Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 2 inspected major socio-economic infrastructure projects in the central province of Quang Binh.

The PM examined the Quang Trach Power Centre project, which has a total investment of about 100 trillion VND (3.92 billion USD) and comprises three component projects to build infrastructure system, 1,400MW Quang Trach 1 thermal power plant, and Quang Trach 2 LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) power plant.

He hailed their efforts together with authorities to complete about 60.5% of the plant's major items.

Highlighting the importance of the project, the leader asked the Vietnam Electricity to coordinate closely with Quang Binh to speed up ground clearance for the project, ensuring its progress and quality, thus striving to complete the plant on the occasion of the 80th National Day (September 2, 2025).

At the 225.5-km Quang Trach-Quynh Luu 500kV transmission project, which is part of the Quang Trach-Phi Noi 500kV transmission project, PM Chinh hailed ministries, sectors, and localities as well as contractors’ efforts to implement the project.

He asked relevant agencies to mobilise resources and provide optimal conditions to investors and contractors to carry out the project and ensure the living conditions for workers. He expressed his hope that the project can be finished before the end of this month.

The PM later inspected the North-South Expressway's section passing through Quang Binh with a total length of 126.43km. Its construction affects 3,227 local households and a number of power and telecommunications systems.

He lauded Quang Binh for handing over 96% of land to the project and building 26 resettlement areas for 551 households, and thanked locals for giving their land to the project.

He said he expects the project will complete before the celebration of the 50th Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30, 2025).

The same day, the Government leader visited the project constructing a 80-km coatal road and Nhat Le 3 bridge.

The coastal road has a total investment of 2.2 trillion VND, crossing 16 communes and wards of six districts. It is scheduled to complete in 2026. Currently, 89% of the ground for the project has been cleared.

Meanwhile, the bridge has a total cost of 1.3 trillion VND, the foundation of which has been completed.

PM Chinh reminded Quang Binh to pay special attention to the resettlement work, ensuring the livelihood for people who have to move to the new places.

Requesting the locality to speed up public investment capital for 2024, he said that central agencies will review and move capital from stagnant projects to faster ones.

Also on June 2, PM Chinh offered incense to General Vo Nguyen Giap at his resting place and heroic martyrs at the Ba Doc martyrs’ cemetery in Bo Trach district, and presented gifts to policy beneficiary families ad children and persons with disabilities at the centre for social welfare of Quang Binh.

Visiting Nguyen Quang An, a 84-year-old wounded veteran at Nam Ly ward, Dong Hoi district, he affirmed that the Party and State always remember the contributions and sacrifice by older generations and those who fought and died for the national independence and freedom.

He asked the local Party Committee and administration to continue to pay great attention to caring for the material and spiritual life of policy beneficiary families and people who rendered services to the nation.

Visiting and presenting gifts to children and persons with disabilities in the Quang Binh centre for social welfare, which is nursing 80 disadvantaged people and children facing extreme difficulties in the province, PM Chinh said he hopes all the disadvantaged people and children at the centre will overcome difficulties and thrive.

On the occasion, PM Chinh also visited My Ha village, My Thuy commune of Le Thuy district where he encouraged locals to stay united to build the new-style rural areas and life of culture.

On the evening of June 2, he is scheduled to attend a ceremony to mark the 420th founding anniversary of Quang Binh and 35 anniversary of its re-establishment.

He will pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh ad heroic martyrs at a temple commemorating the late leader in Dong Hoi city./.

Badminton starts at ​13th ASEAN Schools Games

Under the umbrella of the 13th ASEAN Schools Games, badminton matches were kicked off on June 2 at the Tien Son Sports Complex in Da Nang city.

Taking place from June 2-6, 106 athletes will compete for medals in seven events including men and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

In the men’s team event, Vietnam is in Group A with Laos, Indonesia, and the Philippines while Group B consists of Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, and Singapore.

Meanwhile, in the women’s team event, Group A features the host Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia while Group B sees the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Themed “Connect to shine together”, the 13th ASEAN Schools Games gathers more than 1,300 students, coaches from 10 countries in the region, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The event takes place from May 29 to Jun 6, with six sports: swimming, basketball, badminton, track and field, Pencak Silat, and Vovinam. The Vietnamese team has 190 athletes participating in all sports.

The mascot of the Games is the red-shanked douc langur, an endemic primate living in Son Tra peninsula, Da Nang and some other places in Vietnam. This is a rare animal species, classified as endangered by the world nature conservation organization and Vietnam. The mascot send out the message of environmental protection to the students and the community as a whole./.

Film about President Ho Chi Minh’s childhood to be screened nationwide

“Vang trang tho au” (The Childhood Moon), a new film about President Ho Chi Minh, will be screened at cinemas nationwide.

The work, produced by the Giai Phong Film JSC, has received the distribution licence from the Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Films produced under the State's order are often screened at film weeks or events serving political purposes. To help it reach more audiences, the Giai Phong Film JSC proposed the ministry permit the screening of this new film at cinemas across the country, a company representative said.

“Vang trang tho au” was made on the occasion of the 134th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 - 2024) and 113 years since he left the country to seek a way for national salvation (June 5, 1911).

It covers the period from 1895 to 1901, when he (with his childhood name Nguyen Sinh Cung), his father Nguyen Sinh Sac, mother Hoang Thi Loan, and elder brother Nguyen Sinh Khiem moved to Hue, the then capital of Vietnam, for the first time./.

Winners of 7th national Adobe design skills championship awarded

Winners of the 7th national Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) Championship 2024 were awarded at a ceremony in Hanoi on June 2.

The three best performers, Le Trang Anh from the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT), Nguyen Dinh Kien Dat from Hanoi Industrial Vocational College, and Mai Ngoc Linh from Chu Van An High School in Hanoi, will represent Vietnam at the world finals of the World Graphic Design Championship (ACPWC) which is scheduled for late July in California.

As many as 186 contestants or nearly 77% of the total number of participants scored at least 700 points, meeting the requirements for the international ACP certificate.

At the national final round, 15 outstanding contestants competed in designing with the theme "Youth volunteers for the community”. Their entries vividly sent out the message about the role and responsibility of the youth in volunteer activities for the community.

Addressing the event, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) Central Committee and President of the VSA Nguyen Minh Triet said throughout its seven seasons, the national competition has provided opportunities for Vietnamese youth to improve their IT application skills to international standards, creating a momentum for their future development with a global prestigious certification.

The ACPWC is an annual competition organised by Certiport Corporation (USA) since 2013 to find the top design professionals using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Indesign software.

The competition opens to students from 13-22 years old globally and attracts hundreds of thousands of contestants from nearly 70 countries and territories to participate each year.

In 2019, the Vietnamese team won the Most Voted Audience Award. In the 2020-2021 edition, two Vietnamese contestants entered Top 4 and Top 10 in the world competition./.

NA’s 7th session to debate bills on June 3

The 15th National Assembly (NA) continues the 7th session June 3 by focusing on debating three bills, including the draft Law on the Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives and Supporting Tools (revised).

The bill has eight chapters and 74 articles, with the scope and applicable subjects inherited from the 2017 version.

It has new contents on prohibitions, including illegally bringing weapons, explosives, explosive precursors, and supporting tools to public places; illegally advertising these items; and concealing, not denouncing, and helping others renovate and assemble weapons and supporting tools.

During the day, NA deputies will also discuss the proposals and verification reports on the investment policy for the national target programme on cultural development in the 2025-2035 period, and the draft Trade Union Law (revised).

They will also give opinions on the draft Law on adjustments and supplements to a number of articles of the Guard Law./.

Thousands of Hanoi lodgings violate fire prevention regulations

More than 2,800 boarding houses in Hanoi's Cau Giay District don't have proper emergency exit systems.

The Cau Giay District People Committee announced the information following a check on fire safety prevention at local boarding houses.

According to the committee's report, which was conducted following a recent deadly fire at a local boarding house, causing 14 deaths and six injuries, there are currently 3,300 boarding houses in the area. However, only 153 of them registered the service.

The check also found that as many as 3,170 boarding houses cannot be accessed by fire engines, nearly 3,000 houses lack proper fire alarms, and over 2,800 houses lack proper emergency exit systems.

The report said, "Most of the houses lie in narrow lanes and have only one emergency exit."

The district authorities have asked the owners of these facilities to upgrade their fire prevention systems. They will suspend those who fail to meet the fire fighting and prevention regulations during their next check, which will be conducted from June 30.

This was not Hanoi's first inspection of fire safety at local boarding houses and mini-apartment buildings.

After a fire which caused 56 deaths and 37 injuries at a mini apartment building in Thanh Xuan District last September, local authorities also conducted a check on fire fighting and prevention at these facilities. However, the results have yet to be announced.

On May 24, a fire broke out at a five-storey boarding house in a narrow lane on Trung Kinh Street, leaving 14 dead and six injured.

Woman fined for burning votive paper in apartment building

Police in Hanoi have just fined a woman VND4 million (USD160) who was found burning votive paper at a staircase in an apartment building in Ba Dinh District.

Nguyen Thi Hanh and two young men were found burning a large amount of votive paper at a corner of the staircase on the fourth floor of the Thanh Cong Apartment Building at 11.30 am on May 31.

When some other residents came to ask Tuyet to stop, she refused, insisting that there was no problem as no fire had occurred in the block she had lived in 40 years.

Some people took videos of her activities and posted them on online.

After receiving complaints from some residents at Thanh Cong Apartment Building, Tuyet was summoned by the Ba Dinh District Police and was fined VND4 million for violating fire safety regulations.

Hanoi has experienced deadly fires in recent days. On May 24, a fire broke out at a house in Trung Kinh Street, killing 14 people and injuring six others.

Tourists visit Sam Son cliff despite safety concerns

Despite safety warnings, many tourists have continued to visit a cliff on Sam Son Beach in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa.

The cliff, a part of the Truong Le Mountain Range, offers a breathtaking sea view. However, its base is strewn with jagged rocks. In response, local authorities have erected warning signs strictly prohibiting swimming, playing, or photography.

A student from Thanh Hoa said that she and some of her friends came there to take photos as it was so beautiful, although they recognised the potential dangers.

Vu Dinh Tien, a rescue worker in the area, said that the cliff often experiences large waves, which makes it extremely risky for people to visit. He frequently has warned people of the dangers.

Some temporary tents and stalls have been set up along the cliff to serve visitors.

Yellow-spined bamboo locusts ravage crops in Cao Bang

Yellow-spined bamboo locusts have damaged up to 500 hectares of forest and crops in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang.

The locusts, initially spotted in the fields of Nguyen Binh, Hoa An, and Thach An districts in late April, have now spread their devastation across a wider area, making the situation more dire. 

Yellow-spined bamboo locusts have damaged up to 500 hectares of forest and crops in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang.

The locusts have harmed a wide range of crops. They have decimated around 315 hectares of bamboo, 6.4 hectares of rice, 24.81 hectares of maize, and several other crops.

The local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the districts of Nguyen Binh, Hoa An and Thach An have sprayed pesticides against bamboo locusts on 116.24 hectares of affected crops.

Localities have been urged to take more drastic measures to deal with the insects as the peak time for bamboo locust development is from June to September.

Meanwhile, a plague of grasshoppers has damaged around 10 hectares of forest and plantation in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son's Binh Gia District.

Basketball, badminton continue at Schools Games

Filipino boys beat Indonesia 65-57 in the Group A basketball match at the ASEAN Schools Games on June 2.

This is the second win for the Philippines after their earlier 78-62 win against Thailand in the opening match.

In the other match in group C on the same day, Thailand’s girls’ team beat the Philippines 83-78, grabbing the second win at the games.

Vietnamese girls’ team tasted their first win at the games after edging Malaysia 86-84, while the boys’ team eased past Brunei 128-23.

The games also featured athletics, pencak silat, swimming and vovinam. Teams taking part are from Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Việt Nam at the Mường Thanh Hotel.

Badminton matches also started at Sơn Trà Sports Centre.

Athletics will see contenders competing for the first medals in girl’s 3,000m and boys’ long jump at the Hoà Xuân Stadium on June 3.

The 400m hurdles and 100m sprint, shot-put and high-jump will take place in the afternoon.

Swimming will start start qualifications in the morning at aquatic club in Tiên Sơn Sports Centre. 

Int'l cruise ship brings over 2,000 tourists to Vung Tau

Cruise ship Resorts World One with 1,138 crew members and 2,128 passengers of different nationalities aboard docked at Con Dao island in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on June 2.

This is the second international cruise ship that the popular tourist destination has received since the beginning of the year.

In about 10 hours of stay in Con Dao, passengers visited local ecological and spiritual tourist attractions where they explored the turtle egg hatchery and mangrove forests, and enjoyed corals and kayaking.

Michael Goh, President of the Singapore-based Resorts World Cruises, said that Con Dao is among a few places that still retains its poetic and rich natural beauty with museums, historical relic sites, and hospitable people. By choosing Con Dao as a new destination in Resorts World One's journey, the firm aims to bring to international tourists unique experiences and opportunities to explore the most pristine destinations in Vietnam, he said.

Nguyen Thanh Nam, General Director of Saigontourist which served passengers of the cruise ship in Con Dao, said that his firm is seeking to increase the exploitation of the international luxury cruise tourist market to Vietnam.

The successful hosting of cruise ship Resorts World One to Vietnam in general and Con Dao in particular opens up opportunities to promote the image and affirm the attractiveness of the destination and Vietnam's ability to attract international visitors, he held.

Resorts World One departed from Singapore on May 30 to start its five-day journey across Southeast Asia. On June 1, it arrived in Cai Mep-Thi Vai port and brought passengers to explore Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City. It will return to Singapore on June 4./.

Lao Cai eyes to strengthen relations with France's Nouvelle Aquitaine region

Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the northern moutainous province of Lao Cai Hoang Giang paid a working visit to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the largest administrative region in France, from May 26 - June 1, as part of the activities marking 20 years of cooperation between the two localities.

During working sessions, the two sides review the past cooperation and identified new orientations for the upcoming period.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine has helped Lao Cai research and develop various temperate fruit trees that are suitable for the province's soil, assisted the province in urban planning for eco-tourism development and building the Sa Pa tourism urban regulations in 2004, among others. The two sides especially valued their cooperation projects on planning and tourism development.

According to Giang, the cooperation results between Lao Cai and Nouvelle-Aquitaine have significantly contributed to further strengthening relationship between Vietnam and France.

The two sides agreed on solutions, mechanisms, and resources, and signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to improve and promote the effectiveness of the cooperation model in the future.

On this occasion, the Regional Council of Nouvelle-Aquitaine hosted a ceremony to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its cooperation with Lao Cai.

Addressing the event, Alain Rousset, President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council, proposed that the two sides agree on specific areas of cooperation, focusing on such fields as protecting and promoting the value of cultural and natural heritage, and training and developing human resources.

Giang thanked the French government and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in particular for their support and cooperation, expressing his desire to further strengthen partnership between the two localities in the future./.

10th International Yoga Day celebrated in Ninh Thuan

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the south-central province of Ninh Thuan in collaboration with the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City organised a programme to mark the 10th International Day of Yoga on June 2.

Director of the department Nguyen Van Hoa said the event is a practical activity in celebration of the 10th International Day of Yoga themed "Yoga - Empowering Women", offering a good chance for members of yoga clubs and groups in and outside the locality to exchange and share experience, contributing to promoting the development of this sport.

The event also contributed to promoting cultural exchange and strengthening the solidarity and friendship between the people of Vietnam and India, and helped Ninh Thuan introduce the image of natural beauty, culture and people to domestic and international tourists, thus attracting more visitors to the locality, Hoa said.

The yoga training movement has developed rapidly in Ninh Thuan in recent times with over 50 clubs being established, attracting thousands of practitioners.

On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly, by consensus, declared June 21 to be celebrated as International Day of Yoga every year, showcasing the immense popularity of Yoga worldwide and the universal acknowledgement of its benefits.

Since then, the Embassy of India has been organising International Yoga Day celebrations in Vietnam in close cooperation with local authorities and various socio-cultural organisations./.

Books for children in summer

Domestic children's books increasingly hold an important position and account for a high proportion of the publishing market. Publishing houses have published a lot of 2024 summer books.

A representative of Thu Duc City Book Street in Ho Chi Minh City said that after more than 4 months of operation, the book street has earned a revenue of VND 4.5 billion and more than 61,262 books have been sold. Of 61,262 books, children's book revenue reached nearly VND900 million accounting for 20 percent of total revenue.

Previously, in 2023, revenue at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street reached VND 59.3 billion with about 758,000 books sold including over 166,000 children's books generating revenue of VND7.88 billion (accounting for 13.3 percent).

According to Director Le Hoang of Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, the above numbers reflect that parents are more interested in buying books for their children to read, learn and entertain because many parents prefer that their children spend time reading than spending their time using smartphones, playing games, and surfing social networks. Never before have domestic children's books been published in such quantity and quality as they are today, said Mr. Le Hoang. This is proven through the books that have won the National Book Award for children in recent times.

Not only are there paper books, but the children's book market has also become more diverse with the appearance of audiobooks. This not only meets the current digital transformation trend but also meets the needs of both parents and children. Mr. Le Hoang Thach, Director of Voiz FM Audiobook Application, said that currently Voiz FM has about 200 books for children, and more and more audiobooks will be done in the coming time.

However, he admitted that in comparison to other book lines, the number of audiobooks is small because children cannot use apps on their phones themselves but still depend on their parents. However, this is still an indispensable product, because Voiz FM's key customers are aged 25-35 people who have newborn babies; therefore, they can have another option for educating their children at night before going to bed or when the whole family is traveling long distances, said Mr. Le Hoang Thach.

This summer, many children's book awards have been held. On the one hand, the awards have created a vibrant creative atmosphere for domestic authors, but at the same time, they have also brought a rich source of manuscripts, especially guaranteed by awards; hence, more good books will be published for children.

After the first three works were released, the Kim Dong Publishing House has continued to introduce a series of works of both prose and poetry from the Kim Dong Literary Award 2023-2025, including Dai nao nha ong ngoai (Grandfather's house riot), Hai Au di tim cha (Hai Au looks for his father), Net Na va Cu Nhay, Cuoc phieu luu cua Cong Gio Van Xanh (The Adventures of blue fiddler crabs, Chu de dem trang (Cricket on the Moonlit Night).

Last year, the De Men Cricket Children's Awards awarded 4 Cricket Aspiration Awards with two manuscripts including In a Place Where There Are Many Dragons (Moc An) and The King of the Lake (Uong Trieu). Currently, the long story In a Place with Many Dragons has been released by Kim Dong Publishing House, and King of the Lake Village is being prepared for publication. Particularly, one of the two prizes is a series of manuscripts Me, My Father and From the Letters by 12-year-old author Doan Lu Thuy Phuong which was also printed into a book early this year.

The 2024 Cricket Children's Award has also just been announced. Among the works that won the Cricket's Desire Award were two manuscripts comprising the long story Duoi chan troi xanh ngat (Under the Blue Sky) by author Lu Mai and the picture book Thu vien ky bi (The Mysterious Library) by author Le Sinh Hung, 14 years old. Along with that is a reward for the manuscript of the long story Con khi vang bap o Ru Mo (The Golden Monkey in Ru Mo) of Dang Chuong Ngan.

Mr. Le Hoang said that, currently, the quality of domestic children's books is not a concern because publishing units themselves are always taking heed of new and unique topics and content to make their brand name more popular amongst parents and small readers. However, what worries Mr. Le Hoang is that the number of children's readers who buy books is not many. Thus he stressed that communication by the media should be more increased to attract parents’ attention and children.

Many people often compare domestic and foreign children's books, however, this is not fair, said Ms. Vo Thien Huong representing the Kim Dong Publishing House. According to her, foreign books published in Vietnam are often good books, carefully selected around the world while domestic children's books also have a huge advantage for young readers. Domestic children's books have the closeness of culture, place names, and even character names. In fact, Vietnamese children's books are getting better and better; that’s why many works have been copyrighted by publishers around the world.

Three young Graphic Design winners selected to compete in world finals

The three champions honored at today’s award ceremony will represent Vietnam at the world finals to be held in Anaheim, California, the USA in late July.

The Central Youth Union held the national finals and awards ceremony for the 2024 ACP World Graphic Design Championship (ACP World Championship) in Hanoi today.

In the final round of the 2024 ACP World Championship, 15 outstanding contestants competed in designing a set of publications on Adobe software on the theme of young volunteers, conveying messages about the role and responsibility of young people towards their homeland and community support.

The winners were announced. Student Le Trang Anh of the University of Information and Technology Communications won the first prize of the Group A for universities and institutes. Student Nguyen Dinh Kien Dat of Hanoi Industrial Vocational College captured the first prize of the Group B for colleges.

Student Mai Ngoc Linh of Chu Van An High School in Hanoi grabbed the first prize of the Group C for high schools and junior high schools.

In addition, the organizers also honored and awarded prizes to three second-place winners, 3 third-place winners, 6 consolation prize winners, and outstanding teachers and schools of the competition.

In his speech at the national award ceremony, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Chairman of the Central Committee of Vietnam Students' Association Nguyen Minh Triet said that over the years, the competition has always seen growth in both quantity and quality from the number of contestants and entries to its ranking in the international arena.

The ACP World Championship is an annual graphic design competition organized by the Central Youth Union, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the IIG Vietnam Education Organization nationwide. This year, the number of teams participating in the competition has nearly doubled compared to the previous season.

At the end of the national qualifying round, 186 contestants accounting for nearly 77 percent of the total number of contestants scored 700 points or more - the score required to be awarded an international ACP certificate. Among them were many young children who were students in junior high schools.

The results of the competition also showed the outstanding talent, understanding and new knowledge of the contestants in keeping with the new world trends. The Vietnamese ACP team will have a chance to grab a prize when participating in the 2024 world finals.

600 athletes participate in Ly Son Cross Island swimming competition

The Ly Son Cross Island 2024 swimming competition officially took place this morning with the participation of 600 athletes from several countries.

The Ly Son Cross Island swimming competition is the first sea swimming competition in Vietnam. In 2024, this activity is part of a series of cultural and sports events to stimulate tourism in Ly Son Island District in Quang Ngai Province.

This year's swimming competition attracted more than 600 athletes from 10 countries, three times more than the previous year, including 20 Vietnamese athletes.

The competition has three categories including 5km, 2km and 1km distances. Some 350 athletes in the 5km category started swimming from To Vo Gate in Lon (Big) Island to Be (Small) Island. The remaining swimming distance competitions were organized at the Be Island.

To ensure competitors’ health conditions during the competition, the Organizing Committee has developed a very strict rescue plan. Ly Son District authority have arranged rescue forces with 5 canoes for medical support to closely follow the safety of the athletes. In addition, about 30 motorized fishing boats were evenly distributed along the entire swimming route so that athletes could use vessels when they were fatigued.

Vice Chairman Le Van Ninh of the People's Committee of Ly Son District expected the Ly Son Cross Island swimming competition to become an annual outstanding tourism and sports activity, making Ly Son Island a desirable destination for all swimmers from all over the country and abroad.

National 'Red Journey' strives to receive at least 120,000 units of blood

The 12th national Red Journey programme, a drive to increase blood donations, started in Buôn Ma Thuột City, the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk.

The ceremony was organised by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) and the provincial Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Associate Professor Nguyễn Hà Thanh, director of the NIHBT and also head of the programme’s organiser, said that after more than a decade, the Red Journey had become the largest blood donation campaign in Việt Nam.

To date, the programme has attracted millions of participants and received over 815,000 units of blood.

The 12th Red Journey this year will take place in 51 provinces and cities across two months, with a record number of localities now taking part.

“It can be agreed that the Red Journey has become a profound social activity, a symbol of compassion and compatriotism,” he said.

The slogan 'Red Journey – Connecting Vietnamese Blood' has become a rallying cry, calling for people to unite and join the campaign.

The Red Journey this year aims to tell more than a million people thinking about blood donation and hemolytic disease, receive at least 120,000 units of blood and get at least 8,000 volunteers to take part in helping out with humanitarian activities at local donation points.

At the opening ceremony, Bùi Thị Hòa, Standing Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation Campaign and Chairwoman of the Việt Nam Red Cross Association, urged the steering committees for local blood donations to set goals and targets to develop plans in accordance with actual conditions.

Groups who have already answered the call to become donors and have responded positively are the young, students and the armed forces, while businesses and religious orders have been less responsive. Local areas, she said, should promote forms of communication about the humane values ​​of blood donation and how organ donation can save people's lives.

Hòa expressed her gratitude to the compassionate people who are willing to share precious drops of blood to save lives, calling on all people to register to donate tissues and organs in the spirit of 'Opening kindness - Spreading love - Lighting faith - Continuing hope - Sowing seeds of life.'

Chairman of the Đắk Lắk Province People's Committee awarded certificates of merit to four individuals from the NIHBT with achievements in the province's blood donation in the period 2014-24 and honoured 56 outstanding blood donors this year.

Following the actual opening ceremony, more than 1,000 people in the province registered to donate blood while 600 units of blood on the day itself.

Over 6 million children receive free vitamin A doses on June 1-2

More than 6 million Vietnamese children aged from 6-59 months across the country received free high-dose vitamin A pills on June 1-2.

This was part of the activities organised for the Vietnam Micronutrient Day (June 1), which aimed at reducing the rate of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in children in the country.

Over the past years, Vietnam has successfully launched several vitamin A supplement campaigns with the rate of children receiving high-dose vitamin A pills topping 98%. The efforts have helped Vietnam eradicate blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency and improved public awareness about micro-nutrient.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen requested sectors and departments to popularise communication campaigns to strengthen community's awareness, especially among mothers, of micronutrient deficiencies.

Besides, departments of health of provinces and cities have been asked to implement the campaign in accordance with professional instructions, ensuring sufficient number of drugs, hygiene, and safety for children.

In 2024, children from 6-59 months in 31 provinces and cities having high stunted growth rates will be given free vitamin A supplements. The national drive will also provide vitamin A capsules for children from 6-35 months in the remaining 32 cities and provinces, and children at risk of micronutrient deficiency.

The distribution of vitamin A supplements has become an annual activity at 11,000 wards and communes nationwide, benefiting nearly 1 million under-five children each year.

According to the National Nutrition Census conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in 2020, the rate of child malnutrition across the country had decreased rapidly and sustainably, of which the rate of underweight malnutrition decreased from 33.8% in 2000 to 14.1% in 2015 and 11.6% in 2020.

Providing micronutrient supplements for high-risk groups such as children and new mothers is a fast and timely measure to reduce the situation of micronutrient deficiency.Medium-term measures such as adding micronutrient supplements to essential foods, and long-term, sustainable measures such as adding diverse food products to daily meals are being taken to solve the problem of micronutrient deficiency in Vietnam./.

Cuong wins second gold, women’s relay team dominate Taiwan Open

Nguyen Trung Cuong successfully completed his double of title at the Taiwan Athletics Open on June 2 in Chinese Taipei.

Cuong strictly followed tactic of the coaching board, maintaining himself in the middle position of the leading group of the men's 5,000m race.

The 24-year-old runner followed Roni Syianturi of Indonesia in most time before running past him when it was about 200m left to the finish line.

Cuong won the gold medal with a time of 14:18.03. Syianturi was about seven seconds after him. Sonny Wagdos of the Philippines came third on 14:36.79.

On June 1, Cuong took his first gold in the men's 3,000m steeplechase event.

Later, the female runners bagged another title for Vietnam in the women's 4x400m relay.

The quartet -- Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Quach Thi Lan, Hoang Thi Minh Hanh and Nguyen Thi Hang -- took their top podium from two tournaments within two weeks.

Running in the sixth lane, the Asian relay champions didn’t face any trouble from their rivals. Ngoc went ahead and quickly left all other runners behind after the first 100m. Her teammates continued increasing the gap and Hang finished the race in a time of 3:31.88. They set a new record of the tournament.

The Chinese youth team came second timing 3:41.69 and team of Asia Biomedical Technology were third on 3:56.99.

Despite winning the gold, the Vietnamese could not secure their ticket to the Olympics as expected. The heavy rain prevented them from running faster than 3:27.29 to advance in the world top 16 which will receive official spots in Paris.

Another Vietnamese medal winner in the Taiwan Open was SEA Games champion Nguyen Thi Thu Ha who finished third in the women's 800m event.

Her time of 2:10.55 made her behind Tharushi Dilsara Karunarathna Dissanayake Mudiyanselage of Sri Lanka (2:05.74) and Shiomi Aayano of Japan (2:05.99).

Vietnam ended the two-day tournament with four golds and one bronze, placing 4th in the medal tally. Top three delegations were Japan with six golds, the Republic of Korea with five golds and Thailand with four golds./.

Strong Việt Nam offers beautiful running course to 10,000 runners

Despite being a debut event to be held in Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu Province, the marathon Strong Việt Nam Vũng Tàu 2024 is expected to welcome more than 10,000 runners this September.

Representing the Vũng Tàu City People's Committee [municipal administration], the Việt Nam Athletics Federation and Sen Vàng Company, the event is not simply a sporting challenge, but a large-scale cultural and tourism draw for the city.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Hương, vice chairwoman of the Vũng Tàu City People's Committee and member of the organising board, said the most beautiful streets and roads would be included in the four courses -- 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km -- of the race to be run on September 20-21.

The city leader said athletes would run on safe and clean courses which allow them to discover all the beauty of Vũng Tàu, running between the sea and a mountain of flowers, enjoying the hospitality of local people.

Outdoor stages with performances from musicians and dancers will entertain tourists and encourage the runners thoughout the race.

“Health always comes from practising sports, while there are many different sports, running is the simplest one and everyone can do," said Phạm Kim Dung, general director of Sen Vàng Company. "Therefore, it should be widely spread throughout the community.

“As a rookie in the field of organising marathons, we are honoured to receive the support of partners, brands and runners, especially the support of provincial leaders for the Strong Việt Nam Marathon.

"We vow that this will not stop at being a domestic running race, but will develop further. We hope runners will spread the awareness of an active lifestyle and the importance of running through the most beautiful roads in Vũng Tàu."

Vice President of the Việt Nam Athletics Federation Nguyễn Trung Hinh pledged to ensure a highest level of professionalism to make it a successful event. All cheating activities would be recorded and reported and those found guilty will be banned, not just from this event, but their record sent to organisers of other competitions.

The tournament will have Miss World Vietnam 2019 Lương Thùy Linh and former SEA Games champions Hoàng Nguyên Thanh as its ambassadors.

Tournament director Hoàng Nhật Nam, head of the organising committee, said that there are up to 20 beauty queens and runner-ups and a group of Mr World Vietnam 2024 participating in the run.

“Many beauty queens and celebrities are part of running community now. They will be our runners this time. Their participation will encourage people to run, spreading the theme of a Strong Việt Nam to sports lovers in general, and marathons in particular," he said.

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