Vietnam football team advances to SEA Games semifinals
Vietnam's U-22 national football team beat Malaysia 2-1 on May 8 to advance to the semifinals of the 32nd SEA Games
Men's Football Tournament. Vietnamese striker Nguyen Van Tung scored two goals for Vietnam in the 7th and 33rd minutes, while Malaysia's Aiman Arif scored a consolation goal for his team in the 43rd minute. Malaysia also received two red cards in the 79th and 82nd minutes and finished the match with nine men.
Vietnam is now second in Group B behind Thailand on goal difference. Both teams have nine points each after three games. Vietnam will face Thailand on May 11 in a play-off for the top spot.
Joint tourism at Ban Gioc Falls between Vietnam and China
| Tourists visit Ban Gioc Falls in Cao Bang Province. Photo: Ho Ha/The Hanoi Times |
Authorities of Vietnam's Cao Bang Province and China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region would join hands to explore tourism activities in Ban Gioc Falls. The two sides plan to allow free cross-border passage for tourists from Vietnam, while those from China will be charged an entrance fee of VND70,000 (US$2.98).
The two border localities will study the concrete implementation of the plan, develop local products and services, and build necessary facilities. Ban Gioc Falls is located in Cao Bang's Trung Khanh district and serves as a natural border post between Vietnam and China. It is one of the most Instagrammed international borders in the world, along with Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, the Guadiana River, and the Andes Mountains.
ASEAN, China to discuss East Sea issues in Vietnam
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will talk with China on May 15-20 to discuss relevant issues on the East Sea (South China Sea). The meetings will be hosted by local authorities in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. Discussions will focus on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea.
ASEAN and China ratified the DOC in 2002. The two sides agreed in February 2023 to conclude negotiations on the COC soon. According to Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam, the talks are part of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.
Vietnamese buy less gold in Q1 2023
Vietnamese consumer demand for gold fell 12.2% year-on-year to 17.2 tonnes in the first quarter of this year, according to the World Gold Council's Q1 Gold Demand Trends report. Demand for gold bars and coins fell 10% to 12.6 tonnes during the period, while demand for jewelry fell nearly 18% to 4.6 tonnes. This was partly due to strong base effects - Q1 2022 was the strongest first quarter since 2007.
Demand would have been stronger had it not been for a sharp slowdown in economic growth in Q1. Buying was healthy during the Lunar New Year celebrations before slowing in February and March as the gold price rose.
Hanoi to consider water tariff hike in July
| The Yen Phu Water Plant. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times |
The Hanoi Department of Finance plans to raise water rates in July, and more increases are on the way. By the end of the year, residential water rates may rise from VND5,973 (US$0.25) to VND7,500 (US$0.32) per cubic meter for the first 10 cubic meters consumed and from VND7,052 (US$0.30) to VND8,800 (US$0.38) per cubic meter for the next 10 cubic meters consumed. From 2024, the rates may be increased to VND8,500 (US$0.36) and VND9,900 (US$0.42) per cubic meter, respectively.
For business purposes, water charges may increase from VND22,068 (US$0.94) to VND27,000 (US$1.15) per cubic meter for the first 10 cubic meters this year. The increases may result in higher monthly payments of VND10,000-26,000 (US$0.43-1.11) for consumers.
Over 6,000 apps downloaded per minute in Vietnam
Vietnamese mobile users downloaded over 6,000 apps and spent US$900 every minute in 2022, a report of Data.ai shows. According to the report, Vietnamese mobile users spend an average of four hours a day on apps, while other high-performing Southeast Asian markets, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore at more than five hours.
Increasing user demand for apps is driving growth in app downloads across all regions. Global downloads grew by 11%, and Vietnam alone grew by 4%. Vietnam has become the second-largest country in Southeast Asia regarding app downloads, with a total of 3.5 billion downloads last year. Users spend more time on mobile apps than ever, with over 4 trillion hours globally by 2022 (Android alone) and 83 billion hours in Vietnam.
Vietnam issues chip-based passports online, sent by mail
The Vietnamese government's National Public Service Portal has integrated services to make it easier for people to obtain new and replacement chip-based passports and receive them by mail. The move aims to provide greater convenience to citizens and promote transparency in public administration.
Citizens can access the portal at http://dichvucong.gov.vn to make an online application, pay fees online and receive their passports by mail. The passport delivery process is very strict and all information is kept confidential. Vietnam Post has increased the use of technology at all stages to reduce delivery time.
Adobe Certified Professional 2023 opens in Hanoi
The 6th Adobe Certified Professional (ACP 2023) competition kicked off in Hanoi on May 7, with 200 outstanding contestants selected from 36 teams from high schools, colleges, universities, and academies across Vietnam. The contestants will compete in the ACP Photoshop and Illustrator categories to find the top 15 contestants with the best scores to advance to the national finals. The top three winners will compete in the World Championship from July 30 to August 2 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
The World Graphic Design Championship (ACPWC) is an annual competition organized by Certiport Corporation since 2013 to find the top design professionals using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign software.
