Two of the five richest people in Vietnam had a poor start to the new year as they saw their net asset worth decrease.

The Vietnamese women’s football team have a big chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 after their rival, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), withdrew from the upcoming third qualifying round of the Games.

Customs officers in the northern port city of Hai Phong have seized more than two tonnes of ivory tusks and pangolin scales, Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) has reported.

Retail sales of goods and services in Vietnam reached VND4.94 quadrillion (US$214.8 billion) in 2019, representing a rise of 11.8 percent over the previous year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent New Year greetings to leaders of ASEAN member states on the first day of 2020 on the occasion of Vietnam’s official assumption of its role as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City unveiled the top 10 events of the southern metropolis in 2019 at a recent press conference.

Vietnam has 85.39 million health insurance holders as of the end of 2019, accounting for 90 percent of the population, heard a recent conference.

All residents in Ho Chi Minh City will have electronic medical records connected to the database of the city's health facilities by 2025, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

MUSIC & PERFORMANCES

Vietnam’s newest carrier Bamboo Airways is scheduled to receive the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate at a ceremony in Hanoi on January 3.

The European Commission’s (EC) inspection delegation has acknowledged recent improvements made by Vietnam in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).

Total inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam amounted to 38.02 billion USD this year to December 20, a 10-year high, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Transport plans to open public bidding for bus routes next year following regulations in a decree issued earlier this year.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) is the leading foreign investor in Vietnam in 2019, pouring 7.92 billion USD into the country, accounting for over one fifth of the total flow of foreign direct investment into Vietnam during the year.

Kindergartens and primary schools in Hanoi will be closed if the air quality index (AQI) hits 300 and above, equivalent to hazardous levels, city authorities announced on December 25.

Police in the central province of Ha Tinh on December 25 seized five tonnes of live wild animals on a bus that was moving from the south to the north.

The Communist Party of Vietnam has admitted over 143,000 new members in 2019, raising the total membership to around 5.2 million, it was reported at a national online conference reviewing Party building work on December 25.

But Thap Pagoda in the northern province of Bac Ninh was recognized as Special National Relic in 2013 and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue in the pagoda was named National Treasure in 2012.

The 8th Da Lat Flower Festival 2019 is underway in Da Lat city, with thousands of visitors descending on the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong for the event.

Christmas is around the corner with twinkling pine trees and reindeer set up on main streets across Hanoi.