Read what is in the news today:

Society

— Vietnam has gone 54 days without a single community infection of COVID-19 as the country recorded no new cases on Sunday, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The tally stood at 1,548, with 1,411 recoveries and 35 deaths.

— The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, in collaboration with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper and the Quang Ngai Province chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, on Sunday presented 800 gifts to children in need in the two mountainous districts of Son Ha and Son Tay of the central province in preparation for the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations.

— The ultraviolet index in the northern, central, and southern regions is forecast to reach high or very high levels with potential harm to human health from sun exposure between Monday and Wednesday, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

Business

— Vietnam's e-commerce revenue in 2020 reached US$11.8 billion, posting the highest growth rate in the Southeast Asian region of 18 percent despite the impact of COVID-19, according to the Vietnam e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

— The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (Napas) said it would work with seven banks to introduce domestic credit chip cards meeting unified standards this week to limit cash payment and tackle loan shark issues.

Lifestyle

— The Go Ro Festival was organized at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Hanoi on Sunday, reviving traditional rituals, customs, and cultural values of the Kho Mu ethnic group of Tuong Duong District in north-central Nghe An Province.

— The 2021 Tet Viet (Vietnamese Tet) Festival in Ho Chi Minh City, with the participation of representatives from 20 provinces and cities across the country, attracted over 80,000 visitors to its 215 booths and generated about VND12 billion ($520,442) in revenue after four days, organizers said at a conclusion ceremony on Sunday.

— The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has approved the organization of an international flower festival in Vietnam’s north-central province of Quang Binh in 2023, according to the provincial Department of Tourism.

Sports

— Hanoi FC striker Nguyen Van Quyet, who recently won the 2020 Vietnamese Golden Ball, has been honored as the most valuable athlete of the country in 2020.

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