Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- The National Week for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in 2024 is taking place across Vietnam from May 17-22 under the theme of “Anticipatory action – a proactive approach to disaster management”, with an aim to raise the community’s capacity and the responsibility of all levels and sectors in this work.

As of the end of April, natural disasters had caused 12 people dead or missing, injured 21 others, pulled down 189 houses and damaged over 25,300 others. Read full story

- Ho Chi Minh City will not charge any fees for five administrative procedures done online from May 29 until the end of 2025, the municipal Department of Information and Communications has announced.

This policy, approved by the municipal People's Council at its 15th session on May 19, forms part of the southern metropolis’s 2024 digital transformation plan aimed at facilitating and encouraging citizens’ and businesses’ engagement in online transaction methods for administrative procedures. Read full story

- The Vietnam Information Technology Association in Kyushu (VITAK) made its debut at a ceremony at the Vietnamese Consulate General's headquarters in Fukuoka, Japan, on May 20.

The association is expected to become a bridge to promote collaboration between IT businesses of Vietnam and Japan, initially focusing on the Kyushu region. Read full story

- After the three-year implementation, Japanese-funded Project VIE 071 on “Reducing Income- and Health-Related Vulnerability of Older Persons in Vietnam” has resulted in positive changes in caring for the elderly in the northern province of Hoa Binh, one of its six target localities.

Currently, Hoa Binh has 103 intergenerational self-help clubs (ISHC) in 79 out of its 151 communes, wards and towns, gathering 5,200 members, of them more than 2,000 accessing concessional loans. All of the clubs have built their own funds. Read full story

- Forty impoverished people in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue received free cataract surgeries under a charitable programme organised by the Hue Eye Hospital, in collaboration with the Asia - Pacific Prevention of Blindness Association (APBA), the provincial support Association for Poor Patients, and the Nam Dong district medical centre, on May 21.

According to Dr. Pham Minh Truong from the hospital, this is the second free surgery campaign conducted in 2024 by its 25-member team which have helped more than 100 impoverished people from mountainous areas regain their sight, including many elderly people who had been blind for decades. Read full story

- The Vietnam Post Corporation (VNPost) on May 21 released a postage stamp collection featuring “Cay che” (the tea plant) to introduce the beauty and economic values of this industrial tree and promote the Vietnamese agricultural product to international friends.

The collection comprises two postage stamp models and a stamp block designed by artist Nguyen Du from VNPost. Read full story

- 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. Read full story

- A Thailand-initiated single visa programme of six ASEAN countries is expected to help Vietnam attract more long-haul and high-spending travelers, according to insiders.

Hailing Thailand’s initiative, Chairman of the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club Truong Quoc Hung held that the single visa will facilitate rich tourists’ travel, thus increasing tourism revenue, while creating favourable conditions for travel firms to form inter-regional road trips. Read full story

- Vietnamese athletes, with a completely revamped lineup, have set a new national record and secured a bronze medal in the mixed 4x400m relay event at the first Asian Relay Championship on May 20 in Bangkok, Thailand. Read full story./.