Here are today’s leading news stories:

Politics

-- State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited and extended Tet (Lunar New Year) wishes to Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Patronage Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday.

-- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and presented gifts to local armed forces and residents in northern Cao Bang Province ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Society

-- Chilly weather will persist in northern Vietnam on Tuesday due to the effect of a cold spell, while it will be sunny and partly cloudy in southern provinces, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting reported.

-- Ho Chi Minh City sets a goal to achieve a Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth rate of 7.5-8 percent in 2023, chairman of the municipal People's Committee Phan Van Mai said during a meeting with foreign diplomatic missions and organizations on Monday.

-- The former director of Phu Bai International Airport in north-central Thua Thien-Hue Province was sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison for receiving bribes between 2017 and 2020.

Lifestyle

-- Ho Chi Minh City’s 43rd annual Spring Flower Festival kicked off at Tao Dan Park in District 1 on Monday evening and will open to visitors until the end of January 27. 

-- Tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta are expecting a sharp increase in the number of tourists during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday thanks to the launching of new tourism products.

Business

-- National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced that it will increase the number of flights to 108 with 20,000 seats between January 16 and 30 to meet skyrocketing demand during the Tet festival, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

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