize at the ASEAN Youth Social Journalism
Contest 2021 for their “Flatten the Plastic Curve” campaign. According to
Nhat Vi, COVID-19 has challenged the sustainable habits of Vietnamese
citizens since they were required to minimise physical contact and any
unnecessary traveling. “As the most
adaptable generation of the region, ASEAN youth quickly adjusted themselves
to the situation by transferring their daily activities to digital
platforms,” says Vi. “Convenience
comes with a price, and minimized physical contact is a tradeoff between
health and environment. The ‘new normal’ life is now indulged with single-use
plastic packaging.” “Sadly, this
was not what we envisioned for our Vietnam, or our region, before the
pandemic. We, as two Vietnamese youths, are now calling on young online
shoppers to reduce as much as they can during the pandemic, for a greener new
normal, and for a better life,” she added. The ASEAN
Youth Social Journalism Contest 2021, under the theme “#ASEANYouth and
COVID-19 ─ Response, Recovery, and Resilience”, was endorsed by the ASEAN
Senior Officials Meeting on Youth (SOMY). In addition, it was is also
supported by the ASEAN Foundation, ASEAN Secretariat, Ireland Embassy, and
the ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT, a joint project of the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the U.S. State Department. The contest
invited a number of talented youths from throughout ASEAN to share and
promote fact-based and compelling messages which serve to showcase the
importance of young people from the bloc at the forefront of efforts to
combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Typhoon Dianmu wreaks havoc in many localities Typhoon
Dianmu and prolonged subsequent rains had wreaked havoc in many
provinces and cities across the country such as Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, Quang Tri,
Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan and Kon Tum as of 5pm on September
24, according to the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for
Disaster Prevention and Control. The typhoon,
the 6th storm entering the East Sea so far this year, damaged 39 houses and
two schools, inundated 126 ha of rice and 34 ha of crops, destroyed one dyke
and water pumping station, and caused landslides at 16 locations. At present,
traffic on national highways is basically smooth. The office asked
cities and provinces to closely keep track of downpours following the
typhoon, raise public awareness of prevention and control measures, and pool
resources to find two missing fishermen. They were
also required to regularly report to the Standing Office of the National
Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, and the Office of the
National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue./. Vietnamese Ambassador highlights upcoming Russia visit by
Foreign Minister The upcoming
Russia visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son aims to
affirm that the strengthening of bilateral comprehensive strategic
partnership is a priority of Vietnam, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia
Dang Minh Khoi in an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency. Khoi said
the visit, scheduled for September 25-29, will be the first overseas trip by
the Vietnamese Foreign Minister. It is also the highest-level visit to Russia
by a Vietnamese official in the past two years when the two countries are
coping with COVID-19 pandemic. Via the
visit, the minister wants to convey the most important message that the
consolidation of Vietnam – Russia comprehensive strategic partnership is a
consistent policy and guideline of the Vietnamese Party and State, and Russia
is always a priority in Vietnam’s external policy, Khoi said. About the
fight against COVID-19, the diplomat said the two countries have maintained
channels to share experience in pandemic prevention and control as well as
worked closely together on vaccine issues. As regards
the significance of the visit, Khoi said the visit is meant to maintain
all-level liaison between the two nations, enhance collaboration in politics,
external relations, national defence and security. It is due to
take place in the context that the two countries recently celebrated the 70th
anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the 20th anniversary of
strategic partnership in 2021, and are preparing for the 10th anniversary
of comprehensive strategic partnership next year. Minister Son
will mention collaboration in pandemic prevention and control, medicines and
vaccines, and post-pandemic economic recovery, he said, adding that the visit
is also expected to maintain, restore and strengthen economic, trade and
tourism bonds. In the near
future, Vietnam will gradually re-open tourism market for fully vaccinated
visitors who show a certificate of negative RT-PCR testing result to the
virus. Vietnam considers Russia a key market in the field, Khoi said. According to
the ambassador, Minister Son will also talk with Russian leaders on the
Vietnamese community in the country./. UNDP announces report on pandemic impacts on vulnerable
households The United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held a teleconference in Hanoi on September
24 to announce a report assessing COVID-19’s socio-economic impacts on
vulnerable households in Vietnam, and another on the design and
implementation of the Government’s second support package for those hit by
the pandemic. The survey
polled 498 households and found out that 88 percent of them had jobs affected
in July and 63.5 percent had income reduced by 30 percent and above compared
to December 2019. Those
working in the tourism, hospitality and transportation sectors were the
hardest hit. Mental
health is an emerging urgent issue because the lockdown situation is
commonplace and prolonged. Up to 66.4 percent of respondents expressed their
concern over the pandemic's impacts. Cutting
expenditure is the most common response employed by 79.4 percent of the
households. As many as 71 percent cut food costs so that food security is
also a problem. A majority
of respondents said they have yet to receive assistance from the Government’s
second support package. As the
pandemic impacts in Vietnam are significant, the reports recommended that the
Government should issue a new cash support programme with greater financial
resources. Pham Minh
Thu, a researcher from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’
Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs, said in the short-term, it is
necessary to increase cash budget to meet people’s minimum living standards
and use advanced technologies to offer timely support to individuals. UNDP
Resident Representative in Vietnam Terence D. Jones talked about several
trends that were mentioned in the two reports and hailed the Vietnamese
Government for taking comprehensive health and social measures to mitigate
the spread and impacts of the pandemic./. NA to organise annual socio-economic forum The Office
of the National Assembly (NA) in collaboration with NA’s Committee for
Economic Affairs will organise a seminar to consult experts on socio-economic
issues under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and NA Vice Chairman
Nguyen Duc Hai. According to
the NA Office, the seminar will focus on assessing the developments of the
global financial, investment, and trade in 2021 and the latest developments
of the world economy, and forecast the impact on Vietnam. The evaluation of
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country's socio-economic
situation, the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination strategy, lessons
learned in policy promulgation, recommendations and solutions for Vietnam
from now until the end of the year and the following years of the 15th National
Assembly will also be tabled for discussion. This is the
first consultation of the 15th National Assembly. The NA’s Office said the
event is very important, even though it won't be held on a large scale due to
the pandemic, adding that it is a part of the
annual socio-economic forum of the NA. The forum will
contribute to gathering the wisdom of not only NA deputies but also a network
of leading domestic experts, scientists, and managers as well as those from
international organisations; forming quality practical scientific arguments,
which are important inputs for the NA and the Government to consult in making
reports on the implementation of the NA’s resolutions and other functions and
duties as prescribed by law. It will attract the attention and supervision of
the people and voters on matters of public concern, it said./. AmCham Vietnam donates medical supplies, equipment to HCM City The Vietnam
Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on September 24 held a
ceremony to receive medical supplies and equipment worth 352,000 USD donated
by the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam) and its
member firms to support hospitals in the city in the fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Vietnam
Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on September 24 held a
ceremony to receive medical supplies and equipment worth 352,000 USD donated
by the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam) and its
member firms to support hospitals in the city in the fight against the COVID-19
pandemic. The supplies
and equipment include four ventilators, 55 electric syringe pumps and 10
portable ventilators. Speaking at
the event, chairwoman of the committee To Thi Bich Chau thanked Amcham
Vietnam for its donation and shared her sympathy with the enterprises as they
have overcome difficulties in production and business due to the pandemic. She said
their donation will be sent to front-liners promptly, helping to improve the
efficiency of treatment for COVID-19 patients and drive back the pandemic
soon. Chau
expected that the enterprises would continue supporting and accompanying
Vietnam's and HCM City's policies, and “living safely with the pandemic” to
help the city to push back COVID-19, re-open and recover the economy,
towards returning to new normal./. Binh Dinh province to restore Cham towers to create tourist
attraction
The
south-central province of Binh Dinh has recently approved a project worth 25
billion VND (more than one million USD) to renovate the Banh It towers in
Phuoc Hiep commune, Tuy Phuoc district, in a move to promote their cultural
values. The work,
invested in by the provincial Department of Culture and Sports, will be
carried out in 2021-2022 and includes the completion of a cemented internal
road, construction of a building to welcome tourists, a parking lot, and
gardens. Once
completed, the Banh It towers, or Silver Towers, are expected to become a
popular tourist destination. Built in the
late 11th and early 12th centuries on top of a hill, the complex
has four towers that resemble “banh it”, a triangular glutinous rice cake
from Binh Dinh. Each tower has its own architecture and high artistic value,
with statues of God Shiva on top. Binh Dinh
was the capital of the Champa Kingdom from the 10th to
16th centuries, and proof of this golden age is in the towers still
standing firm with domes covered by moss./. Mu Cang Chai tourism hit hard by pandemic
With
magnificent landscapes, ideal weather, and the cultural beauty of the Mong
ethnic minority people, tourism in Mu Cang Chai district in northern
mountainous Yen Bai province has become a spearhead economic sector over
recent years. Like elsewhere around the country, however, it has been hit
hard by COVID-19. The recovery
of tourism in Vietnam and Mu Cang Chai will largely depend on how COVID-19 is
controlled. With stringent measures imposed for pandemic prevention and new
tourism products introduced to attract visitors, Mu Cang Chai’s tourism
sector is expected to regain its strength soon and help tourism
establishments offset the losses from the pandemic./. HCM City honours religious volunteers in COVID-19 fight Ho Chi Minh
City’s Vietnam Fatherland Front held a ceremony on September 24 to honour 147
religious volunteers who have completed their tasks of supporting doctors in
the front line of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic at COVID-19 treatment
hospitals in the city. Addressing
the event, Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the COVID-19 Intensive Care Hospital,
praised the support of the volunteers, adding that when the hospital was
newly established, the timely presence of religious volunteers helped the
hospital complete its mission of providing medical care for patients. Vice
Chairwoman of the city’s Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Phan Kieu Thanh
Huong expressed her gratitude for the volunteers’ contributions to the
pandemic fight, hoping that they will continue joining hands in pandemic
prevention and control efforts to make the city soon return to the new
normal. Since July
22, nearly 700 volunteers of different religious groups have taken part in
COVID-19 prevention and control in various hospitals in Ho Chi Minh
City./. 2-mln-USD project to prevent maternal deaths in Vietnamese
ethnic minority women More than 2
million USD will be provided to help Vietnam reduce maternal deaths among
ethnic minority women under a freshly-signed project. The project
“Leaving no one behind: Innovative interventions to reduce maternal mortality
in ethnic minority regions in Vietnam” was signed on September 24 by the UN
Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD HH Vietnam),
a leading global biopharmaceutical company, and MSD for Mothers. “Vietnam has
made significant progress in improving sexual and reproductive health of the
general population in the past 20 years, and was one of the only six
countries in the world, which achieved, in 2015, the Millennium Development
Goal – 5 (MDG5) on the reduction of maternal mortality,” UNFPA Representative
in Vietnam Kitahara Naomi told the signing and launching ceremony of the
project. However,
disparities and inequalities remain in access to and utilization of sexual
and reproductive health services among different ethnic groups and regions,
she said. Since 2020,
the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and
disproportionately affected vulnerable population groups, especially women
and girls in general and pregnant mothers in the ethnic minority regions in
particular, Kitahara said, adding that UNFPA is very much alarmed by this, as
it essentially meant a reversal of developmental gains that Vietnam has
achieved in the past decades in the areas of sexual and reproductive health. Jennifer
Cox, General Director of MSD HH Vietnam, said she believes this project will
bring tangible benefits to women in Vietnam and set the foundation for
communities and societies to thrive for generations to come. Nguyen Duc
Vinh, Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department under the Ministry
of Health confirmed the support of the ministry to the project, adding to
improve the health status of people who left behind including ethnic
minorities is the centre of the government’s development agenda. Funded by
MSD for Mothers and MSD Vietnam in the amount of 1.2 million USD and the UNDP
with 810,000 USD, the project is one of the most important initiatives to
reduce maternal mortality among ethnic minorities in six provinces in Vietnam’s
Northern Midlands and Mountains. The project
aims at increasing access to and utilization of integrated, quality and
voluntary sexual and reproductive health services amongst ethnic minorities;
improving the capacity on emergency obstetric care management in remote
mountainous localities; and building a village-based birth attendant network
in remote ethnic minority localities. It will also
integrate the COVID-19 prevention and control into the existing sexual and
reproductive health programme and deliver innovative health education and
community mobilization to ethnic minority communities to promote safe
maternal deliveries. Women,
especially pregnant women, in 60 remote ethnic minority communes of six most
disadvantaged provinces of Bac Can, Lai Chau, Son La, Dac Nong, Kon Tum and
Gia Lai are expected to benefit from the project’s innovative interventions. UNFPA will
deliver the project in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Provincial
Departments of Health in the selected provinces, and local civil society
organizations from September 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024./. Party official meets South Sudanese Vice President Vietnam will
maintain its active contributions to UN peacekeeping efforts in South Sudan,
said Phan Dinh Trac, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central
Committee and head of its Commission for Internal Affairs, during his meeting
with the African country’s Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior in New
York on September 23 (local time). This is the
highest-level meeting between the leaders of the Vietnamese Party and South
Sudan since the two countries established diplomatic relations in February
2019. Trac
appreciated the progress in the two countries' relations since the
establishment of the diplomatic ties, which, he said, helps create an
important foundation to promote multifaceted cooperation at bilateral and
multilateral levels. He
congratulated South Sudan’s Government and people on their achievements in
the transition process, believing that relevant parties will continue to well
implement the 2018 Peace Agreement, thus bringing about long-lasting peace,
stability and development to the country. He also
expressed his hope that the South Sudanese Government continues to create
favourable conditions for operations of and ensure security and safety for
Vietnamese soldiers participating in peacekeeping forces in the nation. The
Vietnamese official informed the South Sudanese President of the main
achievements that Vietnam has achieved in the Doi Moi (Renewal) cause over
the past 35 years and the main outcomes of the 13th National Congress of the
Communist Party of Vietnam. He shared experience in implementing Vietnam's
foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and
multilateralisation of relations, and emphasised the role of the Party's
external relations in creating an important political foundation to
stabilise, expand and tighten Vietnam's bilateral relations with other
countries. Vice
President Rebecca conveyed greetings and thanks from President Salva Kiir
Mayardit for the support of the Vietnamese Party, Government and people over
the past time; and appreciated Vietnam's role as a non-permanent member of
the UN Security Council in contribution to South Sudan's peace. She noted
that South Sudan wishes to strengthen and expand diplomatic relations with
all countries, including Vietnam, and continue to receive assistance from the
international community. She also
expressed her deep impression on the image of a successfully transformed
Vietnam, affirming that South Sudan will learn from Vietnam's development
experience in many fields such as economy, trade, agriculture and
health./. Pfizer committed to delivering 31 million doses of vaccine this
year Pfizer/BioNTech
will provide Vietnam with 31 million doses of its vaccine for adults this
year, and 20 million doses for children as soon as the vaccine is approved,
says Jonathan Selib, senior vice president of Pfizer. He also
acknowledged Vietnam’s request for cooperation in vaccine production and said
his company will quickly implement procedures for Vietnam to receive its
unused vaccine from Poland. The CEO
welcomed the US’s recent establishment of a Regional Center for Disease
Control (CDC) in Vietnam during Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to
Vietnam, demonstrating the US’s confidence in Vietnam’s disease control
capacity. He said his firm will collaborate closely with this CDC office to
work alongside Vietnam in its efforts to prevent diseases. For his
part, President Phuc said Pfizer has handed over more than 2.8 million doses
of vaccine to Vietnam under the purchase contract signed with the Government
of Vietnam, and expressed hope the firm would fulfil its commitment in the
remaining months of the year. According to
President Phuc, a sufficient supply of vaccines will help not only protect
people’s health but also stabilize socio-economic development, avoid supply
chain disruption, and create favourable conditions for enterprises, including
US firms, to maintain production. Sanofi Vietnam inks deal to switch to rice husk fuel for boilers
from diesel Sanofi
Vietnam and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit’s Climate
Protection through Sustainable Bioenergy Market in Vietnam Project are
collaborating to convert diesel boilers at the former's factories into
rice husk-fired ones to cut down the amount of waste and air pollution. They signed
an agreement on Thursday (September 23) for carrying out the conversion. It will be
done as part of Sanofi’s ‘Rice is the new green’ environmental initiative to
develop sustainable rice husk biomass energy. It is one of
three to be funded by the company’s Planet Mobilization Fund as part of
efforts to become carbon-neutral by 2025. Sanofi
Vietnam is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 2,300 tons a year. Vietnam is
the world’s fifth largest rice producing country and churns out more than 10
million tons of rice husk every year. Rice husk is
renewable and can serve as an alternative energy source replacing fossil
fuels such as coal and oil. Moreover,
the by-product of rice husk combustion is ash with a high content of silica,
which is a raw material for industrial production that has however not been
exploited. Goalkeeper Trường won't let second chance slip by The life of
goalkeeper Bùi Tấn Trường has had more ups and downs than a
rollercoaster. Fame and
fortune were quickly followed by a massive dip in form, loss of confidence,
and even allegations of match-fixing. He went from national number one to a
man out of work. But now his luck has changed once more, and he's back where
he belongs, in goal for Việt Nam. And after
going from hero to zero, then back to hero again, he has now earned plaudits
for his performances, chosen among the best keepers in the second qualifying
round of the 2022 World Cup. At 35, some
might say he is in last chance saloon, but the shot-stopper is fully aware of
his responsibilities to repay the faith others have shown in him. Two years
ago he was out of a job. After winning a number of medals during a six-year
spell with Becamex Bình Dương FC, the allegations of match-fixing began
to circulate. At the end of the 2019 campaign, Trường found himself on
the scrapheap, unwanted and unable to find a new club. Born in
1986, he was a member of the Việt Nam U22 squad which won the Merdeka Cup in
2008 in which he saved a penalty against Malaysia in the final. Trường made
his debut for the national senior team in the 0-0 draw with Syria during the
2011 Asian Cup’s qualifier in 2009. His Bronze
Ball statue for the third-best player of 2009 brought him a record deal of
VNĐ5 billion (US$270,000 at that time) with Đồng Tháp FC and made him the
most expensive goalkeeper of the V.League in 2010. Two years
later, he broke the record he set with a VNĐ9 billion ($432,000 at that time)
move to Xuân Thành Sài Gòn. Trường
signed with Bình Dương in 2013 and in six years he won two national
championship titles, two National Cup and two Super Cup trophies. Together
with titles, he also made some terrible mistakes that strongly affected the
results of the national team at the 25th SEA Games’ final in 2009, AFF
Cup’s semi-finals in 2010 and 2015 Asian Cup qualifier in 2013, and for his
club at the 2019 AFC Cup when Bình Dương lost to Ceres Negros of the
Philippines. Although he
was never found guilty of match-fixing, rumours surrounded the goalie like a
bad smell and he lost his place with the national team. After
spending time in the wilderness, Trường was left wondering if his chance
would ever come again. He would even play football on the streets of his
hometown of Lai Vung District in Đồng Tháp Province. Then a phone call
changed everything. “I watched
goalkeeper Nguyễn Minh Nhựt flying to save his goal in a match between Hải
Phòng and Đồng Tháp in May 2020. I told myself if he, the same age as me,
could still do a good job, why couldn’t I?" Trường recalled. “I missed
the feel and smell of my gloves, of the grass, and the atmosphere of
matches.” It was just
two days before the deadline for the local transfer market when Trường
received a call from Hà Nội’s goalkeeper coach Trần Tiến Anh who invited him
to the capital. He said: “Hà
Nội needed a substitute for their No 1 keeper after one of their goalies was
injured. After a day of thinking, I agreed and flew to the capital to sign
with a firm belief that I would be No 2 only because the current one Nguyễn
Văn Công is at his peak.” His
performance impressed coaches who did not hesitate to push him into the first
team. Trường
helped the team win the Super Cup, the National Cup and finish second in
the 2020 league season. Trường was
the oldest keeper of the V.League 1 but he proved that age was only a number.
He won the coaching board’s belief and received an offer to extend his
contract to 2022. "Things
changed in just five months," he added. "It is unbelievable and I
could never think about it. How can anyone imagine that a rich and ambitious
team like Hà Nội would choose me, a retired keeper? “When
agreeing to deal with Hà Nội, I wanted to try a new environment and work hard
to integrate with a new team. Everything is better than I could have
imagined. I am free in mind and received strong support. I feel like the
football team is like my family. “I hope to
have a chance to lift the V.League 1 trophy with Hà Nội in 2022. If it
happens, it would be great for me and the team.” His
performances with Hà Nội were watched by the national head coach Park
Hang-seo who decided to give the 1.90m player, who has a strong physique and
good ability with the ball at his feet, a chance in his team to compete
at the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The door was
wide open for him to take the place in the team after the pandemic restricted
other keepers chosen for the squad. Trường did
not waste his chance in the three last matches of the second qualification
round. “I was
really nervous because people insulted me a lot because of my mistakes in the
past," he admitted. "But
coach Park told me to leave the past behind because it would not help me
at all. At present and in the future, I will contribute all my best
efforts to the national team,” he recalled. “The more I
played the better I became. And I gradually won over the hearts of the staff.
It is great to (again) step onto the field with the national flag on my chest
and see supporters cheering on in the stands,” said Trường. Trường will
continue to take charge of the No 1 keeper position at the next matches of
the World Cup’s third qualification after Đặng Văn Lâm suffered a shoulder
injury. “Back to the
national team at 35, I have to work really hard to complete all the heavy
exercises. In football, talent will be recognised but if you don’t try hard,
chances will never come,” said Trường. “My youth
was stuck with so many mistakes including stupid ones that I sometimes don’t
understand why I did them. But everyone makes mistakes because that's the way
life is. Fortunately, I am lucky to receive a second chance, to play football
and to win people’s hearts all over again.” Talented Hieu is one to watch at Futsal World Cup Vietnamese
midfielder Nguyễn Văn Hiếu has been named among the best five young players
at the Futsal World Cup in Lithuania. He has
helped Việt Nam advance to the last-eight round for the second World Cup in a
row. Hiếu scored
the decisive goal that saw Việt Nam beat the stronger Panama in the
second Group D match on September 16. He also
played well in the team's third game which ended 1-1 against powerhouse Czech
Republic three days later. "Ready
for an astonishing fact? When the last FIFA Futsal World Cup took place, Văn
Hiếu had never even played the sport. He took it up in 2018, was a Việt Nam
international just 12 months later and is now dazzling at Lithuania
2021," Football's governing body FIFA wrote in their description of Hiếu. "And
the winger who looks like a schoolboy had old pros feeling their age on
Matchday 5. Hiếu thwarted a Panama attack with an excellent tackle inside his
own half, whizzed the length of the court, shrugged off two challenges,
rounded the goalkeeper, and cut the ball from an acute angle." The world
agency also quoted coach Phạm Minh Giang as saying: “Hiếu is the talent of
Vietnamese futsal. His playing philosophy is very up-to-date. He is a very
promising player.” Other
players selected were midfielder Yousef Jouad of Morocco, forward Leonardo
Caetano Silva aka Leozinho of Brazil, forward Khusniddin Nishonov of
Uzbekistan, and defender Zicky Te from Portugal. An inborn
futsal talent Among 16
members of Việt Nam team, Hiếu, 23, is not the youngest but the one who came
to futsal recently and has only three-year experience. Born in
1998, Hiếu purchased an online business instead of going to study in a
college. Earning
enough from his work, Hiếu had time to visit football fields and took part in
street football matches. Despite his
self-trained skills, Hiếu became well-known in Đà Nẵng before signing a contract
with futsal team Hoàng Thư Đà Nẵng FC in 2018. “Hoàng Thư
Đà Nẵng was rejuvenating at that time and had a lack of players. My friend
was playing for them and asked me to have a trial," said Hiếu. "Partly
out of my curiosity and passion, I agreed and surprisingly I was recruited. I
just have several days practicing with the club before taking part in the
National Cup." But it was
enough for him to shine and win his first individual title. He played a
key role in pushing his club to the second position in the National Cup
before receiving the title of top scorer of the national
championship with 14 goals in 2018. One year
later, the agile 1.65m player was then called to the national team as
coach Giang said he was quick, smart, and finished really well. On his
birthday on September 10, Giang continued to praise the player, telling
him: "You have great potent. I hope you will keep trying, improving
and working harder to become a key player for Việt Nam". Despite many
goals, the goal against Panama was one of the most special of his career. "I am
happy, really happy. It is a wonderful feeling as it is the first time I take
part in World Cup," Hiếu said about his goal. FIFA
described it as an unbelievable solo effort that claimed a Futsal WC
victory for Việt Nam and made it one of four nominations for best goals of
the group round. His solo
strike was also a topic to talk about among coaches, pundits, and his
teammates. "I
found him when he started playing for Đà Nẵng," said
coach Miguel Rodrigo who ran the Việt Nam national team from 2017 to
2019. "He is
skilled and has a great tactical mind. I told my assistants to bring him to
the national team. Now, I am really happy because he does a good job and
scored for Việt Nam." The Spanish
expert also compared Hiếu with Italian legend Adriano Foglia who was voted
best player of the 2003 tournament. "They
shared some of the same points, small in size but with great technique and
the same playing style. My assistant call Hiếu 'Đà Nẵng's Foglia',"
he said. Senior pivot
Nguyễn Minh Trí also appreciated his young teammate saying Hiếu is
strong and fast and really skillful. His goal to beat Panama showed
everything of his ability, he said. Former
national goalkeeper Trần Trung Kiên added: "I really like to watch
him. He impressed me in the national championships. It has been a long time
that I have seen a player who could play with both feet. What he still needs
to improve is experience. I believe that the more he plays, the better
he will become." Meanwhile
former national champion Phạm Thành Đạt said: "Hiếu is rising star
of Việt Nam, who can make a break by himself and create threatening
chances." "He
will go far and will be the country's futsal future," Đạt added. Volunteers print free altar photos of people who
died from COVID-19 Photo
printing services in HCM City, like many other services, have been shut down
due to the current social distancing regulations, preventing many people
from getting portraits of their deceased family members for
their altar. Many
volunteer groups and individuals have tried to help those in need for free. Tống Hoàng
Quân, head of the volunteer group ‘G9- For the children
smile’, told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper that he felt sad
every time he received calls from people who wanted help to print
photos of their deceased relative. "You
can feel the pain and loss in their voice over the phone. It’s so sad! There
are even families who lost four people due to COVID-19. Our team
wants to share the loss with them,” Quân said. After
receiving the call, the volunteer group asks the family to send a picture of
the deceased so they can print it, put it in a frame, and send it to the
family. “We do it
for free. We just share their loss and hope the deceased can rest in
peace,” Quân said. A patient at
Củ Chi field hospital whose mother had just died from COVID-19 contacted
the group to print her mother’s portrait to put on her altar. Her entire
family tested positive for COVID-19. Her mother passed away, and the family
was still in quarantine at Củ Chi field hospital. “When my
mother passed away, I contacted the group and received great support. They
joined hands with my neighbours to make a proper altar for my deceased
mother. I appreciate their help during this difficult time,” she said. Nguyễn Ân,
33, in Gò Vấp District has helped about 150 cases. “I watch the
news every day on TV, and see the high rate of infection and deaths.
Many families who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19 cannot print
picture of the deceased, so I just want to help them as much as I can,” Ân
told Thanh Niên (Young People) newspaper. “I contacted
all photo printing shops that I know. But none of them were open during
social distancing. All I can do is help them edit the picture of their
deceased and send it back to them. I suggest they open the edited
picture on a smartphone or laptop and put it on the altar, and wait until
photo printing shops open to get the proper ones.” Last month,
the city said that it would cover expenses for funeral services for deceased
COVID-19 patients. Nguyễn Toàn
Thắng, director of the city’s Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, said that each family would receive VNĐ17 million (US$ 740) to
cover transportation, cremation and delivery of the ashes to them. For COVID
patients who die at hospital, the city Department of Health would transfer
funds to the hospitals to pay for funeral services. Children orphaned due to COVID-19 need another family: official The Ministry
of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has asked localities to
promptly offer support to children whose parents have died of COVID-19,
emphasising that a family environment is now best for them. The move was
made as last week, HCM City authorities reported that more than 1,500
children had no guardians to take care of them because they lost their
parents and close relatives due to COVID-19. To ensure
timely care and support for the children at this tough time, the
National Committee on Children and the MOLISA asked localities to collect
information about the orphans, their circumstances, their desires and their
guardians’ opinions so that agencies could offer suitable support. Local
authorities were asked to provide the orphans with support following
current regulations. Moreover, the children whose mothers had COVID-19, or
those whose parents/guardians died of COVID-19, with financial difficulties
will receive donations extracted from the National Fund For Vietnamese
Children. Under the
ministry’s direction, a prioritised measure is to arrange for the children to
be taken care of by their relatives or individuals/families that want to
adopt them so that the children could continue to live in a family
environment and have their benefits ensured. Local
authorities were also asked to co-operate with relevant agencies to offer the
children legal assistance to ensure their rights and benefits, and avoid
being abused when they are without their parents/guardians care. As soon as
learning about the COVID-19 orphanage figures, Trương Gia Bình, chairman of
the Hà Nội-based FPT – a technology giant in Việt Nam, announced that the
company would establish a school to raise over 1,000 children whose parents
died of COVID-19. The school
will operate for the next 20 years and FPT will commit to spending at least
VNĐ80 billion ($3.5 million) each year on it. Students
will be trained up to college level and even higher if they want. The urban
complex FPT City Đà Nẵng in the central region is set to be the location for
the school including accommodation. Regarding
the issue, the HCM City Department of Justice last Friday issued a policy
about the future care of children whose parents and close relatives have died
of COVID-19. Under the
policy, ward-level People’s Committees in 21 districts and Thủ Đức City have
been asked to provide care and guardianship assistance to children in their
localities. If they
cannot find guardians for the children, the local authority will be in charge
of caring for the children. Local
authorities are also responsible for managing children’s inheritances left by
the father, mother or relatives if the heirs or custodians cannot be
identified. If the
legitimate heirs request their inheritance, local authorities will give it to
them per the regulations of the 2005 Civil Code. Đặng Hoa
Nam, director of the MOLISA’s Child Care and Protection Department told
online newspaper dantri.com.vn that he appreciated warm-hearted
actions that businessman Bình in particular and other people took to help
such disadvantaged children. Nam said
that kind of support to children should be consulted by experts working
in child care and protection as well as relevant agencies so that the
children could benefit the most from the support. Children who
lost their parent(s) due to the COVID-19 not only faced short-term
difficulties but also long-term ones, Nam said. “In child
rights, children received the best care when they live in a family
environment and are taken care of by their parents and relatives. A very
special right of children is the right to live in a family environment and
children develop best and most harmoniously when living in the family
environment and nursed by their parents and relatives,” he said. In case
children lose their family environment (lose both parents) or cannot live
with their parents, it is necessary to provide them with an alternative
family so that they can be cared for by their remaining relatives or adopters. “Bringing
the children to concentrated public areas like social protection facilities
or boarding schools is only the last solution when we cannot find another
family for them,” Nam said. The MOLISA
was working with HCM City authorities to develop detailed plans to
support the orphans whose parent(s)/ guardian(s) died of COVID-19,
Nam said, adding that a priority is to find another family for them. “Every
support is to help the children have stable living conditions so they could
continue to go to school,” he said. Under
Government’s Decrees 20/2021/NĐ-CP, orphans aged under 4 years old receive
monthly financial support of about VNĐ900,000 while older children get
VNĐ540,000 monthly. Children
whose mothers had COVID-19 or those whose parents/guardians died of COVID-19,
with financial difficulties will receive VNĐ2 million each from the National
Fund For Vietnamese Children as Minister of MOLISA Đào Ngọc Dung has decided. Nam added
that psychological support was urgent for them at this time because of the
shock they suffered when losing parents in the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 antibody testing not really necessary at this time:
doctors After
recovering from COVID-19 a month ago, shipper Nguyễn Văn Út Em in
HCM City’s Bình Tân District wanted to take an antibody test as he expected
the result would help him get a “COVID-19 green card” – a
requirement for him to resume work. Thanks to a
recommendation by his friend, the shipper arrived at a medical facility in
the city to take the test - a blood test to check if you’ve either had
coronavirus before or had antibodies after having the
COVID-19 vaccine. An antibody test is different to the swab test to check if
you have COVID-19. The shipper
said that in late July, after having a cough and fever for three days,
he took a rapid antigen test at home. The test result showed that he was
positive for SARS-CoV-2. The man said
that he was unable to contact local health workers, so he treated
himself at home with medicines bought at a nearby pharmacy. “All the
symptoms disappeared after 14 days and I tested negative for the
coronavirus,” Út Em said. “I was told
that an antibody test could prove I recovered from COVID-19. So, I will be
eligible to get the COVID-19 green card issued by local authorities, allowing
me to return to work,” he said. Trần Thị Kim
Cúc, a fully vaccinated woman in District 7, wanted an antibody test to
verify if her body created antibodies after vaccination. She thought
that with existing antibodies, she would face fewer risks of COVID-19 infections
as well as a better chance against the virus if she caught it. Cúc spent
VNĐ450,000 for the test at a local medical facility, she said. Seeing
increasing demand for antibody tests, medical facilities in the city started
offering the service. People who
recovered from COVID-19 at least seven to 15 days ago or those who
received a COVID-19 vaccine within 14-28 days can take the test. If a sample
is taken at the medical facilities, the service costs about VNĐ450,000 -
VNĐ500,000 per person. If the sample is taken at home, users pay about VNĐ1.2
million – VNĐ1.3 million per test. Clients in groups will be offered
discounts, for example, to groups of 50-60 people, the test-at-home price is
about VNĐ600,000 per person, Sài Gòn Giải phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn)
newspaper reported early this week. HCM
City-based Chợ Rẫy Hospital is carrying out antigen testing for the treatment
of COVID-19 patients. Doctor Trần
Thành Vinh, head of the hospital's Department of Biochemistry, said that this
method was applicable to a group of people who need testing to know if
they have antibodies and if so, how much will be achieved. After
vaccination, doctors will rely on that result to re-evaluate the body's
ability to respond to the vaccine. In addition, this method is also
applicable to a group of patients required to be tested as a doctor suspects
them of having been infected with COVID-19, with the results supporting
the diagnosis. Lecturer
Nguyễn Hiền Minh from the Department of Immunology - Pathophysiology, HCM
City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, told the newspaper that after
naturally catching COVID-19 or having a COVID-19 vaccine, the body will
produce antibodies. Now,
researchers are interested in SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests including
antigen-binding antibody test and neutralising antibody test. “Now is not
the time to be sure about the correlation of antibody response levels with
the body's immunogenicity with COVID-19,” he said, adding that not all
service-providing laboratories had proper professional capacity and equipment
to perform the above-mentioned types of antibody tests. “Antibody testing is
not necessary at present because having antibodies after recovery does not
mean permanent protection. Vaccination is still needed,” he said. “Misunderstanding
the COVID-19 antibody test in the blood can lead people to disregard
preventive measures and make incorrect conclusions about the effectiveness of
the vaccine. This may affect others' decision to vaccinate, increasing the
possibility of disease spreading," said doctor Minh. Vice
director of HCM City’s Health Department Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh Châu said that
antibody tests were very complicated. Testing
services offered now in the city might be general antibody tests while the
antibodies that protect people from the coronavirus would be identified in
the neutralising antibody test, he said. "The
health department does not yet have any guidelines on antibody
testing," he said. "In
some cases, people with high concentration of antibodies in their blood still
get the disease," Châu said, adding that in some countries, antibody
testing was not used for all cases. Vietnamese man appears in court accused of people smuggling A Vietnamese
national has appeared in court in the United Kingdom charged with assisting
illegal immigration. Hồ Sỹ Quốc,
21, is accused of helping to smuggle Vietnamese migrants into the UK in the
backs of lorries in August and September 2020. He was remanded in custody
until his next court appearance on 12 October. He was
arrested by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), who also this week arrested
two taxi drivers suspected of working with a Vietnamese organised crime gang
involved in people smuggling. The first, a
32-year-old man, was detained at his home address in Bolton on Wednesday
September 22 on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration Around
£15,000 in cash was seized from the property. The second,
a 40-year-old man living in Kent, was arrested on suspicion of the same
offence on Thursday morning. They were
both questioned by NCA investigators regarding their alleged involvement in
immigration offences, before being released under investigation. NCA Branch
Operations Manager Paul Boniface said: “Organised immigration crime groups
require significant infrastructure – from transport to finance or advertising.
These are all things we are seeking to disrupt.” “People
smugglers treat migrants as a commodity to be profited from and are quite
happy to put lives at risk in dangerous journeys in the back of trucks or in
small boats. “Protecting
life and preventing exploitation are our priorities, and this investigation
continues.” People and businesses join the fight against COVID-19 As both
medical facilities and human resources are stretched to the limit and
more patients lose their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, help is
coming from across society. According to
the Ministry of Health, Viet Nam recorded 732,492 infections from April 27 to
September 24. Over the past week, the number of new infections has been
hovering at an average of nearly 10,000 cases per day. The father
of the "Rice ATM" scheme in the previous wave of the pandemic,
Hoàng Tuấn Anh has continued to help people in need. His latest
scheme is an oxygen ATM system for home-isolated F0 patients, which has
saved many people's lives. Starting
with 90 oxygen tanks deployed at stations in Phú Nhuận
district, Anh has now coordinated with unions and business
associations to supply thousands more at-home oxygen cylinders for
patients in need. The
international office of leading Thai conglomerate TCP Group (TCPVN),
and owner of Red Bull and Warrior energy drink brands, has contributed
more than VNĐ2 billion (US$67,000) in cash and products in research and
manufacturing activities, helping to support those on the frontline fighting
the pandemic. According to
the firm, VNĐ1 billion is going to the Việt Nam Young Doctors
Association, and an ambulance worth more than VNĐ810 million was
gifted to District 11 Hospital. The firm has
also donated more than VNĐ3 billion in cash and 8,683 boxes of
products to epidemic prevention programs, agencies and organizations. Warrior, a
brand of TCPVN, has contributed 6,000 boxes of energy drinks to COVID-19
frontline forces in HCMC and 18 other southern provinces. Amid the outbreak
in Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh, the brand also provided VNĐ200 million
and 600 boxes of products. Vice-chairman
of the Young Doctors Association, Nguyễn Hữu Tú said: "The
business' cooperation has facilitated prompt distributions of oxygen
cylinders and medical supplies to frontline facilities to preserve lives for
patients." General
director of TCPVN, Nguyễn Thanh Huân said that the health and safety of the
community are always a priority, adding: "We hope our efforts will aid
the Government in supporting people to overcome difficulties" As the
pandemic continues, Vietnam's health sector has to cope with many
unprecedented challenges. More than ever, it is necessary for everyone to do
what they can to bring the pandemic to an end. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
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