Events in Vietnam's major cities from February 1 to 28. Daily updated

For scores of women in the epicenter of the Zika outbreak in Brazil, the joy of pregnancy has given way to fear. 

 VietNamNet Bridge - Singha Asia Holding Pte Ltd (Singha) has transferred $650 million to theMasan Group.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The plan to purchase the remaining 15% capital of Prime Group has been approved by SCG leaders, with capital of more than $60 million.

 Ten days before the Lunar New Year, thousands of wild peach trees and branches were carried by trucks and coaches from the northern mountain provinces of Lao Cai, Son La and Dien Bien to the cities of Hanoi, Hai Phong...

 Europe's largest lender, HSBC, is imposing a hiring and pay freeze across the bank globally in 2016, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

 Surrounded by a crowd in a corner of the Centre of the Old Quarter's Culture Exchange, artisan Nguyen Dang Giap spreads colours carefully on different woodblocks to create a Dong Ho folk painting.

VietNamNet Bridge - VCB Securities believes that the bad-debt ratio of the national economy may be as high as 11.02 percent.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Visitors can find endless hours of relaxation, explore small sections of history and gorge on fresh seafood in Quy Nhon, a peaceful city on the central coast.

Investors want legal framework for PPP improved, Apartment buildings likely to be categorized, Vietnam’s economy to grow at 6.7-6.8% in 2016, Transport Ministry's GrabCar pilot project launched, Apartment proposal draws mixed reactions

 Hanoi pardons 145 prisoners ahead of Lunar New Year, Fresh cold snap to hit Hanoi, northern Vietnam this week, Another 17 fishermen repatriated from Indonesia, No change in electricity price in short term: deputy minister

 Becamex Binh Duong defeated Ha Noi T&T 2-0 to receive the Vietnamese Super Cup trophy at Thanh Hoa Stadium in the central province of Thanh Hoa on Saturday.

 After falling short in two previous seasons of Vietnam Project Runway – a reality television series for up-and-coming designers, the 23-year-old student Tien Truyen won the show at the grand finale on Saturday night.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called for investigations into a series of grim incidents which took place over the weekend in the northern province of Quang Ninh and central province of Da Nang.

 For most Vietnamese, Tet (Lunar New Year festival) has actually begun with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ceremony on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year, which falls on February 1 this year.

  The annual “Xuan Que Huong” (Homeland Spring) programme, a run-up to the Lunar New Year festival, was held in Hanoi on January 31with a string of cultural activities for overseas Vietnamese (OVs).

 Chairman of the Consultative Assembly of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdullah Bin Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Sheikh arrived in Hanoi on January 31, starting his four-day visit to Vietnam.

 Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on January 30 held a reception for a delegation from the Overseas Vietnamese (OV) community, who returned home to attend the “Xuan que huong” (Homeland Spring) programme.

 In recent weeks, both sides of Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in District 5, HCMC have been brightened up by the red and yellow colors of parallel sentences, hand scrolls, lucky money envelopes... for the Lunar New Year 2016.

 Vietnam called on all countries to actively and pragmatically contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, and respect international law, said Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh.