VietNamNet Bridge – Stand on just about any sidewalk in downtown HCM City and you can’t fail to see an oncoming stream of taxis, a welcome sight for passengers during rush hour and rainy days, but quite a nuisance for many others.  

 The Phu Quoc Island ‘smart district’ development requires careful planning to maintain a critically important balance between conventional and modern technology, says the Vietnam Post & Telecommunications Group.

 The HCMC Tourism Association has written to relevant authorities proposing lengthening the visa waiver for citizens of five Western European countries from the current one year to five years and the visa-free stay from 15 days to 30 days.

 Vietnam’s low-cost airline Vietjet’s recently issued 2017 listing prospectus shows that there is about 25% room left for foreign investors, to reach its 49% foreign ownership limit.

 The Government has approved a national programme on fighting crimes through 2020, targeting to reduce the number of penal crimes by five percent as compared to the figure in 2016.

 Vietnam’s logistics sector is expected to make up 8–10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025.

 The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and its Thai counterpart convened the sixth political consultation in Bangkok on February 15, saying that cooperation activities in 2016 reinforced the countries’ strategic partnership.

 Must-see destinations in Lao Cai

 The Son Tra Mountain will become a national tourism site that will host a luxury eco-tour resort complex by 2030, announced a press conference on February 15.

Bun Bo Hue (Hue beef noodle), a popular dish in Thua Thien - Hue central province has become well-known worldwide. US chef Anthony Bourdain calls it the world's best noodle soup in his show on CNN.

 One drops you, trapped and powerless, in the middle of a civil war, while the other uses humor to depict what's it like to start a new life in Europe after escaping the same conflict.

 Vietnam suffered their second loss at the Robot Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship in the Group C action on February 15 in HCM City.

Red Dao ethnic people in Lai Chau boast a special festival during which sneaking into a home to steal things from it is not considered a crime. 

 The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has drafted an action plan to lower logistics costs to 18 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020. 

 Cambodia held a ceremony on February 15 to mark the completion of the restoration of a Vietnam-Cambodia friendship monument in Takeo city of Takeo province.

 As many as 10,000 units of blood are expected to be collected during the Xuan Hong (Red Spring) Festival 2017, which will open on February 18.

 The People’s Committee of HCM City will undertake strong measures to enhance the city’s Provincial Governance and Public Administration Index (PAPI) after the city dropped to the 47th place out of 63 provinces and cities in 2015.

 Vietnamese officers joining UN peacekeeping missions have fulfilled all assigned tasks and highly valued by the UN, mission commanders and international counterparts.

Vietnamese Public Security Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Thanh and his Lao counterpart Sinthavong Sayakon agreed to push ahead with the effective cooperation between the two ministries at their talks in Vientiane on February 15.

 The Ministry of Internal Affairs has awarded Ritsu Nacken, Deputy Representative in Vietnam of the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA), a medal for her dedicated services in her three-year term in the country.