Indonesia and Thailand, Vietnam’s two major car exporters, are trying to provide the Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) certificates to reopen car exports to the country after Decree 116 tightened quality checks.

 Hanoi set the target to turn into a smart city by 2030 in accordance to the capital's revised information and technology strategy in the 2016-2020 period.

 Grave air pollution in Vietnam’s cities and towns, especially Hanoi, continues to cause severe health problems for Vietnam’s growing urban population. However, no effective measures have been taken to deal with the situation.

 A gigantic project – worth over $37 billion – to build a synchronous smart city project in northern Hanoi may have to wait some time before being realised, due to an absence of specific criteria for this type of development.

 Dana-Y and Dana-Uc steel factories will have to suspend their operation indefinitely due to violations of wastewater discharge regulations.   

 Internet-based sharing services such as Grab, Uber, and Airbnb have taken Vietnam by storm in 2017. Various legal concerns still linger, but experts believe that the sharing economy is here to stay.

A mass performance in celebration of the Ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) was held along Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street on March 4, attracting 3,000 people from different ages and careers.

Mong ethnic women in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien have been competing to see who can crochet the best patterns, attracting a large crowd of spectators in the early Lunar New Year.

The eastern part of the city will still be hot in 2018, while infrastructure works in the western part will attract house and apartment buyers, analysts say.

 The 8th HDBank Cup International Open Chess Tournament is set to take place in Hanoi from March 9-16.

 Motorcycle ride-hailing transportation provider Go-Jek from Indonesia has recruited experts to advise for its expansion in Vietnam to break the dominance of Uber and Grab, according to newswire TheLEADER.

 Leading seafood firm Minh Phu Corporation is planning to return to the stock exchange following a lucrative year in business.

 Events in Hanoi & HCMC on March 5-11 

Vietnam and the EU are likely to sign the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement soon, Daniel Muller, ASEAN Regional Manager for the German Asia-Pacific Business Association, said in an interview granted to VNA reporters in Germany.

 Nine Vinaconex officials have been on a 10-day trial starting by Hanoi People's Court from March 5 following the Da River water pipeline’s 18 major water leaks caused by low-quality construction.

 Small retail stores in HCM City are losing customers as convenience stores have boomed in the recent years.

 The Sa Giang Import and Export Joint Stock Company has reported a net profit of VNĐ30.5 billion ($1.34 million) on a turnover of VNĐ290.7 billion (US$12.8 million) last year.

 Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) plans to sell more than 158 treasury shares to foreign investors.

 Saigon Heat are close to assuring a spot in the play-off round after defeating the CLS Knights of Indonesia 114-86 in the Asian Basketball League, while playing at home on Saturday in HCM City.

 Vietnamese and Italian designers and architects will gather in Hanoi to celebrate Italian Design Day.