Check out the news you should not miss today, February 8:

Politics

-- Vietnam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Wednesday held a reception for 90 delegates from 25 countries and territories worldwide, who represented 4.5 million overseas Vietnamese to join the “Xuan Que Huong 2018” (Homeland Spring 2018) program on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday.

-- A delegation of Cambodian government officials on Wednesday conferred the Cambodian Order of Friendship on 12 Vietnamese organizations and individuals for their cooperation in organizing activities for the “Year of Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship” last year.

Society

-- Phan Van Anh Vu, aka Vu 'nhom', who was last year arrested on two counts of “deliberately disclosing state secrets” and “tax evasion,” has received an additional charge of "abuse of positions and powers while on duty,” the Security Investigation Agency under Vietnam's  Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday.

-- Nearly 120 cattle died of cold when temperatures dropped to below zero degrees Celsius in the northern province of Lao Cai, authorities said Wednesday.

-- Vietnam’s government has tasked the finance ministry with providing 5,504 metric tons of rice as aid to poverty-hit areas in seven provinces to celebrate Tet, or the Lunar New Year.

-- An economic court in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday suspended a lawsuit brought by local taxi giant Vinasun Corp against GrabTaxi Vietnam for one month to “collect more information and evidence.”

Business

-- Vietnam has emerged as a prioritized destination of investment from the Netherlands, Edo Offerhaus, chairman of the Dutch Business Association in Vietnam, said at an exchange program between the two countries' businesses in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

-- Grab Vietnam will collect surcharges of up to VND20,000 a ride for GrabBike bookings made during the Lunar New Year, or Tet, from February 11 to 21.

Lifestyle

-- A cherry blossom festival will take place in Hanoi from March 23 to 26 as part of a cultural exchange to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, the organizers said Wednesday.

-- The administration of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 has sought permission from municipal administrators to extend the opening time of Bui Vien Walking Street from Friday to Sunday, instead of on the weekend only.

Sports

-- Carlo Mastellon, president in charge of Asia for Italian football club Juventus, is scheduled to be in Ho Chi Minh City today, February 8, to initialize the process to set up a Juventus Academy in the southern Vietnamese metropolis.

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