What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Politics

-- Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet will visit Vietnam on Monday and Tuesday next week at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Ministry of Forein Affairs said on Thursday.

Society

-- A report unveiled by Agoda on Thursday showed an extraordinary 298-percent year-on-year increase in inbound searches for Vietnam.

-- Da Nang welcome the first-ever flight with 177 passengers aboard from Manila, the Philippines on Thursday. The flight was operated by Cebu Pacific Air, which offers the service three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday using the Airbus A320neo.  

Business

-- About 350 booths operated by over 250 companies from 12 countries and territories are displaying advanced equipment and the latest trends in sports and outdoor entertainment at Vietnam Sport Show 2023, which takes place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Distrct 7, Ho Chi Minh City. 

-- Vietnam ran a US$75.45 billion trade with the U.S. in January-November, down 14.1 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Lifestyle

-- The People's Committee of Da Nang City in central Vietnam has approved a plan to pilot cultural, entertainment, and tourism activities over Nguyen Van Troi Bridge, the oldest bridge connecting both banks of the Han River, to spur the night-time economy.

Sports

-- The Ho Chi Minh City People's Council on Wednesday revealed a list of sports facilities to be built at a cost of billions of Vietnamese dong each, including a 50,000-seat football stadium in Thuc Duc City. (VND1 billion = $41,182) 

World News

-- "Indonesia is considering granting visa-free entry to nationals of 20 countries, including the United States, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Germany, Britain and France, to boost its tourism and economy, its tourism minister said on Thursday," Reuters reported.

-- "Colombia and Brazil destroyed 19 illegal gold mining dredges in the Amazon rainforest which were producing about $1.5 million of the precious metal a month and polluting rivers with mercury, Colombia's armed forces said on Wednesday," according to Reuters.

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