The first Zika virus infection in the southern province of Long An was announced by the provincial Health Department at a press conference on October 24, raising the total number of infections in the country to 11.

 The US Department of Commerce (DOC) last week announced the preliminary results of the administrative review of the anti-dumping duty imposed on some of Vietnam’s oil country tubular goods (OCTG).

 The ASEAN Regional Business Council (RBC) has been launched in Hanoi with the aim of promoting public-private cooperation on the most pressing issues facing Southeast Asia.

  The high-level dialogue between the National Steering Committee on Climate Change and development partners took place in Hanoi on October 25, aiming to seek measures to help Vietnam in climate change mitigation. 

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had talks with his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith in Hanoi on October 25, thanking the latter’s sympathy for the flood-caused damage in the central region of Vietnam. 

 Myanmar President Htin Kyaw and his wife arrived in Hanoi on October 25 for a State-level visit to Vietnam from October 26-28 at the invitation of President Tran Dai Quang.

VietNamNet Bridge - A big change in policy has made this the right time for investors to inject money into shares.

 The Government has mapped out a budget plan for 2016-2020 with a 1.65-fold increase in revenues despite lower-than-expected results in the past five years.

VietNamNet Bridge – Speaking about territorial disputes in the East Sea, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry asserted, "Russia has no intention to participate. We adhere to the principle of not taking to any side in the dispute."

VietNamNet Bridge - The exchange market has been more peaceful than ever in the last 10 months with excess liquidity, stable exchange rates and record-high foreign exchange reserves.

The HCMC People’s Committee has allowed Japanese Sekisui Company to build a water containing reservoir with polypropylene material which aims to ease flooding during heavy rain and high tide. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The 4G market has been activated with licenses having been granted to Viettel and VNPT, with more newcomers on the way. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Students from the first to the fifth grades of some primary schools in HCMC have a new extracurricular subject – Scientific Experiments for Fun. The new learning subject has raised controversy.

 Corruption remains complex and widespread and yet to be repulsed, says a Government report submitted to the National Assembly (NA).

 Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) on October 24 secured approval to sell non-convertible bonds worth VND2 trillion (US$89.3 million) at par value.

Foreign shipping lines will have to publicise charges, surcharges of freight services, and charges for port services for containerised goods, as the draft decree on the issue has been submitted to the Vietnamese government for approval.

 VietNamNet Bridge – On the occasion of the 29th National Diplomatic Conference which took place in Hanoi last week, VietNamNet talked with Mr. Tran Viet Thai, Deputy Director of the Strategic Research Institute of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. 

The Ministry of Construction is seeking strategic investors in the Urban and Industrial Zone Development Investment Corporation, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation, the Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation, and the Song Da Corporation.

 The Ministry of Science and Technology has ordered an investigation into chaotic scenes where staff and members of the public were recorded taking away fake fashion products which were earmarked for destruction.

 The Government will consider the possibility of letting poor performing commercial banks go bankrupt, instead of  them as it did in the past, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has said.