Here are today’s leading news stories:

Politics

-- Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith will lead a high-ranking delegation of the Lao government to visit Vietnam and co-chair the 42nd meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee in Hanoi from January 2 to 4.

-- Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi will begin his visit to four Southeast Asian nations of Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia on January 5. His stay in Vietnam will last from January 5 to 7.

Society

-- A cold front is forecast to bring low temperatures and showers to northern and north-central Vietnam over the next days, while the weather is expected to become warmer in southern provinces during this period.

-- Police in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have launched an investigation into an alleged murder case after the burnt body of a woman was found at a local coffee plantation on Monday morning.

-- Three police officers were injured while trying to apprehend a knife-wielding man who was high on drugs and beating his wife at their home in Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City on early Monday morning. The suspect was eventually captured.

-- A former chief justice of the People’s Court in the south-central province of Phu Yen on Monday was sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison for embezzlement during his time in office.

-- Authorities in Hanoi on Monday inspected a refrigerated warehouse in the Quang Minh Industrial Park and discovered 25 metric tons of smoked chicken drumsticks, whose expiration date had been changed from 2019 to 2020.

Business

-- National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines reported on Monday that its profit in 2019 is estimated to hit nearly VND3.37 trillion (US$146.20 million), its highest so far.

-- The Ministry of Planning and Investment has submitted to the prime minister a plan for the establishment of Vinpearl Air with an investment capital of VND4.7 trillion ($202.6 million). The airline is expected to begin operations in July next year if the plan is approved.

Lifestyle

-- Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has approved Ho Chi Minh City’s plan to organize fireworks shows at three locations, namely the Saigon River Tunnel, the Landmark 81 building, and Dam Sen Theme Park, to ring in the New Year.

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