Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on January 25 concluded activities at the 48th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland.

The AAG undersea cable was fully repaired on the night of January 23, restoring full Internet connectivity between Vietnam and foreign countries, two days earlier than scheduled.

The People’s Procuracy of Hanoi on January 25 proposed a life sentence to Trinh Xuan Thanh on the charge of “asset embezzlement” at PetroVietnam Power Land JSC (PVP Land). 

 President: Vietnam treasures comprehensive relations with US, Party chief welcomes US Secretary of Defence, Vietnamese, US defence ministers hold talks

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had bilateral meetings with leaders of Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar on the sidelines of the ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi, India, on January 25.

The State Securities Commission (SSC) has issued a draft regulation requiring the initial margin ratio contracted by securities companies for margin lending to be at least 60 percent, which is expected to take effect in early February. 

 The second National Survey on Women’s Health and Life Experience funded by the Australian Embassy in Vietnam was launched at a workshop in Hanoi on January 25.

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The technical breakdown at HOSE (HCMC Stock Exchange) on January 22 causing a 2-day interruption is estimated to have caused a loss of hundreds of billions of dong. 

 Vietnam is taking important steps towards fulfilling the commitments to international bidding outlined in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, in anticipation of growing investment from the region in the future.

Vietnam, the second largest coffee exporter in the world, is importing more coffee as demand from restaurants, hotels and shops has increased. 

Myanmar is a target market for many Vietnamese ITC conglomerates. Le Dang Dung, deputy CEO of Viettel, a military company, said among the markets Viettel has invested in, Myanmar has the biggest opportunities.

 Vietnam’s startup ecosystem is on the radar of Japanese firms wishing to co-operate with Vietnamese startups and calling for capital from Japan’s funds to develop novel ideas.

 The Ministry of Transport will work with relevant agencies to discuss the possibility of doing away with airport entry/exit fee collections from automobiles following a proposal of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

The project on producing 23,000 PhDs for universities and junior colleges in 2010-2020, or Project 911, capitalized at VND14 trillion, failed at the end of 2016 as many targets were unattainable. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Only 22 percent of the climate-change adaptation plan on protecting forests in coastal areas in 2015-2020 has been implemented.

People are advised to drink alcohol in moderation to maintain drinking as a beauty in Vietnamese culture, especially during festivals, New Year holidays and gatherings.

Vu Dai villagers are now racing against time to prepare their signature braised carp fish to fulfill orders by customers from different parts of the nation as the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday is around the corner.

 Hanoi’s high-end real estate segment is predicted to decrease in supply and see an increasing trend of subdividing villas and townhouses into smaller flats.

 The local home appliances retail market may be dominated by Chinese giants after Alibaba, JD.com and Amazon have forayed into the market, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reports.