Good morning from Vietnam!

Society

-- Unseasonal heavy rain is in the forecast this afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces as a result of equatorial depression and disturbance, according to Ho Chi Minh City-based meteorologist Le Thi Xuan Lan.

-- Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City has warned passengers of pickpockets who prey on careless travelers at the airport’s waiting lounges, taking advantage of the busy season when large numbers of Vietnamese rush home from the big cities to enjoy Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday.

-- Ho Chi Minh City Police yesterday unveiled its special criminal police division made up of specifically trained officers who are tasked with hunting down muggers and other dangerous criminals in the city’s districts of 7, 8, Binh Tan and Nha Be, in an attempt to crack down on prevalent crimes in the city.

Lifestyle

-- A grand flower display running the length of Nguyen Hue pedestrian street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City and featuring thousands of flowers assembled into various shapes was inaugurated yesterday evening and will remain open to the public until January 31.

Business

-- The Vietnamese Government has given the green light to the construction plan of a VND60 trillion (US$2.68 billion) steel manufacturing complex developed by local conglomerate Hoa Phat at Dung Quat Economic Zone in the central province of Quang Ngai.

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