Tuoi Tre News briefs you on some of the leading stories published today, June 4, in Vietnamese media.

Politics

-- The UK will provide up to £10 million for Vietnam to run a comprehensive bilateral cooperation program on research and innovation from now to 2019. 

Society

-- During the last 24 days, hundreds of people in Tan Hy and Son Tra Hamlets, Binh Dong Commune, Binh Son District in the central province of Quang Ngai have built tents to stop the Dai Viet – Dung Quat cement plant from operating due to the air and noise pollution it has caused. These people have required the plant to be removed from the locality or they are relocated to another place without pollution.

-- Fifteen percent of adults in Ho Chi Minh City are obese, according to a research by scientists from Ton Duc Thang University. The research, which was based on the proportion of fat in the body, was done on 1,200 randomly selected people.

Business -- On June 3, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, deputy director of Saigon Co.op, Vietnam's largest supermarket chain, said her outlets will buy around 800 metric tons of fresh litchi produced in the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Hai Duong from this month to mid-July. The volume is twice that of the same period last year.

-- A number of tourism management agencies and tourist operators in Ho Chi Minh City are considering launching tours to the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago after the local People’s Committee approved a plan on that. A pilot tour will be offered on June 22.

Lifestyle

-- A writing competition titled “Tiki Young Author 2015” has kicked off to look for talented young writers nationwide. Awards include VND100 million (US$4,593) in cash and a printed and electronic book publishing contract.

-- “Miss DJ 2015” is the name of a contest for female DJs which will be organized this month in Vietnam. The organizers said they hope to seek and train talented faces and bring them closer to the public.