The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee decided on October 16 to extend the pilot e-visa programme for foreign visitors to Vietnam by another two years.

 The first-ever Vietnamese male model contest was officially launched in Vietnam on October 16, with the aim of seeking Vietnamese representatives to compete in international contests next year.

 A national plan on bird flu control during 2019-2025 will have a budget of 762 billion VND (over 32.6 million USD), it was reported at a conference in Hanoi on October 16.

 The Ban Flower Festival 2019 in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien will feature activities imbued with the cultural identities of the northwest region. 

 More than 2,500 athletes from nearly 50 countries and territories worldwide have registered to join the Hanoi International Heritage Marathon 2018 which will take place in the capital city on October 21, heard a press conference on October 16.

 The structure of state budget expenditures is set to improved, of which, regular spending continues to decline and expenditure for development investment is going to increase.

 Vietnam enjoyed a strong increase in January-September exports, particularly to China, which raised imports from Vietnam, such as smartphones, computers, electronics and components.

 The 15th Regional Congress on Geology, Mineral and Energy Resources of Southeast Asia (GEOSEA XV) opened in Hanoi on October 16 with the participation of more than 500 delegates. 

 The Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City organised the Women in Vietnam Conference in the city on October 16 as an activity to mark the Vietnamese Women’s Day (October 20).

VietNamNet Bridge - OTT TV is a playing field where Vietnamese players’ rivals are all ‘giants’, from Facebook to Google to Netflix. 

Advertising campaigns and big money spent on activities still cannot familiarize Vietnamese with the habit of using environmentally friendly bags to ease the burden on the environment.

If the US-China trade war escalates, Vietnam would have opportunities to boost exports to both markets. Meanwhile, the US is considering allowing Vietnam to continue exporting catfish to the country.

 The first bus-rapid-transit (BRT) project in Hanoi has failed to fulfill 50% of its designed capacity two years after its debut, news website Nguoi Lao Dong reported.

Out of the 12 pillars, Vietnam made progress in just four, stood still in one, and slipped in seven. 

The number of startups registered in Vietnam had amounted to 18,000 units as of April last year, with generous support from the Government, provinces and cities.  

 The signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will create a big step in Vietnam’s government procurement field as foreign investors will be allowed to take part in the market for the first time.

 The Vietnam – Germany Hospital inaugurated a tissue bank, the first of its kind in Vietnam, on October 16. 

 Minister of Defence Ngo Xuan Lich will lead the Vietnamese delegation to take part in the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and 5th ADMM-Plus in Singapore from October 18 to 20.

 The Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Belgium announced at a joint press conference in Brussels on October 16 that they had agreed to promote cooperation between the two countries in multiple fields.

 The National Assembly (NA) will elect the State President at the beginning of the sixth session, said NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Nguyen Hanh Phuc at the NA Standing Committee’s 28th meeting on October 16.