Read what is in the news today, January 28!

Society

-- Three of Ho Chi Minh City’s biggest Tet flower markets, located at Gia Dinh Park, September 23 Park and Le Van Tam Park in District 1, have opened to visitors on Monday, signaling the start of the Lunar New Year festive season as locals begin shopping for decorative plants for their houses.

-- Passengers on a train from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam on Sunday demonstrated a humane gesture by chipping in VND22 million (US$955) to assist a female passenger who had lost VND30 million ($1,300) worth of cash she had saved for a whole year.

-- Temperatures are forecast to remain in the region of 22 degrees Celsius in Ho Chi Minh City this week, while northern Vietnam will continue to be affected by a cold spell and occasional rains in the last working week before the country enters a nine-day Lunar New Year holiday.

-- Vietnam’s north-to-south rail link, which experienced over 13 hours of disruption after a train derailed in the early hours of Sunday, has resumed operation since the afternoon of the same day although trains are forced to run at slower speeds for safety reasons.

-- Two former deputy ministers of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security who were criminally prosecuted for abuse of power and authority in the handling of public land in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City will appear at their first instance court in Hanoi on Monday.

Business

-- A high-speed boat service operated by GreenlinesDP that connects Ho Chi Minh City and the coastal city of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam will remain in operation throughout the Lunar New Year holiday, with no hikes of ticket prices.

-- Foreign delicacies including preserved meat and fruits have been imported into Vietnam in large quantities as Vietnamese consumers seek high-quality options to keep their families fed during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

-- Pet sitters in big Vietnamese cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are offering to watch over other people’s pets during the long Lunar New Year holiday for a price of up to VND500,000 ($21.70) per day.

Lifestyle

-- Vietnamese families stage a farewell ceremony for the Land Genie and the Kitchen Gods on their yearly visit to Heaven today (January 28), the 23rd day of the last month of the lunar year, marking the start of the springtime festive season in local traditions.

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