Outstanding domestic and international events on January 12

DOMESTIC

On the afternoon of January 12, in Hanoi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Central Steering Committee for the Elimination of Temporary and Dilapidated Houses nationwide, chaired the second meeting of the Steering Committee. Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that at the first meeting held two months ago, the Steering Committee agreed on the goals, viewpoints, orientations, methods, approaches and assigned specific tasks to members of the Steering Committee and ministries, agencies and localities.In the picture:Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the second meeting of the Central Steering Committee to implement the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses.Photo: Duong Giang - VNA

On the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake, on January 12, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and the Central working delegation visited and presented Tet gifts to policy families, the poor, ethnic minorities, armed forces soldiers, workers and laborers in difficult circumstances in Hau Giang province.In the picture:National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man presents Tet gifts to the poor and ethnic minorities of Phung Hiep district.Photo: Doan Tan – VNA

On January 12, in Hanoi, General Luong Tam Quang, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security of Vietnam and General Vilay Lakhamphong, Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security of Laos co-chaired a conference to review the implementation of the cooperation plan for 2024 and sign the cooperation plan for 2025 between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Ministry of Public Security of Laos.In the picture:General Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security of Vietnam and General Vilay Lakhamphong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security of Laos signed the cooperation plan for 2025 between the two countries' Ministries of Public Security.Photo: Pham Kien – VNA

On January 12, the Standing Committee of the City Youth Union, the Secretariat of the Vietnam Youth Union Committee of Hue City, in coordination with Hue Central Hospital, Hue University, the Red Cross Society and the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Hue City, organized the opening ceremony of the 17th "Red Sunday" in 2025. On the morning of January 12, the Organizing Committee received blood donation registrations from 968 people; striving to reach the target of collecting more than 700 units of blood by the end of the day, higher than in 2024, to ensure blood reserves, serve emergency patients, and at the same time solve the blood shortage that often occurs after the Lunar New Year.In the picture:Organ and tissue donation registration area.Photo: Mai Trang - VNA

Within the framework of the program "Tet dong dong 2025", on January 12, in Vu Minh commune, Nguyen Binh district (Cao Bang), the Humanitarian Television Center coordinated with the Friendship Hospital and accompanying units to organize medical examination, treatment and give free medicine to policy families and people in difficult circumstances on the occasion of the Lunar New Year At Ty 2025.In the picture:About 500 people received free medical examinations on the occasion of Lunar New Year 2025.Photo: Thanh Tung – VNA

On January 12, in Cam Lam district, Khanh Hoa province, the atmosphere of Lunar New Year 2025 came early to children in difficult circumstances in the program "Package of love - giving smiles" spring 2025. The program was organized by the Khanh Hoa Provincial Red Cross Society in coordination with the Cam Lam District Children's House and philanthropists.In the picture:Youth Union, students and philanthropists wrap Tet Chung cakes.Photo by Dang Tuan - VNA

INTERNATIONAL

According to Yonhap news agency, on January 12, lawyer Yoon Kab Keun - who is defending impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol - announced that his client will not attend the first impeachment hearing, scheduled for January 14 due to safety concerns. The move comes as investigators are seeking to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning in connection with the imposition of martial law on the night of December 3, 2024.In the picture:South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks in Seoul on August 29, 2024.Photo: Kyodo/VNA

On January 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that about 14,700 confirmed cases of monkeypox, including 66 deaths, have been reported in 20 African countries from January 2024 to January 5, 2025. The WHO said that confirmed cases are only a small fraction of the number of suspected cases. The WHO said in its latest report that the ongoing outbreak is caused by multiple strains of the virus, including the Clade Ib variant, which is spreading mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries.In the picture:Medical workers treat a patient with monkeypox in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo on August 15, 2024.Photo: THX/TTXVN

A statement from the Gaza Media Office on January 11 (local time) said that at least 203 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October last year. In a statement, the Palestinian Journalists Union condemned Israel's targeting of journalists as "a deliberate attempt to hide the truth and cover up crimes against the Palestinian people".In the picture:Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attack in Gaza Strip.Photo: IRNA/VNA

On January 11, while the western United States was racing against the monsoon to extinguish fires, many southern states were trying to return to normal life after a week-long snowstorm disrupted people's lives due to school closures, traffic snarls and flight cancellations.In the picture:Snow covers Plano, Texas, USA on January 9, 2025.Photo: THX/TTXVN