Vietnam’s strongest male badminton players will compete at the Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters which is scheduled for January 9-14 in Bangkok.

As of December 31, 2017, the total assets of the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) reached VND1.05 quadrillion ($46 billion).

It was a positive end for the Vietnamese manufacturing sector in 2017 with the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 52.5 in December from November’s 51.4.

The growth rate of co-working space has been 53 percent globally over the last five years, while in Vietnam, co-working space supply has been growing 58 percent per year.

Vietnam had a successful sporting 2017, and the country’s athletes hope to build on this solid foundation at the Asian Games, the AFF Cup and various domestic and international events.

 An overseas Vietnamese in Australia has purchased the printed version of the photo titled “World’s most beautiful old woman” by French photographer Réhahn Croquevielle for 30,000 USD, according to the photographer.

 Eight more villages in Me Linh and Phu Xuyen districts in Hanoi have recently been recognised as craft villages by the municipal People’s Committee.

The Ministry of Information of Cambodia has presented the Order of Cooperation and Friendship to 12 Vietnamese diplomats and press correspondents in recognition of their sound cooperation with the ministry and other relevant Cambodian agencies.

 A seven-year-high growth rate, being listed among the world’s top 10 cities with fastest tourism growth, and breakthroughs in administrative reforms were some of Hanoi’s achievements in 2017.

 The Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) will organise 15 auctions to offload 559 million shares in January.

 Top 10 economic events of Vietnam in 2017

 Customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport on January 2 reported that they have uncovered a case of transporting African ivory tusks and African ivory tusk products from Hanoi to Thailand.  

 Eleven Japanese films will be screened at the Le Do Cinema in Da Nang City from January 5-7 and 13-14 as part of an annual cultural exchange programme between Japan and the central city.  

 To improve openness and transparency, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has asked contractors to make their bids accessible to the public on the National Procurement Network (NPN).

 Vietnam has a unique opportunity to unlock sector development in the area of innovative healthcare amid the successful conclusion of international trade agreements and the regional integration through the ASEAN Economic Community.

According to the Ministry of Investment and Industry (MOIT), 183 foreign brands have been granted a franchise in Vietnam, mostly from the US, Australia, South Korea and the EU.

 Despite a recent jump in the number of condotels offered to the local market, buyers are at risk of not being given ownership certificates or red books.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) is drafting a plan to maintain special control of units likely to cause pollution in 16 production fields and 28 industrial facilities.

Vietnam has been quick to grasp trends and effectively use radiation and radioisotopes in the healthcare sector, according to Tran Duc Thiep, a member of the National Council for the Development and Application of Atomic Energy. 

VietNamNet Bridge - A representative of a school says the accreditation of higher education establishments in Vietnam is unconvincing as many bad schools can meet the standards.