Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko and his entourage arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday evening, commencing his four-day official trip to Vietnam.

-- The Finnish Embassy in Vietnam held a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Finland diplomatic ties and the 106th Independence Day of Finland.

Society

-- An intensified cold front is forecast to bring moderate to heavy rains to many parts of the central region on Thursday, with a rain volume of up to 50mm, according to the national weather center.

-- The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has forecast that some 30,000 households will face a severe shortage of clean water during the 2023-24 dry season.

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has urged the administrations of District 6, District 12, Binh Thanh District, Go Vap District, Tan Binh District, and Binh Tan District to relocate households affected by some dredging and environmental protection projects on several canals in the southern metropolis.

Business

-- Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a dispatch ordering tighter control over illegal animal and meat imports, while asking the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to ensure sufficient food supplies for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, due in February.

-- Vietnam’s leading tech firm FPT on Wednesday announced its acquisition of an 80-percent stake in French IT consulting firm AOSIS. The investment was part of its plan to expand its global presence and beef up its competitiveness in technology in Europe.

Lifestyle

-- Sam Altmanan, CEO at OpenAI, revealed at a virtual fireside chat with Dr. Bui Hai Hung, CEO at VinAI, a Vietnamese AI research-based company, on Wednesday that he does love Vietnam’s banh mi, and his meals often include the dish. Their talks took place within the framework of AI Day 2023, which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday. 

-- Vietnam has been a responsible member and one of the pioneers in effectively implementing UNESCO’s activities and programs, UNESCO general director Audrey Azoulay said while receiving Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, permanent representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, on Wednesday, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

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