San Art and Manzi Art Space have co-organised artist Vo Tran Chau’s first solo exhibition, Lingering at the Peculiar Pavilion, which opens on Saturday at 6.30pm.

 On March 5, Salon Saigon will host an interactive experimental concert featuring American multi-genre musician and sound installation artist Alec Schachner and Vietnamese composer Vu Nhat Tan.

She, a free concert to express love and respect for women, will take place at the SOUL Convention Complex on March 11.

A music night presenting jazz manouche, also known as Gypsy jazz, will be held on March 11, at 8pm, at L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi. 

Vietnam’s small businesses are among the fastest growing and most confident in the region, according to new survey data released on March 2.

 Vietnamese pharmaceutical market harbours immense potential, but domestic enterprises are exploiting only half of this at best.

 Most local companies have shown optimism about business results in 2016, providing momentum for further growth in 2017.

 The export of wood and wood products is expected to fetch US$8 billion this year, up from US$7.3 billion last year.

Olympian sharpshooter Hoang Xuan Vinh fell just short of making it through to the final round of the 50m Pistol at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup.

 As many as 150 cherry blossom trees and 7,000 cherry blossom branches imported from Japan will be put on show in downtown Hanoi as part of a Japanese cultural exchange in Hanoi slated for March 10 – 12. 

Outstanding performances of folk music that used to be played at the communual houses have helped music lovers experience the unique cultural atmosphere of villages in northern Vietnam. 

 The national index of industrial production (IIP) rose by 2.4 percent year-on-year in the first two months of 2017, according to the latest report of the General Statistics Office.

 Vietnam is to suspend import of five agricultural commodities from India, which are peanuts, cassia alata seeds, cocoa seeds, French bean seeds and tamarind from India due to the high risk of them containing insects.

Vietnam and India held their 10th defence policy dialogue at deputy ministerial level in Hanoi on March 1, focusing on the implementation of the agreement reached between the two countries.

Preparations for the first APEC Senior Officials Meeting have been completed after the SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH, the SOM Friends of the Chair on Connectivity and the Policy Support Unit concluded their final meetings.

 President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse hosted a State banquet in Hanoi on March 1 in honour of Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, who are on their State visit to Vietnam from February 28 – March 5. 

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked ministries and sectors to work together to build growth scenarios for each sector and field, towards realising the targets of a 6.7 percent growth and 4 percent inflation in 2017. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Hoan Kiem District police in Ha Noi have slapped a woman with a fine of VND6 million (US$266) for littering a pavement.

 VietNamNet Bridge – No list of Ha Noi’s best reading spots would be complete without a mention of the BFree library.

After winning first prize at the 12th national creativity competition for youth, two students from Da Nang will go to Japan to attend an international exhibition in May to display their Braille printer.