Vietnam’s MMA Federation to host final rematch

Tran Quoc Luong and Brazilian fighter Robson de Oliveira at the controversial final on April 22. Photo: VMMAF

The Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VMMAF) plans a rematch for Vietnamese fighter Tran Ngoc Luong and his Brazilian opponent Robson de Oliveira following their controversial LION Championship 2023 final last Saturday. Despite his dominance, Robson lost the final on a majority decision, which stirred a public rage towards the competition.

The VMMAF and the three judges of the final have admitted their mistakes and apologized to the fighters and MMA fans, blaming technical errors instead of a set-up fight. The three judges are suspended from participating in the LION Championship 2023 and future LION events.

HCM City's Hospitals to get ready for Covid-19 wave

HCM City Health Department on April 27 asked local hospitals to stay alert for another Covid-19 wave amid the increasing number of infection cases and the spread of new Omicron variants. Local hospitals are requested to get their Covid-19 units reactivated and ready to admit patients.

The department also recommended vaccinating people, especially those aged 50 and older with co-morbidity. If the people are unable to travel to the health and medical facility, local health staff are ordered to provide vaccine doses at their homes. The list of vaccination facilities is updated on the HCM City Center for Disease Control portal.

Movie shot in Vietnam ranks third in Netflix’s most-viewed list

The Netflix-original Vietnam-shot film “A tourist’s guide to love” has been watched for 13.4 million hours, ranking third among the most-viewed on the streaming platform from April 17-23. The two most-viewed movies are “Let him go” and “The last kingdom: Seven kings must die”. The movie is also among the 10 most viewed in 78 countries globally.

“A tourist’s guide to love” tells the story of an American woman falling in love with the nation and a local man. The takes were executed in five localities of Vietnam, including Hanoi, HCM City, Danang, Hoi An, and Ha Giang, introducing the best destinations of the country to film lovers around the world.

Hanoi to spend US$76.7 million to reconstruct Kinh Thien Palace

Recreation of an ancient event at Kinh Thien Palace inside the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Photo: Lai Tan/The Hanoi Times

Hanoi's authorities will allocate some VND1.8 trillion (US$76.7 million) for the restoration of Kinh Thien Palace, where the kings of ancient Vietnam hosted the most sacred and spiritual events. Kinh Thien Palace is among the key sections of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel that remained the capital city of ancient Vietnam from the early 11^th century to the late 18^th century.

In a recent meeting, Hanoi Party Committee secretary Dinh Tien Dung requested the authorities of Hanoi to prepare all necessary works and recreation of Kinh Thien Palace as soon as 2026. The reconstruction is expected to give a boost to the city's tourism and cultural industry.

Uruguay to assist Vietnam in football

The two-time World Cup winner Uruguay is willing to assist the Vietnamese football industry, Secretary of Sports of Uruguay Sebastián Bauzá said on April 27 (local time). At a meeting with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, the Uruguan Secretary pledged to pay a visit to the Southeast Asian nation, inspect training facilities, exchange experts and receive the Vietnamese football team to Uruguay for training.

Uruguay is among the most successful football nations in the world. Uruguay's national football team won the FIFA Men’s World Cup championships in 1930 and 1950 and was among the four best teams in the 2010 World Cup. The country has crowned 15 Copa American championships and is home to world-class players such as Luis Suaréz, Edinson Cavani, and Federico Valverde.

Vietnam Airlines open direct flights between Hanoi and Melbourne

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will open a direct route connecting Hanoi and Melbourne (Australia) on June 15. There will be two flights a week on Thursday and Sunday. The new route will provide an additional option for the Vietnamese to travel to Australia’s second-largest city for touring, resettlement, and visiting relatives.

The national airline company is now the only one that has set up direct flights between Hanoi and Melbourne. It also has the most direct routes between Vietnam and Australia, with four routes linking Hanoi and HCM City to Sydney and Melbourne, via 18 flights per week.

Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant officially operates

The Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant was officially inaugurated on April 27 in the northern province of Thai Binh. The large-scale plant has a total investment of VND41.7 trillion (US$1.78 billion) and total production of 1,200 megawatts. Once fully operational, the thermal power plant will produce some 7.2 billion kWh for the market each year.

With construction beginning in 2011, the plant has finished its trial run, and its two turbines are capable of generating more than one billion kWh to the national power grid. The plant's operation is expected to secure national energy and foster the socio-economic development of the northern region and Thai Binh Province.