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Vietnam’s Giang brothers set new world record in Italy

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More than a year after breaking their own world record in Spain, the Giang brothers – a Vietnamese acrobat duo – set a new record of head-to-head balancing walk in Milan, Italy on Friday.

Circus artists Giang Quoc Nghiep, 38, and Giang Quoc Co, 34, successfully walked up 10 stairs to a height of two meters, then passed through a crossbar that is 0.4 meter wide and 10 meters long, and then walked down 10 stairs in their performance in Milan on Friday afternoon (local time).

After receiving the invitation to perform at the Guinness World Record Show in Milan from the event’s organizer, Banijay S.p.A Company, the acrobatic duo had three weeks for their preparation.

The Giang brothers said that they had failed several times during training before coming to a success to earn another place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

At a workout session at home, Co fell down but there was a thick cushion under him, while during their record-setting performance in Milan, there was no such means of protection.

This image shows Vietnam’s Giang brothers successfully performing their head-to-head balancing walk at Milan, Italy on February 3, 2022, setting a new world record. Photo: Hai An/ Tuoi Tre
This image shows Vietnam’s Giang brothers successfully performing their head-to-head balancing walk at Milan, Italy on February 3, 2022, setting a new world record. Photo: Hai An / Tuoi Tre

Therefore, the event’s organizer was very worried and asked for ambulances to be ready for use in emergency cases.

The weather at that time was quite cold, at six degrees Celsius, partly causing difficulties to the duo’s performance.

In late December 2021, Co and Nghiep made a world record break when smoothly climbing 100 steps in 53 seconds at the Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Girona, Spain, 10 steps more than their previous record set at the same location five years before.

MC Hong Phuong, Co’s wife, said that this was not the first time the two acrobats engaged in setting a world record, so she was not nervous at all.

“The only difference is that this time I extremely want the duo to be successful as they have determined that this is their last international competition,” Phuong said.

Singer Ngoc Mai, Nghiep’s wife, said that she always believes in the duo’s success but she once advised Nghiep to consider stopping performances.

“I think it is good to stop at the right time. He should turn to the job of coaching to continue to dedicate himself to the field he is passionate about,” Mai said.

Giang Kiem Thanh, the father of the duo, said “They have got married and are no longer young, while the active age of athletes as well as acrobats is short. They may reach the age to retire.”

Five years ago, Co and Nghiep earned a reputation for themselves over daredevil gymnastics routines that booked them a spot amongst the finalists of Britain’s Got Talent 2018. 

The Giang brothers also won several local and international circus prizes, including the Grand Prix Award at the 10th International Circus Festival ‘Circuba 2011’ in Havana, Cuba; three prizes at the 13th International Circus Festival in Italy including a silver medal and two minor titles awarded by internationally renowned circus groups Monte Carlo Circus and Cirque du Soleil; and the Silver Lion Award at the 13th International Circus Festival in Hebei Province, China, in 2011.

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More than a year after breaking their own world record in Spain, the Giang brothers – a Vietnamese acrobat duo – set a new record of head-to-head balancing walk in Milan, Italy on Friday.

Circus artists Giang Quoc Nghiep, 38, and Giang Quoc Co, 34, successfully walked up 10 stairs to a height of two meters, then passed through a crossbar that is 0.4 meter wide and 10 meters long, and then walked down 10 stairs in their performance in Milan on Friday afternoon (local time).

After receiving the invitation to perform at the Guinness World Record Show in Milan from the event’s organizer, Banijay S.p.A Company, the acrobatic duo had three weeks for their preparation.

The Giang brothers said that they had failed several times during training before coming to a success to earn another place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

At a workout session at home, Co fell down but there was a thick cushion under him, while during their record-setting performance in Milan, there was no such means of protection.

This image shows Vietnam’s Giang brothers successfully performing their head-to-head balancing walk at Milan, Italy on February 3, 2022, setting a new world record. Photo: Hai An/ Tuoi Tre
This image shows Vietnam’s Giang brothers successfully performing their head-to-head balancing walk at Milan, Italy on February 3, 2022, setting a new world record. Photo: Hai An / Tuoi Tre

Therefore, the event’s organizer was very worried and asked for ambulances to be ready for use in emergency cases.

The weather at that time was quite cold, at six degrees Celsius, partly causing difficulties to the duo’s performance.

In late December 2021, Co and Nghiep made a world record break when smoothly climbing 100 steps in 53 seconds at the Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Girona, Spain, 10 steps more than their previous record set at the same location five years before.

MC Hong Phuong, Co’s wife, said that this was not the first time the two acrobats engaged in setting a world record, so she was not nervous at all.

“The only difference is that this time I extremely want the duo to be successful as they have determined that this is their last international competition,” Phuong said.

Singer Ngoc Mai, Nghiep’s wife, said that she always believes in the duo’s success but she once advised Nghiep to consider stopping performances.

“I think it is good to stop at the right time. He should turn to the job of coaching to continue to dedicate himself to the field he is passionate about,” Mai said.

Giang Kiem Thanh, the father of the duo, said “They have got married and are no longer young, while the active age of athletes as well as acrobats is short. They may reach the age to retire.”

Five years ago, Co and Nghiep earned a reputation for themselves over daredevil gymnastics routines that booked them a spot amongst the finalists of Britain’s Got Talent 2018. 

The Giang brothers also won several local and international circus prizes, including the Grand Prix Award at the 10th International Circus Festival ‘Circuba 2011’ in Havana, Cuba; three prizes at the 13th International Circus Festival in Italy including a silver medal and two minor titles awarded by internationally renowned circus groups Monte Carlo Circus and Cirque du Soleil; and the Silver Lion Award at the 13th International Circus Festival in Hebei Province, China, in 2011.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230204/vietnams-giang-brothers-set-new-world-record-in-italy/71309.html

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Ke Huy Quan wins best supporting actor Oscar for ‘Everything, Everywhere’

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Ke Huy Quan, the Vietnamese-born actor who as a child appeared in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” received the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as Waymond Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Quan, 51, made his big-screen debut as Harrison Ford’s sidekick, Short Round, in the 1984 film, and later appeared in the film “The Goonies” and the situation comedy “Head of the Class.”

He has spoken publicly about stepping away from acting as an adult, working as a stunt coordinator and assistant director, because there weren’t enough opportunities for Asian actors.

Quan’s portrayal of Waymond Wang was his first major role since the ’90s.

“Dreams are something you have to believe in,” Quan said. “I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive,” he said in his acceptance speech.

Quan has said he felt “so very lucky to have been chosen” for the “Indiana Jones” role, though he began to wonder “if that was it.”

“For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer, that no matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid,” Quan said. “Thankfully, more than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid. And they gave me an opportunity to try again.”

On stage at the Oscars, Quan tearfully acknowledged his 84-year-old mother watching at home, hefting the Oscar and declaring, “Mom, I just won an Oscar!”

Ke Huy Quan, the Vietnamese-born actor who as a child appeared in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” received the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as Waymond Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Quan, 51, made his big-screen debut as Harrison Ford’s sidekick, Short Round, in the 1984 film, and later appeared in the film “The Goonies” and the situation comedy “Head of the Class.”

He has spoken publicly about stepping away from acting as an adult, working as a stunt coordinator and assistant director, because there weren’t enough opportunities for Asian actors.

Quan’s portrayal of Waymond Wang was his first major role since the ’90s.

“Dreams are something you have to believe in,” Quan said. “I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive,” he said in his acceptance speech.

Quan has said he felt “so very lucky to have been chosen” for the “Indiana Jones” role, though he began to wonder “if that was it.”

“For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer, that no matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid,” Quan said. “Thankfully, more than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid. And they gave me an opportunity to try again.”

On stage at the Oscars, Quan tearfully acknowledged his 84-year-old mother watching at home, hefting the Oscar and declaring, “Mom, I just won an Oscar!”

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230313/ke-huy-quan-wins-best-supporting-actor-oscar-for-everything-everywhere/72080.html

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Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson visit prison exhibition in Hanoi

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Two Hollywood stars, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, paid a visit to the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi on Friday afternoon.

The management board of the relic site confirmed the visit later on the same day, after sharing images of the surprising stopover on its Facebook page.

McConaughey, who won the Best Actor prizes at the 2014 Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for his role as Ron Woodroof in the drama ‘Dallas Buyers Club’, and Oscar candidate Harrelson were accompanied by an American delegation led by U.S. representative Dean Phillips.

Woody Harrelson visits the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic
Woody Harrelson visits the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic

Phillips and the delegation are on a visit to Vietnam for personal reasons related to his deceased father, who fought and died in the Vietnam battlefield.

The ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition, which was opened on Friday morning, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the liberation of revolutionary soldiers imprisoned by the U.S.-backed regime in the south (1973-2023) and the 48th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam (April 30, 1975).

It is open to the public in the courtyard of the Hoa Lo Prison Relic Site on Hoa Lo Street in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

An American delegation led by U.S. representative Dean Phillips (who wears a black cap) pose for a photo at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic
An American delegation led by U.S. representative Dean Phillips (who wears a black cap) pose for a photo at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic

The exhibits tell stories about the revolutionary lives of Vietnamese patriots who were imprisoned and some of them died in jails across the country during the U.S. war before 1975 and recall the historical moments of the victorious days.

A talkshow featuring historical witnesses and a pageant recreating scenes from history are scheduled to take place on March 16 and 21, respectively.

Visitors watch exhibits at the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre
Visitors watch exhibits at the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

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Two Hollywood stars, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, paid a visit to the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi on Friday afternoon.

The management board of the relic site confirmed the visit later on the same day, after sharing images of the surprising stopover on its Facebook page.

McConaughey, who won the Best Actor prizes at the 2014 Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for his role as Ron Woodroof in the drama ‘Dallas Buyers Club’, and Oscar candidate Harrelson were accompanied by an American delegation led by U.S. representative Dean Phillips.

Woody Harrelson visits the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic
Woody Harrelson visits the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic

Phillips and the delegation are on a visit to Vietnam for personal reasons related to his deceased father, who fought and died in the Vietnam battlefield.

The ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition, which was opened on Friday morning, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the liberation of revolutionary soldiers imprisoned by the U.S.-backed regime in the south (1973-2023) and the 48th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam (April 30, 1975).

It is open to the public in the courtyard of the Hoa Lo Prison Relic Site on Hoa Lo Street in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

An American delegation led by U.S. representative Dean Phillips (who wears a black cap) pose for a photo at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic
An American delegation led by U.S. representative Dean Phillips (who wears a black cap) pose for a photo at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic

The exhibits tell stories about the revolutionary lives of Vietnamese patriots who were imprisoned and some of them died in jails across the country during the U.S. war before 1975 and recall the historical moments of the victorious days.

A talkshow featuring historical witnesses and a pageant recreating scenes from history are scheduled to take place on March 16 and 21, respectively.

Visitors watch exhibits at the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre
Visitors watch exhibits at the ‘Moment of Resurrection’ exhibition at Hoa Lo Prison Relic in Hanoi, March 10, 2023. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230311/hollywood-stars-matthew-mcconaughey-woody-harrelson-visit-prison-exhibition-in-hanoi/72063.html

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When women believe in themselves, extraordinary things happen: USAID administrator

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Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), believes women are capable of doing incredible things when they believe in themselves. 

“Many times in my career, I have had doubts about whether or not I could succeed. The important thing is to just try to push those doubts away.

“When women show what they have inside of them, incredible things happen,” USAID Administrator Samantha Power said during a meeting held on Wednesday with VECA – a women-led startup which created the first waste collection app to connect household sellers with waste collectors. 

A global leader herself, Power admitted that she often feels vulnerable, but has learned that “it is important to learn how to get up after you fall.”

USAID Administrator Samantha Power (right) swaps shirts with Vietnam’s women’s national football team member Tran Thi Thuy Trang in Ho Chi Minh City, March 7, 2023. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre
USAID Administrator Samantha Power (right) swaps shirts with Vietnam’s women’s national football team member Tran Thi Thuy Trang in Ho Chi Minh City, March 7, 2023. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre

“I think that when (people look at me) – a person who has had decades of a career [sic], it is easy to say, ‘it was always inevitable that Samantha would lead USAID’ or ‘she had the chance under Barack Obama to be the United Nations ambassador, and to be a part of his cabinet.’

“But many, many times in my career, I have had doubts about whether I would succeed. So my message for young women is that everybody has doubts,” Power said. 

Though many women doubt themselves or believe they cannot compete, it is important for them to put their worries aside and understand that everyone doubts themselves, regardless of gender.

“When women put their doubts aside and show their strength, incredible things happen. What the Vietnamese women’s football team has done is just one example.

“In the qualifying rounds [for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023], 20 Vietnamese female soccer players had COVID-19. Yet despite seeing teammates get sick and not be able to play, the women fought in a historic way to win a ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

“That is to say,  on the soccer field, you have your teammates. In life, you have your sisters and girlfriends, you have people you can confide in.

“Learning how to lean on people is also critical for women who are trying to succeed in the world”, Power noted.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power speaks with the press after a scrimmage with Fulbright University Vietnam students. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre
USAID Administrator Samantha Power speaks with the press after a scrimmage with Fulbright University Vietnam students. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre

During Power’s meeting with VECA, she learned that nearly a third of solid waste and recycling collection in Vietnam is done by informal workers, 60 percent of whom are women.

VECA makes this work more efficient and contributes to global efforts to reduce ocean plastic pollution. 

She also used the meeting to highlight USAID’s commitment to empowering women to earn sustainable incomes and advance locally-led solutions, noting that women have great initiatives to help solve the climate challenges Vietnam is facing, as the country shifts to a green economy. 

“Women believing in themselves is important,” Power stressed, adding that society must put more effort into empowering women so that they can recognize themselves as impactful idea generators.   

Power traveled to the Mekong Delta on International Women’s Day (March 8) to speak with business leaders, farmers, fishermen, students, and local leaders about the impacts of climate change. 

Afterwards, she visited Hanoi for the last part of her trip in Vietnam.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), believes women are capable of doing incredible things when they believe in themselves. 

“Many times in my career, I have had doubts about whether or not I could succeed. The important thing is to just try to push those doubts away.

“When women show what they have inside of them, incredible things happen,” USAID Administrator Samantha Power said during a meeting held on Wednesday with VECA – a women-led startup which created the first waste collection app to connect household sellers with waste collectors. 

A global leader herself, Power admitted that she often feels vulnerable, but has learned that “it is important to learn how to get up after you fall.”

USAID Administrator Samantha Power (right) swaps shirts with Vietnam’s women’s national football team member Tran Thi Thuy Trang in Ho Chi Minh City, March 7, 2023. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre
USAID Administrator Samantha Power (right) swaps shirts with Vietnam’s women’s national football team member Tran Thi Thuy Trang in Ho Chi Minh City, March 7, 2023. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre

“I think that when (people look at me) – a person who has had decades of a career [sic], it is easy to say, ‘it was always inevitable that Samantha would lead USAID’ or ‘she had the chance under Barack Obama to be the United Nations ambassador, and to be a part of his cabinet.’

“But many, many times in my career, I have had doubts about whether I would succeed. So my message for young women is that everybody has doubts,” Power said. 

Though many women doubt themselves or believe they cannot compete, it is important for them to put their worries aside and understand that everyone doubts themselves, regardless of gender.

“When women put their doubts aside and show their strength, incredible things happen. What the Vietnamese women’s football team has done is just one example.

“In the qualifying rounds [for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023], 20 Vietnamese female soccer players had COVID-19. Yet despite seeing teammates get sick and not be able to play, the women fought in a historic way to win a ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

“That is to say,  on the soccer field, you have your teammates. In life, you have your sisters and girlfriends, you have people you can confide in.

“Learning how to lean on people is also critical for women who are trying to succeed in the world”, Power noted.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power speaks with the press after a scrimmage with Fulbright University Vietnam students. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre
USAID Administrator Samantha Power speaks with the press after a scrimmage with Fulbright University Vietnam students. Photo: Tran Tien Dung / Tuoi Tre

During Power’s meeting with VECA, she learned that nearly a third of solid waste and recycling collection in Vietnam is done by informal workers, 60 percent of whom are women.

VECA makes this work more efficient and contributes to global efforts to reduce ocean plastic pollution. 

She also used the meeting to highlight USAID’s commitment to empowering women to earn sustainable incomes and advance locally-led solutions, noting that women have great initiatives to help solve the climate challenges Vietnam is facing, as the country shifts to a green economy. 

“Women believing in themselves is important,” Power stressed, adding that society must put more effort into empowering women so that they can recognize themselves as impactful idea generators.   

Power traveled to the Mekong Delta on International Women’s Day (March 8) to speak with business leaders, farmers, fishermen, students, and local leaders about the impacts of climate change. 

Afterwards, she visited Hanoi for the last part of her trip in Vietnam.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230311/when-women-believe-in-themselves-extraordinary-things-happen-usaid-administrator/72048.html

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