Society

-- The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center has announced they had rescued 18 crewmen aboard the South Star, a Mongolian-flagged freighter, which burst into flames around 38 nautical miles off the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong on Tuesday afternoon.

-- A customs officer at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City said on Tuesday that its operator has mobilized additional staff to cope with bulging travel demand over recent days. The aerodrome now receives between 15,000 and 17,000 arrivals each day, an increase of 1,000-2,000 visits compared to normal days, many of whom are overseas Vietnamese returning for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

-- On Tuesday, fire engulfed and consumed three fishing boats while they were anchoring off Duc Pho District, located in the central province of Quang Ngai. One seafaring ship carrying the Mongolian flag also erupted in flames off Cam Pha City in the northern province of Quang Ninh the same day.

-- A ship of the Naval Zone 3 on Tuesday towed a fishing boat with five sailors on board to safety at a port located in Quy Nhon City, the heart of the south-central province of Binh Dinh. The fishing vessel’s engine broke down on Sunday morning while it was fishing for deep-sea tuna in rough seas around 60 nautical miles off Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

-- The Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Tuesday organized an online workshop with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of National Defense, as well as international organizations, in a bid to stall the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus and related diseases. The World Health Organization said last week the virus was spreading explosively and could infect as many as four million people in the Americas.

-- The Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation, who manages four major coach stations in Ho Chi Minh City, has said that approximately 900,000 passengers take rides back to their hometown for Tet, around 10 days prior to the country’s biggest holiday. 

Business

-- The Ministry of Industry and Trade on Tuesday unveiled the full script of the Vietnam-European Union Free Trade Agreement, after the two sides concluded their final negotiation in early December 2015. The script had been translated into different languages used by the EU members before being approved.

Lifestyle

-- On Tuesday, the People’s Committee of the northern province of Lao Cai and local developer of tourism properties Sun Group inaugurated the Fansipan Sa Pa cable car system in the beloved resort town of Sa Pa. Representatives of the Guinness World Records also handed away two recognition certificates on the state-of-the-art system.