What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Politics

-- Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his spouse will pay a state visit to Vietnam from January 23 to 24 at the invitation of Vietnam's State President Vo Van Thuong, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

Society

-- The 2024 Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival opened at Le Van Tam Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, featuring vibrant activities re-enacting past and present Tet traditions. The fest is slated to last until Sunday.

-- About 6,000 - 7.000 pigs were smuggled into Vietnam from Cambodia every night in the first two weeks of this year, according to the Animal Husbandry in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of the city. 

-- Vietnam is forecast to still face major challenges from infectious diseases and emerging illnesses this year, according to Nguyen Thi Phan Thuy, deputy managing director of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Dermato Venereology.

Business

-- Vietnam imported 1,053 autos worth US$39 million in the first two week of 2024, with the majority being cars having nine seats or fewer, according to General Department of Vietnam Customs statistics.

Lifestyle

-- Doan Thu Thuy, Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022, was named the fourth runner-up at Miss Global 2023, whose finale took place in Cambodia on Thursday, with the participation of 70 beauties. Ashley Melendez from Puerto Rico was crowned the winner of the beauty pageant.

Sports

-- Vietnam are scheduled to take on Indonesia in the group stage at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar at 9:30 pm on Friday. The game will be aired live on FPT Play and VTV5.

World News

-- "Turkey's first astronaut and three other crew members representing Europe were launched from Florida on Thursday on a voyage to the International Space Station in the latest commercially arranged mission from Texas startup Axiom Space," Reuters reported.

-- "NATO is launching its largest exercise since the Cold War, rehearsing how U.S. troops could reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the alliance's eastern flank if a conflict were to flare up with a 'near-peer' adversary," according to Reuters.

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