Criminal charges have been filed against three persons for violating fire safety rules, which led to thirteen deaths in a karaoke bar fire that broke out in Hanoi’s district of Cau Giay in early November.

 Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam has urged ministries and sectors to conduct specific activities to realise Government’s policies of encouraging startups.

 Vietnam is an ideal location for business expansion in the region, according to the United Overseas Bank (UOB)’s Asian Enterprise Survey 2016, published on November 10.

  The People’s Committee of the southern central province of Ninh Thuan on November 12 started delivering over 2,900 tonnes of rice provided by the government to locals hit by the recent drought to help them overcome difficulties.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines on November 11 made urgent contact with authorised agencies in the host country to verify the information of six Vietnamese sailors’ kidnap and seek measures to rescue the victims as soon as possible.

 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has called for brainpower, resources and engagement of overseas Vietnamese (OV) around the world to boost the country’s growth and prosperity in the new period. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Thousands of products from member countries of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), including China, will enjoy a preferential tariff of zero percent.

 The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) said information technology (IT) parks may be financed with VND40-60 billion by the State budget for their initial development period, according to the IT development plan.

 The idea of taxing those owning multiple houses, in a bid to prevent speculation, is causing a stir over whether such a tax is feasible, and the impact it might have on the housing market.

The Mekong Delta region seeks to improve agricultural production and seafood processing by increasing partnerships with countries that have expertise in advanced technologies.

 Work will start on five water treatment plants in the Mekong Delta in 2018 to help the region cope with drought induced by climate change, which wreaked havoc the delta in this year’s dry season, said an official with the Ministry of Construction.

 Small scale production, scattered investment, poor connections and logistics services set big challenges for key economic zones in the coastal central region, considered a major centre of logistics for the country.

 Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung had an interview with the Viet Nam Economic Times about how a constructive government will be put in place.

Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation on November 10 morning started using a new method of navigation called SID/STAR RNAV 1 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in an attempt to reduce flight delays. 

Animals Asia Foundation on November 11 rescued four Asiatic black bears in Pleiku City thanks to the efforts of a local forest protection agency to communicate with the families keeping the bears over the years.

 Local authorities in Phu Quoc Island District in Kien Giang Province are searching for five local fishermen whose photos showing them killing a dolphin were shared on Facebook. 

 The iPhone continues to prove its popularity in Vietnam as thousands of orders were fulfilled when retail stores start selling the device on November 11.

2,628 Vietnamese SMEs participated in a survey conducted by the Central Institute for Economic Management, Copenhagen University, the Institute for Labor Science and Social Affairs, and the World Institute for Development Economics Research.

 The Government will work with automakers to turn the national automobile industry into a key economic sector, contributing to the country’s economic growth and meeting the public’s demand for autos, said Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung.

 The annual Viet Nam Information Security Day 2016 will take place on November 17 in HCM City and December 2 in Ha Noi.