Many foreign leaders have offered congratulations to Tran Thanh Man on his election as Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam.

Messages of congratulation were sent by Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Saysomphone Phomvihane; Chairman of the Senate of Cambodia Samdech Techo HunSen; and Chairman of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez.

Man, 62, was elected Chairman of the National Assembly at the ongoing seventh session of the legislature in Hanoi on May 20. He received support from all 475 National Assembly deputies attending the session on May 20.

During the swearing-in ceremony, the newly elected chairman vowed to do his utmost to promote the good traditions and achievements of the National Assembly through the ages, and continue to improve the quality and efficiency of the legislature’s operations, for the ultimate goal of serving the interests of the nation and people, and for the happiness of the people.

He held several key positions, including head of the Can Tho city administration, secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee, president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly before being elected head of the legislature.

He is currently member of the Party’s Political Bureau and the Party Central Committee.

Vietnam in same group with Indonesia, Philippines at ASEAN Cup 2024

Vietnam is in Group B together with Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar and Laos at the 2024 ASEAN Cup, according to the results of the official draw that was held in Hanoi on May 21.

The 2024 ASEAN Cup has 10 participating teams, divided into two groups. Group A consists of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and the winner in the Timor Leste-Brunei play-off.

Teams from the same seeded group will not meet in the group stage.

Teams play in a round robin format in the group stage, with home and away matches. The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals.

Vietnam will begin by playing in Laos on November 24, then return home to host Indonesia on November 30. They will be guests in the Philippines on December 3, and then host Myanmar on December 7 in the final group stage game.

The 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup is the 15th edition of the event and will be held from November 23 to December 21.

Held biennially, ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup is the region’s largest football event. Since its inception in 1996, the competition, which features ASEAN national teams has grown from strength to strength with each edition.

In 2022, the tournament achieved a record of more than 438 million viewers on television and digital streaming platforms. Additionally, digital media channels Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X registered 4.2 billion views of event-related videos.

The tournament became a FIFA's official event in 2016. Only four teams have won title after 14 editions. Defending champions Thailand lifted the cup seven times. Singapore won four, Malaysia one and Vietnam two.

In the previous finals, Thailand beat Vietnam 3-2 on aggregate to take the title./.

Bad weather conditions wreak havoc on many localities

Downpours, gales, whirlwinds, and lightning have wreaked havoc on many localities from May 19 - 21, including four deaths.

Downpours, gales, whirlwinds, and lightning have wreaked havoc on many localities from May 19 - 21, including four deaths.

As of 5pm on May 21, four were killed by lightning, comprising two in central Thanh Hoa province, one in northern Thai Binh province, and another in the Mekong Delta province of Long An.

Gales and whirlwinds unroofed 19 houses in Nghi Son township and the districts of Ba Thuoc, Quan Hoa, and Nong Cong while devastating more than 900ha of crops in Thanh Hoa province.

In the south-central province of Binh Thuan, heavy rains during May 20 night and early May 21 triggered a flood of sand and mud from a nearby hill onto Huynh Thuc Khang and Nguyen Dinh Chieu roads in Phan Thiet city, burying a large number of motorbikes and cars, a restaurant, and a house.

Incessant rains at the same time also inundated Giao Long Industrial Park in Chau Thanh district in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, subsequently leading to traffic congestion in front of the zone.

In Ho Chi Minh City, downpours for hours on late May 20 also seriously flooded many streets like Kha Van Can, To Ngoc Van, Quoc Huong, Le Van Viet, Duong Dinh Hoi, and Tay Hoa, forcing local residents to wade through floodwater during the rush hour.

To respond to such situations in the time ahead, the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control asked provinces and cities nationwide to stay updated with disaster forecasts and warnings to ready response plans. Those in the Mekong Delta were also told to take proactive moves to cope with saltwater intrusion.

Localities were requested to regularly send reports to the National Steering Committee’s Standing Office and the Office of the National Committee for Incident and Disaster Response, Search and Rescue./.

Vietnam plans to boost Lam Dong’s airport capacity

Vietnam plans to more than double the annual capacity of Lien Khuong Airport in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong to 5 million passengers in the next six years under a master plan to develop the airport during 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050 recently approved by the Ministry of Transport.

Accordingly, the airport’s Terminal 2 will be constructed in 2021-2030, able to serve some 3 million passengers a year, and will then be expanded to increase the airport capacity to 7 million by 2050.

Meanwhile, it is designed to handle 20,000 tonnes of cargo and 30,000 tonnes by 2030 and 2050, respectively.

The airport is to become an international aerodrome, able to host Airbus A320, A321 and A350 and Boeing B747 and B787 aircraft or similar-sized ones.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam was assigned to study and complete the master plan, and coordinate with the provincial People’s Committee and relevant agencies to announce, manage and carry out the project.

Meanwhile, the provincial People’s Committee was asked to update the planning, and arrange a land fund for the airport expansion when necessary./.

Voting program to select outstanding literary and performing arts works launched

A vote for 50 Vietnamese outstanding literary and performing arts works was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on May 18.

The event aims to mark the 134th anniversary of the birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890-2024) towards the 50th anniversary of southern liberation and national reunification (April 30, 1975-2025).

At the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Ta Quang Dong emphasized that the vote also aims to honor, promote, and enhance awareness of the position, role, and significant contributions of Vietnamese literature and performing arts in building an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national cultural identity. It encourages artists at home and abroad to promote their talents and creativity, acknowledges their contribution to building Vietnam’s rich and diverse literature and art, and develop the strength of the artistic community in building and protecting the country.

The entries must be significant works with high artistic value created after the Reunification Day from May 1975 to Aril 30, 2024. Contestants include Vietnamese people and foreigners who are living in the country.

In addition, literary, theatrical, musical, and dance works have been published to serve the people. The entries do not include collections of works, collective works, works of joint authorship, and unpublished novel series.

The submissions can be sent to the organization board from June to December 31, 2024. The award ceremony will take place on Aril 30, 2025.

Publishing house releases Vietnamese books in Chinese market

A signing ceremony on publishing Vietnamese books translated into Chinese and selling books's copyrights between Chibooks Cultural Joint Stock Company and Guangxi Science & Technology Publishing House Ltd was held in HCMC on May 20.

Accordingly, the translation of two books including “Vat qua nhung ngan may” (Lying on Clouds) by Do Quang Tuan Hoang and “Nguoi Ha Noi: chuyen an, chuyen uong mot thoi” (Hanoians's eating and drinking throughout history) by Vu The Long has been completed. The publications are expected to be released in the Chinese market in 2024-2025 by the Guangxi Science & Technology Publishing House Ltd.

In the coming time, other Vietnamese books will be published in Chinese and presented to Chinese readers for three consecutive years.

Chibooks Cultural Joint Stock Company has introduced Vietnamese books at international book fairs, such as the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair in Malaysia, the Beijing International Book Fair in China, the Guangxi Book Fair in China, China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), and Bangkok International Book Fair in Thailand for over 16 years.

Agriculture sector asked to tighten control over food sources to stop poisoning

The Central Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety has sent a formal dispatch to request stricter monitoring over food sources after many poisoning cases lately.

According to the Health Ministry, since the beginning of 2024, there have been several cases of food poisoning nationwide, some of which are so serious that many victims have had to be hospitalized.

Preliminary investigations show that the reasons of most cases come from food ingredients like chicken, pork, seafood, vegetables, and fruits that were either processed domestically or imported.

These items are under the management of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry as stipulated in Article 38 of Decree No.15/2018/ND-CP, issued by the Government on February 2, 2018 about implementing a number of articles in the Food Safety Law.

In order to prevent similar cases in the future and increase the effectiveness of food safety maintenance, food poisoning prevention in the community, the Central Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety asked that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development direct its member units to tighten the control over all types of food ingredients, be they processed in the country or imported from others.

The agriculture sector must actively cooperate with bodies from the health sector to trace the origin of food ingredients when a case of food poisoning is reported.

Meanwhile, the agriculture sector is also proposed to increase its inspections of facilities which process or trade food ingredients coming from inside and outside the country. If a food safety law violation is detected, there must be severe punishments.

Simultaneously, more propaganda about the risks of food poisoning and methods to prevent it should be launched, aiming at facilities to process or trade food ingredients and foods originating from domestic and imported animals and plants.

HCMC records significant increase in hand-foot-mouth cases

Since the beginning of the year, Ho Chi Minh City has seen a spike in the number of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) case with over 4,000.

The usage of the HFMD vaccine has not yet been approved and licensed for circulation in the country.

In April alone, the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital 2 received more than 900 outpatients with hand, foot and mouth disease being detected among children.

10 percent of infectious cases were hospitalized, increasing significantly over March and triple over the same period last year.

Most children with 2A-grade hand, foot, and mouth disease with moderate severity were reported.

Similarly, the Children's Hospital 1 recorded that the number of HFMD cases in April was higher than in the same period last year.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control, from May 6 to May 12, the city recorded 442 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, an increase of 25 percent compared to the average of the previous four weeks, rising to 3,858 from the beginning of the year until now.

In 2023, the country recorded 180,983 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, with 31 fatalities.

Doctor Truong Huu Khanh, Vice President of the Infectious Diseases Association of Ho Chi Minh City indicated that vaccination is the safest and most effective way of preventing infectious diseases, including hand, foot and mouth disease and dengue fever.

As for the dengue fever vaccine, on May 16, the Ministry of Health announced the approval for circulation of the first dengue fever vaccine in Vietnam.

Regarding the hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine, in 2023, the Ministry of Health also submitted a dossier for review and approval of licensing for circulation of the hand, foot and mouth vaccine.

Sharing with Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper’s reporter, Associate Prof. Dr. Le Viet Dung, Vice Director of the Drug Administration of Vietnam confirmed that vaccine against hand-foot-mouth disease has not yet been approved and is waiting for an evaluation to ensure the absolute safety to people.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an infectious disease that mainly occurs in children under five years old. The disease could cause a few serious and life-threatening complications such as respiratory failure, myocarditis, heart failure, acute pulmonary edema and even fatalities.

St. Peterburg bolsters Russia-Vietnam’s relations

A Vietnamese delegation held a working session with St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov in the Russian city on May 20 to seek ways to enhance the two countries’ relations.

The delegation included Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son, former Vice State President Truong My Hoa, President of the Vietnamese Association in Russia Do Xuan Hoang, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in St. Peterburg.

Speaking at the meeting, Beglov affirmed that the city has always been at the forefront of promoting cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, adding since 2018, it has held annual events to promote the bilateral friendship, which now form part of the Vietnam Week in St. Peterburg.

He highlighted activities to be held from June 2024 to September 2025 to celebrate the friendship such as the naming of the Ho Chi Minh Square, where President Ho Chi Minh's monument is located; and the building of monuments to former Soviet Union and Vietnamese experts who have made great contributions to the development of Vietnam; along with many cooperation programmes on training, education, and information exchange.

For his part, Khoi said in the congratulatory telegram to Vladimir Putin over his re-election as President of Russia, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized his desire to promote the bilateral relations and invited President Putin to visit Vietnam as soon as possible.

The ambassador said the Ho Chi Minh Square will be a pride of Vietnamese people, and the naming demonstrates the sentiments of St. Petersburg's people to Vietnam. He emphasised that Vietnam and its people will never forget the wholehearted support of their Russian counterparts in the past, and will educate younger generations about this.

The diplomat appreciated initiatives to strengthen people-to-people diplomacy, education for young generations, and information exchange, saying this will be a factor to promote the sustainable development of the bilateral relations.

Earlier, the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg organised a symposium to mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations between Vietnam and Russia, and the 70th anniversary of Vietnam's Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954).

Illegal sand extraction boats seized on Red River

The traffic police have seized four boats used to extract sand illegally on the Red River and confiscated 1,100 cubic metres of sand.

The boats were found on Sunday evening on a section of the river running through Van Giang District in Hung Yen Province.

Boat ND-3593 extracted around 900 cubic metres of sand in the Thang Loi Commune area.
 
The crew locked the boat when detected by the police and tried to speed away. The boat's registration papers were invalid.

Boat ND-3861 was found with 200 cubic metres of sand. Two people on board should have shown paperwork related to the sand.

The police also seized boat HD-0482 as the four crew members failed to present legal papers related to the boat and sand extraction.

The four boats were impounded.

As many as 42 houses in Hanoi's Ba Vi District were recently damaged by severe erosion at a local embankment. The houses were located by the Da River and Red River banks adjacent to Phu Tho Province. Local residents blamed the problem on rampant sand-extraction activities on the rivers.

Following the case, Hanoi authorities have asked the Phu Tho People's Committee to suspend the licensing of sand extraction on the Da and Red rivers in the area next to Ba Vi District.

Thanh, Hoa dominate HCM City Night Run

National record holders Hoàng Nguyên Thanh and Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa met no difficulty in winning the HCM City Night Run Eximbank 2024 at the weekend.

The national marathon champion Thanh finished the men's 21km category in a time of 1hr 12.34min.

Thanh ran parallel to Phạm Ngọc Phan for most of the race. He even slowed down to let Phan lead the competition, but about several kilometres from the finish line, Thanh sprinted and passed him to top the podium.

Phan came second with a time of 1:13.03 and Lê Văn Hương third at 1:13.31.

In the women's race, Hoa left all other runners behind at the finish line in a time of 1:21.33.

Nông Thị Chang (1:24.10) and Lê Thị Kha Ly (1:28.01) came second and third, respectively.

Organisers also presented awards to Lai Terence and Khuất Phương Anh, winners of the men's and women's 10km, and Lê Hữu Lộc and Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Lan, champions of the men's and women's 5km.

Winners of the age groups and couple and team competitions also received awards.

The tournament featured as many as 5,000 local and international runners. It was jointly organised by the HCM City People's Committee, the city's Athletics Federation and Unique Events & Media.

Mass lobster death reported in Phu Yen

Around 25 tonnes of green lobsters in the southern central province of Phu Yen have suddenly died, causing losses for farmers.

According to Tran Van Huy, chairman of the People’s Committee of Song Cau Town, the dead lobsters belong to 95 households in Song Cau Town.
 
Lobsters of 0.3-0.4 kilogrammes each, priced at around VND850,000 (USD33.39) per kilo, have fallen VND350,000 per kilo compared to two months ago.

Dead green lobsters sell for VND200,000-350,000 per kilo.

The initial cause was sudden heavy rains following intense heat, leading to abrupt changes in water conditions.

Local authorities will take dead lobster samples to find out the cause.

Phu Yen has over 100,000 lobster farming cages, with Song Cau accounting for over 70,000. Hundreds of tonnes of Phu Yen lobsters are sold yearly.

Shanghai Surtai wins second stage of 3X3.EXE Premier Vietnam

Shanghai Surtai.EXE won the second stage of the 3X3.EXE Premier Vietnam basketball tournament on May 19 in HCM City.

The Chinese representative defeated Kuala Lumpur.EXE of Malaysia 22-15 in the final match at the Hồ Xuân Hương Gymnasium.

It was a second meet at this stage and the third after two stages, so Shanghai Surtai.EXE were able to learn their opponent's game plan, creating many difficulties for Kuala Lumpur.EXE. They quickly took a lead, extended the gap and blocked Kuala Lumpur players from scoring, before taking the win.

Vietnamese teams Next Level Basketball.EXE and Saigon Heat.EXE tried hard to bolster their line ups but could not find a play into the final match.

Earlier, Kuala Lumpur.EXE beat Saigon Heat.EXE 21-19 to win the first stage on May 18.

The 3X3.EXE Premier Vietnam is one of five conferences of the 3x3.EXE PREMIER, the first national professional league in the world. It is the world's largest 3x3 basketball competition with tournaments across the globe. 

The Vietnamese participation of six teams was organised by the Vietnam Pro Basketball League (VBA).

Trần Chu Sa, CEO of VBA, said: "Strengthening international cooperation and attracting resources for sports development is one of the key motivators for HCM City in the new phase of sports development strategy.

"Supporting this policy, we have decided to open this year's season by bringing the 3x3.EXE Premier tournament to Việt Nam.

"The tournament will be a turning point and help us enhance the reputation of Vietnamese basketball in the international sports community, creating conditions for athletes to accumulate experience and participate in the highest level of 3x3 in the world -- FIBA ​​3x3 World Tour.

"At the same time, it promotes the basketball movement across the country, together making basketball develop higher, faster and stronger."

The third and fourth stages will be held on May 25-26 at the same venue.

Alongside the tournament the VBA signed a contract with the International Rehabilitation Centre (IRC) aiming to enhance sustainable sports performance for athletes.

As an official partner of the VBA until 2025, the IRC, home to a team of leading doctors and experts in the field of physical therapy - sports medicine at home and abroad, will take care of injury rehabilitation, helping athletes maintain the best physical condition before, during and after competitions. 

US embassy launches virtual AI summer camp for Vietnamese teachers

The US Mission in Vietnam, STEAM for Vietnam, Scratch Foundation, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, along with the Vietnam Innovation of General Education Foundation (VIGEF), have announced their collaboration to organise the 2024 Train the Trainers programme. This year’s theme will be “Computational Thinking and Generative AI Curriculum Design.”

The AI summer camp programme is part of a series of activities for teachers and university instructors to introduce them to computational thinking and the application of generative AI in teaching. The programme also builds a community of educators united in the mission to enhance the quality of education in Vietnam, creating equal and high-quality learning opportunities for all students across Vietnam.

The course includes 12 lessons and will be held online every Sunday from June to August, 2024. AI experts will lead participants throughout the programme. The main activities and lessons will focus on applying practical applications of AI in STEM education. After the course, teachers can create engaging, lively learning materials, personalise curricula for each student, and rapidly develop projects with generative AI.

Additional support for teachers, educational organisations, and educators will continue throughout the year with the STEAMese Festival 2024 in July 2024; Southeast Asia Scratch Educator Meetup 2024 in in October 2024; and a series of webinars on community development from September 2024 to March 2025.

For more details and to register for the Train the Trainer 2024 AI Summer Camp program, visit: https://bit.ly/American_Center

Việt Nam third in mixed 4x400m at Asian championship

Việt Nam won bronze and set new national record at the first Asian Relay Championship on May 20 in Bangkok, Thailand.

It was a mixed group of senior and junior athletes of Nguyễn Xuân Quang, Lê Thị Tuyết Mai, Lê Ngọc Phúc and Quách Thị Lan who were against eight strong teams in the 4x400m mixed relay event.

Indian and Sri Lankan runners sped up and set up a distance with the rest.

Freshman Quang who ran in lane four could not catch up with them and came at sixth in the first leg. Mai, also first time at a major international tournament, did it better. She moved Việt Nam's placement up to No 4 after two legs.

The key run went to Phúc, Việt Nam 400m silver medalist. His amazing sprint help him past Kazakhstani rival to enter top three.

The baton was given to former Asian 400m hurdles champion Quách Thị Lan successfully maintained the position till the end.

India topped the podium with a time of 3min 14.12sec. Sri Lanka came second on 3:17.00. Việt Nam finished third clocking 3:18.45, setting new national record.

The old one was 3:19.50 set at the 30th SEA Games in 201 in Manila, the Philippines.

Phúc said it was the result that he expected in his first international tournament held abroad.

"I have never competed in an international tournament outside Việt Nam. This is my debut and I have got my own medal," said Phúc who just returned to action last September after a 16-month ban due to doping affair.

Phúc said the doping problem was over and he now focused on improving his speed only.

Coach Đặng Văn Thành said his team prepared carefully for the tournament. They deserved to earn a bronze. Phúc was in his good condition and comfortable mind leading to his remarkable run.

The team received US$2,000 from the organisers and VNĐ30 million ($1,200) from the Việt Nam Athletics Federation.

The championship will continue until May 21. Việt Nam will compete in the finals of women's 4x100m and 4x400m and men's 4x400m.

Among them the women's 4x400m team are seeking for a spot in the Paris Olympics this summer. 

HCM City schools basketball tournament attracts over 1,500 participants

The 2024 HCM City School Festival Basketball Tournament for the Nestlé MILO Cup began at the Phú Thọ Stadium in HCM City’s District 11 on May 18, with 81 teams and more than 1,500 players.

Organised by the city Department of Culture and Sports, Department of Education and Training and the HCM City Basketball Federation, and sponsorsed by Nestlé's MILO, the tournament will go on until June 9. 

Huỳnh Trọng Khải, chairman of the federation, said the tournament has been growing year after year.

“We appreciate Nestlé MILO's … efforts to develop useful school sports activities for children.”

Lê Bùi Thị Mai Uyên, MILO and dairy products business unit manager at Nestlé Vietnam, said knowing that sports and physical activity contribute to building a more resilient generation of youths, her company has been backing a series of sports activities and tournaments for children across the country.

This event is part of the “Active Vietnam” programme initiated by Milo to encourage a dynamic lifestyle and physical activity, especially among children, she said.

Also this month MILO will sponsor and organise other school sports activities such as the final round of the HCM City School Football Festival for 2023-24, Children's Olympic Day and a programme to encourage people to learn swimming to prevent drowning deaths. 

Chess master Phúc to compete at World Junior U20 Championship

Võ Phạm Thiên Phúc will be Việt Nam's sole representative at the World Junior U20 Chess Championship in June in India.

The competition will take place in Gandhinagar, state of Gujarat, from June 1-14. 

Players will compete in 11 matches of Swiss-system format tournament. The pairings will be announced in the next few days. The total prize fund combining Open and Girls category will be 10,000 euros along with Gold, Silver and Bronze medal and a trophy each.

Phúc was a member of the national team taking part in the Asian Junior Chess Championship 2022 and he won four golds.

Later, the Việt Nam Chess Federation will send junior masters to the World Cup 2024 for U8, U10, U12 in Batumi, Georgia from June 22 to July 3.

The first-ever FIDE World Cup for youngsters will be held in two categories: Open and Girls, with 48 participants in each. 

Altogether, 288 strongest young players from around the globe will participate.

The competition consists of two stages, starting with a seven-round Swiss System with two groups of 24 players each. In the next stage, the players in the same position from each group will face off against one another.

Top three players in each category will receive awards, including cups, medals, diplomas, and special prizes such as MacBook Air 2022, iPhone 15, or an iPad.

Moreover, the first three winners of each age category and gender will receive free full-board accommodation for the World Cadets Championships 2024. 

Football action heating up in V.League 1

Dramatic matches await fans in the upcoming V.League 1 fixtures at two key stadiums, Thiên Trường and Hàng Đẫy.

Steel Green Nam Định lost 1-2 to Thể Công Viettel at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium over the weekend, but maintained their top spot in the league. However the loss means Nam Định's lead is in sight, with the gap between them and second-placed Bình Dương shrinking to just six points.

On Tuesday, Bình Dương will host Quảng Nam at the Xuân Hòa Stadium, providing an opportunity for them to close the gap, especially after their 4-1 victory over Hà Nội Police. The pressure will be on Nam Định when they welcome Hải Phòng to the Thiên Trường Stadium on Wednesday.

The clash between Nam Định and Hải Phòng is always a tense and competitive affair. Nam Định's recent stumbles have shaken their position at the top and another defeat could really hit them psychologically at this critical stage.

Hải Phòng, on the other hand, are gradually regaining form and have their sights set on the top group. VAR technology will be crucial in managing the potentially heated encounter at Thiên Trường.

Another key match featuring VAR technology support is the game between Hà Nội FC and Thanh Hóa at Hàng Đẫy Stadium on Tuesday. Thanh Hóa are just two points behind the top group and have been impressive in recent matches, winning their last two games.

Hà Nội, with 27 points, are right behind Thanh Hóa and a win could be a turning point in their quest for the top. However, Thanh Hóa's 'fiery' fighting spirit makes them a formidable opponent.

Elsewhere, LPBank Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) will host Hà Tĩnh Club at Pleiku Stadium. HAGL, in twelth place, are still in the danger zone and desperately need points. Hà Tĩnh, despite their off-field issues, have shown positive performances on the pitch, drawing with Hà Nội and defeating HCM City in their last two matches.

National Drama Festival 2024 to stage exceptional performances in June

The National Drama Festival 2024 is looking to attract the youngest of the nation's talent, both on and off the stage, when it takes place in June in Thái Nguyên City, in the northern mountain province of Thái Nguyên.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) has brought together the Department of Performing Arts to preside and coordinate with Việt Nam Theatre Artists' Association, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thái Nguyên Province, the Việt Bắc Folk Music and the Dance Theatre to present the biggest national performance event.

The Festival this year aims to not just discover and nurture the newest talent, but to create spaces for artists to perform across all aspects of theatre work, from stage management to promoting the development of all of the nation's theatres and showing off all that they have accomplished.

It is also an opportunity for artistic groups to attract and train young artists and actors, at the same time creating opportunities for them to exchange skills, learn new methods and polish their performances.

According to the Military University of Culture and Arts - another department which will be participating - their play 'Những Mặt Người Thấp Thoáng' (Faces of People) by author Xuân Đức will represent the university life on stage.

Colonel Phùng Thanh Tiến, one of the military university officials, said participating in the National Drama Festival 2024 would be a perfect chance for staff, lecturers and students to demonstrate their abilities and exchange, learn and accumulate experiences as a basis for their training, studying and scientific research.

The actors, he said, would be creative in each role and would want to take advantage of expert support at the Festival, to make their performances as accomplished as possible, setting high standards of artistic quality. 

The festival will take place from June 8-22 at Việt Bắc Folk Music and Dance Theatre in Thái Nguyên City.

At the 2021 National Drama Festival, which took place in the northern coastal city of Hải Phòng both on the stage and online due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, 14 art troupes staged 20 performances. The following year, the event held at Trần Hữu Trang Theatre in HCM City, was dramatically bigger, with the participation of nearly 800 artists and actors. 

Time Out lists Hoi An among best places to travel in July

British magazine Time Out has ranked Hoi An, an ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam, seventh in its list of the 13 best places to travel in July, reported the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)’s Information Centre on May 20.

The magazine highlighted July as an ideal month for globetrotters seeking cross-country adventures.

It emphasised the allure of Vietnam's central coast, with Hoi An emerging as a top vacation destination for many, saying that Hoi An boasts stunning beaches with pristine water, soft white sand and sunny climate - a combination that has earned accolades and high praise from the international press. Renowned beaches like Cu Lao Cham, An Bang, Cua Dai, and Ha My further solidify Hoi An's reputation as a beach paradise.

Beyond its unspoiled natural landscapes, Hoi An is also known for its ancient streets recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. They captivate visitors with its picturesque yellow-walled buildings and quaint brown-tiled roofs, complemented by a plethora of souvenir shops that add to the vibrant atmosphere.

On the 14th and 15th days of the lunar month, visitors will have an opportunity to partake in the Lantern Festival to see hundreds of lanterns gently float along the poetic Hoai river, creating a mesmerising sight, it said./.