Below is a selection of five highlights of Vietnamese education in 2018.

 Taiwan has asked Vietnam to join forces in investigating the disappearance of 152 Vietnamese people who arrived on tourist visas in the territory last week, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 The HCMC government plans to hire a consultant to look into the safety of the underground diaphragm walls along the city’s first metro line between the landmark Ben Thanh Market and the Opera House in District 1.

 How well can a symphony orchestra mimic a rock band? The answer will be clear on January 9 when HBSO mount their New Year Gala “Rock Symphony” concert.

 A wide variety of unique art programmes will be staged in the capital city of Hanoi on the evening of December 31 to celebrate New Year 2019.

 Viet Nam has leapt to become Southeast Asia’s top grossing market for initial public offerings in 2018 with total proceeds of US$2.6 billion.

 More than 16,600 cases of smuggling and trade fraud have been uncovered this year, up 10 per cent against last year, the General Department of Viet Nam Customs reported.

 A tropical low pressure is entering the East Sea and is likely to strengthen into a typhoon with complicated developments, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate the disappearance of 152 Vietnamese in Taiwan and strictly punish anyone involved in the case.

 Lower water levels in reservoirs and barren farmland can be easily seen in many parts of the south-central and Central Highlands region even though it is the rainy season, reports the Countryside Today newspaper.

 Binh Dien Long An defended their women’s title at the National Volleyball Championship in Buon Ma Thuot  City in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Thursday.

 Four workers at Duyen Hai Thermal Power Plant in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh died of gas suffocation yesterday.

VietNamNet Bridge - Chinese import management agencies are planning to tighten control over rice imports early next year.

 Exports of footwear, suitcases and bags of all kinds are estimated at 19.5 billion USD in 2018, according to the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO).

VietNamNet Bridge - Many retailers have reported losses, but they are continuing to pour more money into Vietnam to expand their networks.

Van Don International Airport in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh will officially open on December 30.

 The manufacturing and processing sector garnered the most interest from foreign investors in 2018, attracting 16.58 billion USD, or 47 percent of the registered capital.

 The General Department of Vietnam Customs estimates the country’s trade surplus this year at 7.21 billion USD, 5.1 billion USD higher than the figure registered last year.

 Vietnam’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 7.08 percent in 2018, the highest in the past 11 years, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced on December 27. 

 The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has set up seven teams to keep special watch over the budget carrier Vietjet Air from December 28, 2018 to January 15, 2019.