Read what is in the news today.

Politics

-- Vietnam has decided to provide aid in the form of medical goods and supplies worth about US$500,000 to the Chinese government, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc announced on Friday as the northern neighbor battles the spread of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) that has killed 259 in mainland China.

Society

-- Several Vietnamese celebrities including actress Ngo Thanh Van, pop singer Dam Vinh Hung, and entertainer Cat Phuong have been summoned by authorities in Ho Chi Minh City for spreading false news about the nCoV spread on Facebook.

-- Functional forces in Thu Dau Mot City, located in the southern province of Binh Duong, said on Friday they are investigating a case in which a mother physically abused her toddler son while quarreling with a man after a video capturing the incident was spread on social networks.

-- Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh, which borders China, on Friday suspended exit of all Vietnamese nationals to China in light of the nCoV threat.

-- Curious people have been gathering in large numbers at a site where police have been besieging in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, since Thursday as a suspect who had shot to death four people over a gambling quarrel on Wednesday is believed to be hiding there. The suspect is a senior lieutenant in the detention unit of the District 11 police bureau in the same city.

Business

-- Face masks and hand sanitizers have flown off shelves at drugstores and supermarkets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as demand rises, fueled by the fear of the nCoV epidemic from China.

-- Economic police units in Hanoi on Friday launched an inspection campaign at medical equipment shops and pharmacies across the Vietnamese capital city to crack down on those who are taking advantage of the nCoV epidemic to sell protective masks at high prices.

Education

-- The Department of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City has decided not to extend the weeks-long Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday for local students and ordered all local schools to resume next Monday as previously scheduled despite parents' concerns their children might catch the new coronavirus at school.

World News

-- The total number of deaths from a coronavirus epidemic in China had reached 259 by the end of Friday, while the total number of confirmed infections accumulated to 11,791, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing numbers from the country’s National Health Commission. 

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