Vietnam’s economy is growing at a rapid rate and attracting most of world’s leading IT companies, including Microsoft.

On January 15, some residents in Quang Binh Province’s Le Thuy District said that they had seen some gaur (Bos gaurus) individuals seeking for food near An Bai and Ha Lec villages.

 Transport Minister Nguyen Van The sent a thank-you letter to an old man in the Mekong delta province of An Giang who has diligently repaired potholed streets for years.

 In order to approach choosy markets more easily, Vietnamese enterprises have entered foreign markets by merger and acquisition methods, buying factories or stakes of foreign firms in their countries.

 Nationwide industrial and economic zones attracted over US$8.3 billion in foreign direct investment in 2018, according to a source from the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

 Vehicles completely built-up in Thailand and Indonesia held a combined ratio of 89% of the total vehicle imports to Vietnam in 2018, according to Vietnam Customs.

 Ride-hailing firm Grab Vietnam has filed an appeal against the ruling of the HCMC People’s Court ordering it to pay VND4.8 billion (US$207,100) in compensation to Vinasun, an HCMC-based taxi operator.

 Bamboo Airways, a subsidiary of property developer FLC Group, launched its maiden flight between HCMC and Hanoi City today, January 16, officially making it the fifth Vietnamese airline, the local media reported.

HCMC on January 15 saw 11 gas stations operated by Petrolimex Saigon rolling out self-service, which allows motorists and drivers to refill their own vehicles and make card payments, the local media reported.

 Vietnam will likely have a fifth air carrier in the years to come as local tour operator Vietravel looks to develop its own carrier, called Vietravel Airlines.

 High transaction fees, concerns over security and the habit of using cash have hindered local consumers from making noncash payments, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported, citing banking experts.

VietNamNet Bridge - Many farmers have chopped down coffee trees and shifted to durian and fruit trees after incurring big losses with coffee farming.

 The Traffic Control and Monitoring Center in HCMC will put into operation 762 cameras to monitor traffic and 136 cameras for measuring traffic density in the city, in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion and accidents.

 Vietnam’s total revenue from information and communications technology (ICT) in 2018 reached an estimated US$98.9 billion, according to data released at a meeting yesterday by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Other members of the CPTPP have pledged to cut some 77%-100% of tariff lines on Vietnamese ordinary goods, news site Vietnamplus reported, citing a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

 Police in HCMC’s Tan Binh District on January 15 said in a statement that they had launched an investigation into suspected perfume smuggling by a 35-year-old captain of Vietnam Airlines.

 The largest-ever exhibition of 500 artifacts from sunken vessels dating from the 15th to 18th century will take place at the Vietnam National Museum of History from January 18 to May 18.

 Vietnam is certain to see better-quality foreign investment under the CPTPP.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietcombank and VIB Bank have become the two first Vietnamese banks which have received approval from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to apply Basel II standards.

 Watsons, the leading health and beauty brand in Asia and Eastern Europe, is opening its first store at Ho Chi Minh City's Bitexco Tower on January 17, marking its official entry to the Vietnamese market.