Read what is in the news today:

Society

-- Northern Vietnam will continue to be battered by a cold spell while the central region will see occasional rains and the southern part will enjoy comfortable temperature with ample sunshine during the upcoming New Year holiday, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

-- Over 1,100 Vietnamese are working in Japan as nurses as the East Asian country is looking to relax policies to take in even more nurses from Vietnam to work at hospitals taking care of its aging population.

-- The entire Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City will be off-limits to all vehicles between 6:30 pm on Tuesday and 12:30 am on Wednesday for a New Year countdown event, the municipal Department of Transport announced on Sunday.

-- The Airports Corporation of Vietnam on Sunday launched the construction of the second terminal at Phu Bai International Airport in the central city of Hue. The VND2.25 trillion (US$97.5 million) terminal, with a design inspired by Vietnamese royal architecture, is expected to be put to use in September 2021.

-- The numbers of traffic accidents, traffic-related deaths and injuries in Vietnam all saw a drop in 2019 as compared to the previous year, according to statistics released by the National Traffic Safety Committee.

-- The investigation agency under the Ministry of Public Security has uncovered a transnational smuggling ring in Ho Chi Minh City and prosecuted four people in connection with the case after police officers caught trucks carrying some VND20 billion ($865,000) worth of goods in transit at Tan Son Nhat International Airport this month.

Business

-- Vietnam’s newest carrier Bamboo Airways has passed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit, which assesses the operational management and control systems of an airline, and is scheduled to receive its certification at a ceremony in Hanoi on January 3.

Sports

-- Some football players and coaches are suspected of being involved in match fixing in the 2019 national U19 championship in Vietnam, the Vietnam Football Federation reported at its annual meeting in Hanoi on Sunday.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!