There has been great variations in small-scale banks’ bad debts performance in the first half of the year, with some showing great improvements, while others struggle to cope.

 In addition to the retail, beer manufacturing, and plastic sector, Thai investors have increased their investment in the renewable energy sector, with the aim to diversify their operations in Vietnam.

 Vietnam’s instant noodle market is once again positioning itself as a fertile ground for both local and foreign producers, as instant noodle sales recovered in 2017 after two consecutive years of decline. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Tea producers complain that it has become difficult to collect raw materials because Chinese businesses have flocked to cultivation areas to collect tea leaves directly from farmers.

 Vietnam’s great potential in IT and wide-scale smartphone coverage will be the keys for the country to develop its digital economy and seize great opportunities in Industry 4.0. Nguyen Dat reports.

 Vietnamese pop singer My Tam will host a live concert at Jangchung Gymnasium in the Republic of Korea on September 15.

 The new Decree 107/2018/ND-CP on rice export operations, which will take effect on October 1, has yet to remove all barriers hindering local rice traders from exporting rice. 

 While demand for nursing homes is on the rise, there are still many difficulties in opening more skilled nursing facilities.

 The World Health Organisation has ordered seasonal influenza vaccines from Vietnam according to the Ministry of Health.

 Japanese information and technology (IT) firms have been expanding their investment into Viet Nam and hiring more Vietnamese workers, according to experts at the Viet Nam-Japan ICT Day held in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

 Foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments in the first eight months totaled US$24.35 billion, up 4.2 per cent year-on-year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).

 Viet Nam’s trade surplus rose to US$2.8 billion in the first eight months of this year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported yesterday.

The U23+3 football team have been awarded nearly $190,000 in total after being qualified for the men’s semi-final of the Asian Games.  

VietNamNet Bridge - Since Vietnam mostly exports raw coffee instead of processed products, the sharp coffee price fall in the world market has had immediate impact on its exporters and growers.

 The Miss University Vietnam 2018 contest was launched in Hanoi on August 29 for students aged 18-24 nationwide.

 Authorities of Yen Bai province on August 29 successfully deactivated a bomb weighing 350 kilogrammes.

 An international workshop organised by HCM City Open University discusses challenges facing the field of agricultural biotechnology. (Photo courtesy of the Open University)

 The Japan ICT Day 2018 was opened in Hanoi on August 29, themed “Vietnam-Japan IT Cooperation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

 President Tran Dai Quang’s state visits to Ethiopia and Egypt from August 23-28 have created new momentum for bilateral relations between Vietnam and the two countries, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam has said. 

 More than 200 organisation representatives and individuals came to the US Embassy in Hanoi to extend their sympathies over the passing of US Senator John McCain from August 27-29, according to the embassy.