The Ministry of Finance has proposed increasing import duty on coal instead of reducing it for the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) to cope with difficulties, Vietnamnet news website reports.

 The Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) has proposed a limit be placed on foreign investment in steel projects making products that domestic enterprises are able to produce.

 The Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, is visiting Vietnam from July 26 to 30.

 After two weeks of lowering lending interest rates for short-term dong loans following the central bank’s cue, several commercial banks have reduced their deposit interest rates.

Vietnam attracted US$21.93 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first seven months of this year, a surge of 52 per cent year-on-year, according to the latest Foreign Investment Agency statistics.

 Two police officers in Binh Thuan Province died Thursday, July 27, from injuries sustained in a collision after the transport vehicle they were riding in was struck from behind by an out of control tractor-trailer.

 The equitisation of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) needs to be made in a substantive and comprehensive manner, and all violations, especially at big loss-making firms, must been strictly handled, an official has said.

Rice cooperation between Vietnam and Australia is growing strongly and will continue to head upwards in the years to come. 

 Two venues for street vendors will be opened in HCM City at the end of August according to local authorities.

 A video of a quarrel between a Vietnamese coach assistant and two foreign passengers has gone viral on the internet.

VietNamNet Bridge - With the landing of more foreign fashion brands in Vietnam, only a small space in the market is being left for domestic brands.

 The Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Algeria’s northeastern province of Annaba recently held a seminar to discuss trade cooperation between the two countries.

 Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh has highlighted advanced defence cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba, describing this as a pillar and model for bilateral collaboration in other fields. 

Secretary General of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments invited HCM City to be an associate member of the NEAR while being received by Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem on July 26.

HCM City faces high risks of land erosion in the rainy season due to invasion of river banks, canals, illegal sand mining, together with climate change causing rains, storms and rising sea levels.

Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son urged the business community in APEC economies to actively join the forum’s activities this year.

 Plans to strengthen cooperation between Vietnam and Israel were discussed at the second meeting of the Vietnam-Israel Intergovernmental Committee for Economics, Science and Technology in Tel Aviv, Israel  from July 24-26.

 A delegation of foreign military attachés in Vietnam on July 26 visited the Hanoi-based Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC), where they were briefed on post-war bomb and mine pollution in the country. 

 The Viettel Telecom Corporation launched its contest “Viet Nam Internet of Things Hackathon 2017” on Monday with total prizes of VND600 million (US$26,700).

 Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (BSR) reported satisfactory business results in the first half of this year after the company enjoyed the self-regulated pricing mechanism for its products.