Preparations for the upcoming 11th meeting of the 13th National Assembly (NA) were among the topics debated at the 45th session of the NA Standing Committee, which opened in Hanoi on February 17.

 Truong Thi Mai, one of the three female members of the 12th tenure Politburo, officially assumed the role of head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission on Mass Mobilisation on February 17.

VietNamNet Bridge - The number of cards issued by small and medium-sized commercial banks and the payment value via cards increased sharply by 55 percent in a two-year period.

 Residents of Flint, Michigan, one of the poorest cities in the United States, paid some of the nation's highest water bills even as the city failed to treat drinking water properly,

 Oil and stocks steadied on Wednesday and the dollar eased, as investors looked forward to less volatile trading, a day after world stocks recorded one of their biggest rallies in years and oil prices swung in a 10 percent range.

Ly Hoang Nam of Viet Nam was ousted from the men's doubles event at the China F1 Futures tennis tournament in Anning City yesterday, Feb 16. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese sport wrapped up a successful 2015 at international tournaments with 457 gold, 355 silver and 321 bronze medals.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The water shortage, drought and salt intrusion in the central region and the Central Highlands provinces this year is forecast to be more severe than last year.

 VietNamNet Bridge – This house of less than 5 square meters is located in the Hanoi Old Quarter. To move around inside, the owners have to crawl.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese enterprises place manufacturing orders with Chinese, import Chinese-made products, label them as Vietnamese products,and sell them in the domestic market.

 The Giay ethnic people’s New Year Festival (the drum dancing festival) in Tat Nga commune, Meo Vac district, the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang is held annually during the first lunar month.

 US$1 billion spent on unprocessed seafood imports last year, Caution over post-Tet trading advised, Official urges competitive markets to foster growth, Baoviet Fund licensed to sell bond fund certificates

  Five more Vietnamese people, who disappeared after visiting South Korea's Jeju Island on January 11, were found in the island's Daecheong Village, the Jeju Island Immigration Office said yesterday.

 Vietnam are ready to compete at the Asian Wrestling Championships to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 17.

 A group of 400 Shan tea plants in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai have been recognised as Vietnamese heritage trees.

 Ho Chi Minh City authorities have requested technical support worth 10.5 million USD to an eco-friendly bus rapid transit line (BRT) project.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung left California on February 17 (Vietnam time), successfully concluding his trip to the US to attend the ASEAN-US Summit at the Sunnylands Centre in California. 

 The Special Leaders’ Summit of the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a joint statement in Sunnylands, California on February 16 (US time).

 VietNamNet Bridge – Thi Cam villagers in Xuan Phuong Commune of Hanoi’s Tu Liem District gather at the communal house on the 8th day of the first lunar month taking part in a traditional rice cooking contest.

Vingroup, a large real estate group in Vietnam, has spent 22.5 million Australian dollars to buy land in Sydney to develop a hotel project. This is the first business affair of Vingroup in Sydney, reported The Australian on February 15.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Ugly images were seen at the Cuop Phet festival in Lap Thach district of Vinh Phuc province on February 14 when hundreds of young men beat each other with their fists and sticks to get the Phet (lucky ball).

 VietNamNet Bridge - Shortly after taking office, the Party Secretary of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City took part in a lot of activities, such as checking the demand for travel, entertainment, during the Lunar New Year (Tet holiday).

At the first meeting of the Hanoi Party Committee on February 15, Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said that Japan had proposed to give Hanoi 200 cherry trees on the occasion of the Cherry Blossom Festival in the city in March 2016.

Welcoming the leaders of ASEAN at Sunnylands estate, US President Barack Obama said he hoped that the US-ASEAN Summit this time will achieve specific results, to create new momentum for the rebalance policy.

VietNamNet Bridge - CEOs born under the metal element are believed to be consistent and iron willed. This may have been the reason they were so successful in 2015.