Vietnamplus

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has selected the top 10 events that shaped the country in 2019:

A funeral service was held in Moscow, Russia, on January 23 for eight Vietnamese killed in a greenhouse fire in Nesterovo village of Moscow Oblast’s Ramensky district on January 7.

Phuc Sen village in the northern province of Cao Bang is not a place first-time visitors might want to stay long, as the noise may come as a shock.

The ancient Catholic village of Kien Lao in northern Nam Dinh province is well known for its bronze casting.

Philippine authorities on January 20 ordered a crackdown on visits to the danger zone around Taal volcano as scientists warned it could be "recharging" for a more powerful explosion.

Three families of Vietnamese-Cambodians, whose houses were burnt down in a blaze in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district last year have received new houses.

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's easternmost Papua province in the afternoon of January 18.

The Vietnamese traditional New Year (Tet) festival actually begins on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year, which falls on January 17 this year, with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ritual.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink on January 15 performed the Vietnamese traditional New Year ritual of releasing carps into a lake to bid farewell to the Kitchen Gods at Kim Lien pagoda in Hanoi.

Vietnam grappled with nearly 4,000 disasters and incidents in 2019, an increase of 57.9 percent compared to the previous year.

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted off Kupang district, the Indonesian central province of East Nusa Tenggara, on January 15.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 17, from Hanoi, received the top prize at the K-Pop Contest 2019 hosted by Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) for the song Room Shaker, a hit by Korean idol Ailee.

Ho Chi Minh City wants to work with Australia to build an economic cooperation strategy, with the aim of become one of each other’s top 10 trading partners, said Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The Ministry of Public Security held a ceremony on January 14 to call on the entire public security force to follow the example of bravery set by the three officers who died while performing their duty during the disturbance incident in Dong Tam commune, Hanoi’s My Duc district.

Taal volcano, 90 kilometres to the south of the Philippines capital Manila, could spew lava and ash for weeks, local authorities have warned, affecting thousands of peoplewho have already fled their homes.

Taal volcano, 90 kilometres to the south of Manila, spewed lava into the air and spread ash across the Philippines, forcing villagers to flee and shut down the capital’s international airports, offices and schools. ​

For many Vietnamese, Tet (Lunar New Year) festival begins with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ceremony on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, which falls on January 17.

General To Lam, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security, has visited and extended his deep condolences to the families of three police officers who died while doing mission in Dong Tam commune, My Duc district, Hanoi.

Given the recent tensions in the Middle East, Vietnam’s representative agencies in the region and domestic relevant parties are ready to take citizen protection measures when necessary, said Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang.

A woman suffering serious burns in a farm fire in Ramenskoye town of Moscow Oblast, Russia, on January 7 has been identified as a Vietnamese citizen, according to Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang.