Japanese Prime Minister’s spouse Akie Abe visited disabled children who are receiving treatment at Hanoi Rehabilitation Hospital on January 16.

 The Vietnam-Azerbaijan Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic-Trade and Science-Technology Cooperation convened its first session in Hanoi on January 16, aiming to boost ties across trade, oil and gas, education-training, tourism and culture. 

  The official visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made headlines in Japan on January 17.

 The VND has strengthened against the US dollar unexpectedly in the first two weeks of trading in 2017.

 The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) will control inflation under 4 per cent and stabilise the macro economy to reach a GDP growth of 6.7 per cent, as well as ensure a safe operation for the banking system, a high ranking official of SBV said.

 The Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBB) has appointed vice-chairman of its board Luu Trung Thai as its general director, with effect from Monday.

Da Nang City will establish four new industrial parks (IPs) by 2020, Ho Ky Minh, deputy chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said.

Vietnamese firms are mostly optimistic about their business results for 2017, driven by the improved macro-economy coupled with Government efforts to improve the business climate and remove obstacles. 

The Ministry of Finance has proposed, in a draft law, to almost triple the environmental protection tax on oil and gas consumption from the current VND3,000 (US$0.13) to VND8,000 per litre. 

 Viet Nam Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) on Monday signed a strategic co-operation agreement with Japanese firm Itochu, witnessed by PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Ha Noi.

VietNamNet Bridge - Most of the brands to be franchised in Vietnam in the coming years will be in food, education and healthcare, analysts say.

VietNamNet Bridge - Thanh Thuy Hot Spring Resort is a 1km2 area, located to the west of the Da River in Thanh Thuy district in Phu Tho Province. 

The VN Football Federation has decided to suspend Senegalese striker Pape Omar Faye of FLC Thanh Hoa for eight matches after he made a rude gesture towards supporters during the match between Thanh Hoa and Khanh Hoa.

 The northern province of Nam Dinh and the central province of Quang Binh will host the first round of the National Volleyball Championships on March 21-28, the Viet Nam Volleyball Federation has announced.

Painter Thanh Chuong's 60 paintings of roosters to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Rooster will be displayed at the Domino Art Fair at Hanoi Creative City and HCM City Fine Arts Museum.

 A 3D virtual military museum has been opened on Con Dao Island by the Viet Nam Military History Museum and the Political Department of Military Zone No 7.

 Automobile drivers must set up bank accounts so that when they violate traffic regulations police can deduct the fine from their account directly.

 Tan Son Nhat Airport on Monday entered its busiest time of the year as people started flying back home to celebrate Lunar New Year or Tet.

 HCM City Customs Department will soon deploy an underground scanning system for luggage at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to facilitate entry of passengers and minimise time spent on procedures.

 The Supreme People’s Procuracy on Sunday decided to prosecute six defendants in connection with fraud that occurred at the Viet Nam International Bank (VIB), Nguyen Hue branch (VIB Nguyen Hue), five years ago.

 Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam yesterday said vocational training schools need to be made autonomous to improve their quality.

Forty-three per cent of the country’s young labour workforce is still underutilised, while low quality employment remains a strong hindrance to the country’s productive transformation. 

While a pending draft law would require all Vietnamese to donate blood at least once a year, HCM City has set a target to have at least 220,000 citizens donate blood voluntarily this year.

 Vietnam's Le Hang has made it into the top 4 favourites, according to a poll taken by the Miss Universe Poll Fanpage, a pageant hub for current news and updates from the competition.

 The Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) claimed several Vietnamese seafood exporters have been cheated out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in their transactions with Echopack Inc. based in Quebec, Canada.