Huge tortoise

This year’s International Thalassemia Day, themed “Addressing Health Inequalities Across the Global Thalassemia Community”, is devoted to raising public awareness about Thalassemia and one of the major causes in the spread of the disease - cousin marriages, as well as the importance of pre-marriage and pre-pregnancy counselling and screenings to early detect the disease. Data shows that there are about 8,000 new-borns carrying the Thalassemia gene every year, around 2,000 of which will suffer from severe symptoms. Some 13 million Vietnamese, or 13 percent of the population, carry the gene. About 20-40 percent of the Thalassemia gene carriers are mountainous ethnic minority people, mainly due to inbreeding. According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, despite many efforts, treatment can only help improve patients’ quality of life and does not completely cure the disease. A report shows that since 2001, up to 20 percent of children born with Thalassemia died at the age of 6-7 and most people with severe symptoms cannot find a spouse. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough haemoglobin - an important part of red blood cells. The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to anaemia. People with severe symptoms may suffer from bone problems and liver and heart failure, and the condition can be fatal. A child can inherit Thalassemia if one or both of his or her parents carry the mutant gene. The risk is higher if both parents have it. Most married Vietnamese couples do not have any tests or consultancy on inherited disorders. People who carry such genes show no abnormal signs so do not undergo examinations or screening before giving birth. Huge investment in medicine and regular blood transfusions make Thalassemia a costly disease, placing a financial burden on families and society as a whole. It is estimated that 2 trillion VND (85.1 million USD) and …

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Of nearly 1 million cyber-attacks on critical IT systems handled annually by the Network Information Security Center of the Government Cipher Committee, attacks that exploited vulnerability accounted for more than 87%. Speaking at the recent Security World 2021 seminar and exhibition, Colonel Tran Duc Su, Director of the Center for Information Technology and Cyber ​​Security Monitoring of the Government Cipher Committee said that, according to McAfee, losses caused by cyber-attacks and cybercrime caused in 2020 were huge, about $1 trillion, up 50% compared to 2018. Colonel Tran Duc Su, Director of the Center for Information Technology and Cyber ​​Security Monitoring of the Government Cipher Committee. According to Su, the Covid-19 pandemic was believed to be the cause of an increase in cyber-attacks. "As digital transformation platforms grow stronger and people operate more in virtual space, the increase of cyber-attacks is understandable," he said. Mr. Tran Quang Hung, Director of the Center for National Cyber Security Surveillance (NCSC) under the Department of Information Security, Ministry of Information and Communications, said that in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic’s impacts caused a significant increase in the risks of network insecurity. According to Hung's analysis, the increase in online activities such as online learning, working online, and e-commerce created many challenges in cyber safety and security for Vietnam in particular and the world in general. In 2020, the number of malicious codes and malicious websites rose dramatically compared to previous years, reflected in reports by NCSC, as well as reports of many international security organizations and firms. In addition, the time the world focused on dealing with Covid-19 was also an opportunity for many groups of hackers around the world to operate actively. The number of security vulnerabilities discovered and exploited in 2020 increased …

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A recent ultra marathon held in a small Ho Chi Minh City neighborhood has brought a lot of attention to the sport's growing popularity in the southern metropolis. The 3rd Ultra Night Marathon is an annual ultra marathon with 30km, 50km, and 80km options organized by the Run For Fun (RFF) Club in District 7’s Phu My Hung New Urban Area. This latest event began at 8:00 pm on December 29 and ended at 8:00 am the following morning. All of the event's 127 slots were filled within 48 hours from when registration opened, according to Do Thanh Vi Ngan, RFF’s president. “We couldn’t allow more runners to participate because it had already been very difficult to get an official permit for the event approved by local authorities,” Ngan elaborated. “We had to explain to the Phy My Hung management board that the race was only meant for passionate runners.” On race night, as participants from several of the city’s running clubs, including Vietrun, SBR, PTR, and “Chay Nhu Rua” (Run Like a Tortoise) lined up at the starting line of the 1.9 kilometer course in Nam Vien Park eager to begin their first of dozens of laps, a feeling of community became contagious. Originally the marathon was organized as a friendly event to say farewell to an RFF member, Ngan recalled. “Running at night is really fun and can be addictive,” the club president remarked. That realization led RFF to decide to host the event on an annual basis. Nguyen Van Long, a member of VietRun Club, not only won the 80km race but chose to run until he chalked up 102km, besting his own goal of 100km. A young boy participates in the run. Photo: Tuoi Tre Do Thi Nguyen, another VietRun member, was the event’s best female runner. Several participants made the trip from nearby provinces to participate in the fun. Phuc, a member of RFF Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province, about 35 kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, is one such runner. He said his family used to think he was …

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