French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will pay an official visit to Vietnam from November 2-4 at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

 The number of airline passengers could double to 8.2 billion in 2037, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a 20-year forecast on October 24.

 The Vietnam Report Company, in collaboration with Vietnamnet newspaper, announced the Top 10 most prestigious retailers in Vietnam in 2018 on October 25.

 National carrier Vietnam Airlines plans to replace its fleet of ATR aircraft with new-generation regional jet aircraft containing about 100 seats in order to improve the efficiency of operation and service quality on short routes.

 Vietnam and the EU will continue efforts to complete procedures so as to officially sign, ratify and enforce the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, said the Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang. 

 The Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) on October 25 announced the outcomes of its 30th session held in Hanoi on October 17-19, giving conclusions on wrongdoings at a number of Party organisations.

 The Thoi Lai waste-to-energy plant in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is expected to be put into official operation in late November. 

 The border guard force in the central province of Ha Tinh and authorized forces on October 25 arrested two men who were smuggling 32 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and ten bricks of heroin from Laos to Vietnam.

 Legislators will begin discussions on socio-economic issues on October 26, the fifth working day of the 14th National Assembly’s sixth session. 

A 2.7-magnitude  earthquake was reported in Bac Tra My district of Quang Nam on October 25, according to the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST)’s Institute of Geophysics. 

The 14th National Assembly conducted a vote of confidence on 48 officials holding positions elected and approved by the legislature during its sixth session in Hanoi on October 25. 

Emerging brands have been taking action to strengthen their presence in the domestic smartphone market. However, the face of the market is expected to stay the same in the near future.

VietNamNet Bridge - Commenting that there is big gap in human resources, Le Cong Thanh, an AI expert, believes that Vietnam lacks expertise to develop artificial intelligence (AI). 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment 2017 found that the current total forest area has now reached 14,415,381 hectares, including 10,236,415 hectares of natural forests, an increase of 5,726 hectares over 2016.

Reports by state management agencies all show increases in the number of businesses dissolved. 

The number of foreign investors given by the firms’ high growth prospects and the government’s effective actions in improving the country’s business and investment environment.

Vietnamese bankers have all announced that they will digitalize banking transactions, but only a few banks have kicked off the process.

 Strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries as well as Vietnam’s high economic growth and improved business environment will usher in a new wave of Japanese investment in the South East Asian country, experts said.

VietNamNet Bridge - The number of hotels in Vietnam in 2017 increased by 21.9 percent, a high growth rate compared with the 10.5 percent in 2016. 

 Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich is leading a high-level military delegation on a trip to China to take part in the 8th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which runs from October 24 to 26.