Competition between domestic and foreign retailers was likely to remain fierce this year, requiring Vietnamese businesses to co-operate in order to maintain their market shares, said an official from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy noted the efforts by ASEAN to narrow development gaps among its members at a session of the Commission for Social Development of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

 Advanced International JSC (AIC) has launched a free application named “9999 Tet,” helping users, especially visually-impaired people, access information about the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. 

 Authorities are augmenting support for the Vietnamese workers victimised by a fire at a company in Taiwan on February 6.

 Two Russian tourists were found dead at Pham Van Dong beach, in Nha Trang city in the central province of Khanh Hoa, on February 12.

 Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has approved tasks adjusting the master plan for the central city of Da Nang.

 Six Vietnamese futsal players will train with top-flight Spanish clubs in preparation for coming international tournaments.

 First-class health care facilities nationwide under the management of the health ministry are required to apply electronic health care records starting from March 1, according to a circular issued by the ministry.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a plan to implement the 2018 Law on Vietnam Coast Guard.

Vietnam’s national men’s and women’s football teams are expected to bring home gold medals in the SEA Games 30, which will take place in the Philippines later this year, said Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has inspected the preparations for the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak 2019 at the Tam Chuc Buddhist Cultural Centre in Ba Sao commune, Kim Bang district of the northern Ha Nam province, the host of the event.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh arrived in Pyongyang on February 12, starting his three-day official visit to the DPRK at the invitation of DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

 Four Vietnamese banks were named on the list of the top 500 most valuable banks in the world by the UK-based Brand Finance, a leading independent branded business valuation and strategy consultancy.

Vietnam is paying a heavy price – the increasing costs associated with soil, land and water pollution - for robust economic growth.

The national flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines and the private Vietjet Air continue to dominate the domestic aviation market, but newcomers may begin to take away some market share. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Pu Mat National Park has always been a ‘hot spot’ of illegal poaching for many years. But local authorities say that measures to control poaching are not effective.

 In the current climate, tremendous opportunities have emerged for long term investment in the luxury end of the local real estate market, according to Neil MacGregor, managing director of real estate service provider Savills Vietnam.

 The Vietnamese dong has remained stable against the dollar since the start of the year on the back of improving global risk sentiment, according to a unit of Fitch Group.

VietNamNet Bridge - Having ‘more than enough’ money to buy luxury cars, many Vietnamese men still prefer motorcycles. 

VietNamNet Bridge - A series of new majors for tertiary education has been launched by training establishments.