A coach carrying 23 teachers and students plunged into a ravine while driving across Hai Van Pass in Thua Thien-Hue Province on January 8, leaving one student dead and many others injured, the local media reported.

 Cau Vang (Golden Bridge) at Sun World Ba Na Hills tourist site in Danang City has been named the most favorite check-in destination in Vietnam in 2018 at WeChoice Awards.

 A leader of PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) has been arrested for abuse of power in a headline-grabbing economic mismanagement case at Hanoi-based Ocean Commercial Bank (OceanBank).

 King Ngo Quyen, famous for his historic Bach Dang victory in 938, expelled the South Han troops from the border, opening a new era of independence and self-reliance for the Vietnamese people.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to help raise Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.3 percent, according to an official of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).  

 Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has made a public apology for the inappropriate use of a state car for private purpose, a move that is rarely seen in Vietnam’s politics.

 Construction started on January 8 for Vietnam’s largest high-tech tra fish farming project in Binh Phu commune, Chau Phu district, in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

 The 30th session of the 14th National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee will be held on January 10 in Hanoi, said a statement of the NA Office.

 Up to 70 percent of the 3,000 import-export firms polled nationwide said they want simpler administrative procedures, as reported at a conference in Hanoi on January 8.

 After nearly a month of construction, the mural street in Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province has become an attractive destination for many local residents and visitors.

 The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has selected 10 top events in fields under its management in 2018. 

 Four former executives of Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC (BSR) will be brought to trial on January 21 for the charge of “abusing position and power to appropriate assets”, according to the Hanoi People’s Court.

 Vietnamese duo Ly Hoang Nam and Le Quoc Khanh failed to win their first men’s doubles match at the Vietnam Tennis Open Da Nang City 2019 on January 7 against Ayeni Alafia of the US and Stefan Vujic of Australia.

 Vietnam’s economy is forecast to grow by 6.8-6.9 percent in 2019 on the back of sound economic performance in 2018, according to the Vietnam Macro-Economic Outlook 2019, which was announced in Ho Chi Minh City on January 8. 

 The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) announced on January 8 that it has presented an Aircraft Operator Certificate (AOC) to Bamboo Airways, allowing the airline to begin commercial flights. 

 Vietnam lost 2-3 to Iraq in their first match of Group D in the AFC Asian Cup 2019, which took place in Zayed Sport City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on January 8.

 One Vietnamese sailor has died and two others are still missing after the Vietnamese oil tanker Aulac Fortune caught fire off the coast of Hong Kong on January 8, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

 Thanh Ha district of northern Hai Duong province is taking steps to conserve and utilise the genetic resource of an almost-200-year-old lychee tree believed to be the origin of the local lychee specialty.

 Globalisation is facing significant challenges due to the US-China trade dispute, Brexit, and protectionism in various countries. With the impact of disruptive technology transformations, how can Vietnamese enterprises compete in a global market?

VietNamNet Bridge - Though continuing investment in their production bases, foreign-invested automobile manufacturers in Vietnam are placing high expectations on car imports.