Read what is in the news today.

Society

-- A fire broke out at a grocery store located on a section of National Highway 1 passing through Quynh Luu District in the north-central province of Nghe An on Friday evening, causing a two-hour congestion on the road.

-- The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on Friday afternoon appointed Pham Thi Hong Ha, general director of the Ho Chi Minh City State Financial Investment Company, as the new director of the municipal Department of Finance for a five-year tenure.

-- Vietnamese authorities on Friday ordered a local bank to freeze several accounts of people involved in a disturbance in a suburb of Hanoi last week that killed three police officers, as an ongoing investigation has found that some domestic and foreign organizations and individuals have transferred a huge sum of money to these accounts.

-- A Vietnamese man described by authorities in Europe as a major people smuggler who was actively trafficking people from Vietnam to Europe between 2015 and 2017 has been arrested in the United Kingdom, according to the UK’s National Crime Agency.

-- Two Vietnamese newspapers Nhan dao va Doi song (Humanitarian and Life) and Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) have been required by the Ministry of Communications and Information to cease publishing operations for a press planning project and press rearrangement plan.

Business

-- Grab Vietnam has announced surcharges across all of its services due to high demand from January 17-29, during which Vietnamese people prepare for and enjoy the 2020 Lunar New Year holiday.

Lifestyle

-- The Phu My Hung Spring Flowers Festival 2020 opened on Friday in the Phu My Hung urban area in District 7, which houses a vibrant expats community in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring the beauty of plenty of flowers.

-- A two-year-old dog has caught online attention for completing a 42-kilometer run at the Vietnam Trail Marathon 2020 in Moc Chau District in the mountainous northern province of Son La last weekend. The dog was also awarded a medal for completing the race.

Sports

-- Vietnam’s V-League 1 runners-up Ho Chi Minh City FC suffered a 0-1 loss to South Korea’s K-League 1 second-finalists Ulsan Hyundai in a friendly held in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday evening.

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