VietNamNet Bridge –  A new year has come bringing with it many new opportunities and challenges. Viet Nam News asked some senior business executives and a diplomat how they see prospects for Viet Nam and their own sectors

 Binh Phuoc calls for investment in IPs, Reference exchange rate goes down 1 VND, Garment companies expect to perform better in 2017, January 2017 FDI higher year-on-year

 Teams of Vietnamese students have harvested good results in international Olympiads for many years, bringing fames to the country. Especially, 2016 is the year which is considered the golden year for Vietnamese students in international arena.

 Changes to Vietnam’s legal framework in a host of matters continued apace in 2016.

 VietNamNet Bridge – We understand where the Seven-Storey Waterfalls gets its name from as soon as we see it.

 When meeting Dr. Ha Phuong Thu, only a few can believe that the small-statured woman with a soft Hue accent is a leading scientist.

VietNamNet Bridge - “The surplus in trade with the US is not good at all. A deficit would be more reasonable for developing economies like Vietnam,” said Bui Ngoc Son of the Institute of World Economics and Politics.

 Business leaders in Vietnam remain among the most optimistic in Asia Pacific despite the global economic headwinds.

 VietNamNet Bridge – After a year of taking the industry by storm, three pop bands in HCM City have become new music icons for young audiences.

2016 was a successful year for the real estate market. However, with the fast growth of the economy in general and the real estate market in particular, real estate developers are being forced to diversify products.

 Sacombank saw a business downturn in 2016, Three Vietnamese banks on the list of top 500 valuable banking brands in the world, Vietinbank recorded $378m pre-tax profit in 2016, New coast for Cam Ranh International Seaport

 Nhan Dan launches online Russian version, No fatal traffic accident recorded in HCM City during Tet: police, Foreign visitors to Hanoi rise at Lunar New Year, No deaths in Quảng Nam automobile factory fire

 An out of season  heavy rain pelted HCMC late afternoon yesterday flooding a slew of streets in many districts including Districts 6, 7, Tan Phu, Binh Tan and others. 

The decision to send swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien to the United States for long-term training five years ago has brought about a landmark of changes.

 Shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh and powerlifter Le Van Cong received a hero’s welcome home from fans and words of praise from the public after making history as Vietnam’s first Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists, respectively.

 F&N Dairy Investments has registered to buy 21.77 million of Vinamilk’s shares in February. The company currently owns more than 16.5 million of its shares.

The granting of 30-day single-entry electronic visas to visitors from 40 countries from February 1 is expected to be a breakthrough in attracting foreign tourists to Vietnam.

 The PM has issued Directive No. 03/CT-TTg requesting relevant ministries, sectors and localities to accelerate the development of affordable housing.

 Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given the go-ahead to Hoa Phat's high-profile steel plant in the Dung Quat Economic Zone, newswire thanhnien.vn reported.

 Nem Thuong Village’s traditional pig slaughtering festival in Bac Ninh Province, is still being held in private despite the huge public outcry.