VietNamNet Bridge - Brewers and pubs are thriving thanks to Vietnamese wine and beer consumption.

 Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien bade farewell to the Vietnam contingent at a simple ceremony in Hanoi on August 8, as they headed for the 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

 Floods in northern Vietnam cause $41 million in damage

ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, with five founding members, namely Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Now the bloc has 10 member nations.

The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat has decided to relieve Ho Thi Kim Thoa of her membership at the Party delegation at the Ministry of Industry and Trade for her violations when she led the Dien Quang Lamp JSC.

 The country’s total retail sales revenue reached nearly 2.24 quadrillion VND ($98.6 billion) in the first seven months of this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 10 percent.

Japan and the Republic of Korea expressed their commitments to supporting Vietnam’s initiatives in addressing regional security challenges on the sidelines of the ongoing 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on August 8.

 Vietnam is a leading information technology (IT) services destination in Asia, heard a press conference in Ho Chi Minh City on August 8 on the upcoming IT service export conference 2017.

 The rates of delayed and cancelled flights of domestic airlines in the first six months of 2017 were 12.2 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, recording a year-on-year fall of 3.6 points and 0.1 points.

 The total automobile sales in the first seven months of 2017 went down 6 percent year-on-year to 154,930 units, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) reported on August 8.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse chaired a ceremony to mark the 50th founding anniversary of ASEAN and 22 years of Vietnam’s accession to the bloc in Hanoi on August 8.

 The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh to the event.

VietNamNet Bridge - As the competition in the domestic retail market heats up, big Vietnamese-owned retail chains are considering neighboring markets like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

VietNamNet Bridge - Can the Mineral Law protect natural resources?

VietNamNet Bridge - The number of smartphone sales declined slightly last month, but consumers continued to spend more on high-end products.  

VietNamNet Bridge - Students only need to get a 12.75 score out of 30 on three exam subjects to be eligible to apply for pedagogical schools. 

 28 talented Vietnamese youth will represent Vietnam to join in SSEAYP 2017 (Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program).

Since the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Vietnam has become a potential market for regional retailers. 

 Foreign investors are rushing to open convenience store chains in Vietnam, which is forecast to become the fastest-growing convenience store market in Asia by 2021.

VietNamNet Bridge - With an aim to promote tourism, local provincial authorities are calling on airlines to open air routes to their areas. Some provinces are even willing to compensate airlines’ losses during the first phase of operation.