Outstanding domestic and international events on December 22

DOMESTIC

On the morning of December 22, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh offered incense at the memorial stele, visited the exhibition of photos and artifacts at the Cultural House of Lang Nu village and attended the inauguration ceremony of the project to rebuild Lang Nu village, Phuc Khanh commune, Bao Yen district; Nam Tong village, Nam Luc commune and Kho Vang village, Coc Lau commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province. In the afternoon, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and congratulated Lao Cai parish, and presented gifts to some parishioners' families on the occasion of Christmas 2024.In the picture:Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited people at the reconstruction project of Lang Nu village, Phuc Khanh commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province.Photo: Duong Giang-VNA

On the morning of December 22, at the Ho Chi Minh City Archbishop's Palace, Comrade Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front visited and presented gifts to Archbishop Nguyen Nang, Chairman of the Vietnam Bishops' Association, on the occasion of Christmas 2024 and preparation for the New Year 2025.In the picture:Comrade Do Van Chien (left), Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, congratulated Archbishop Nguyen Nang (right), Chairman of the Vietnam Bishops' Association on the occasion of Christmas 2024 and preparation for the New Year 2025.Photo: Xuan Khu - VNA

On the morning of December 22, metro line No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) was officially put into operation, marking an important milestone in the history of transport and urban development in Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first urban railway line put into operation, the project was approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee in 2007 and construction started in 2012. Attending the ceremony were Politburo member, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen; Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai; Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu; Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki...In the picture:Delegates performed the ceremony to officially announce the operation of metro line No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien.Photo: Tien Luc - VNA

On December 22, at the Ho Chi Minh City Branch of the National Academy of Public Administration (District 10), the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union organized the launching ceremony of the 17th Spring Volunteer Campaign in 2025. This is an activity to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2024); the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2025); the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).In the picture:Youth union members enthusiastically launched the campaign.Photo: Thu Huong - VNA

On December 22, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho in collaboration with Duc Huong Anh Company Limited (DHA) organized the 2024 Can Tho Heritage International Marathon. The event attracted more than 9,000 domestic and foreign athletes to compete in four distances: 5km, 10km, half marathon (21.1km) and full marathon (42.195km).In the picture:Athletes running on the Can Tho riverside route.Photo: Thu Hien – VNA

Dinh Quan District Police (Dong Nai) in coordination with the Dinh Quan District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station recently inspected an animal slaughterhouse in Phu Tho Hamlet, Phu Cuong Commune, owned by Ms. Le Thi Bich P (41 years old, residing in Tuc Trung Commune). At the time of inspection, the authorities discovered a large quantity of pre-processed pork, but the owner of the facility could not present a license related to the slaughtering business, nor a veterinary hygiene certificate. The authorities have handled the case according to regulations.In the picture:Dead pigs being transported to a slaughterhouse were discovered by authorities.Photo: VNA

INTERNATIONAL

Speaking after meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during a visit to the Horn of Africa on December 21, French President Emmanuel Macron called on the warring parties in Sudan to lay down their arms after a year and a half of war that has devastated the country, and expressed his belief that the only process that can help resolve everything is the path of "ceasefire and negotiations".In the picture:French President Emmanuel Macron calls for disarming and ceasefire in Sudan.Photo: PAP/VNA

On the evening of December 21, at Magdeburg Cathedral, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Reiner Haseloff attended a memorial service for the victims of the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market on the evening of December 20, which killed 5 people and injured more than 200.In the picture:German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to the press at a memorial service for the victims of the Magdeburg Christmas market attack.Photo: THX/TTXVN

The US military announced that a Navy F/A-18 was shot down over the Red Sea in the early hours of December 22 in an "apparent friendly fire incident", luckily both pilots survived, but "initial assessments indicate one suffered minor injuries". The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg "accidentally fired upon and hit an F/A-18 fighter jet", operated by US Navy pilots from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.In the picture:US aircraft carrier.Photo: IRNA/VNA

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on December 21 that the government will ban the social network TikTok for at least one year starting in 2025. The announcement was made by the Albanian Prime Minister during a meeting with teachers, parents and psychologists in Tirana. The blocking of the controversial social network comes less than a month after a 14-year-old student died and another was injured in a fight near a school in Tirana. The incident stemmed from arguments and attacks on this social network, sparking a debate among parents, psychologists and educational institutions in Albania itself about the impact of social networks on young people.In the picture:TikTok social network icon.Photo: Kyodo/VNA