HCM City and Hanoi have the highest number of overweight children with children in city centres more obese than children in the suburbs.

Hoi An lanterns with the logos of APEC Vietnam 2017 and central Quang Nam province will be presented as special gifts for delegates attending the ongoing APEC Finance Ministers Meeting October 19-21 in the ancient town of Hoi An.

VietNamNet Bridge - Nearly 100 percent of petroleum imports are now from South Korea. This occurred after the import tariff was cut to 10 percent. 

 Ho Chi Minh City hopes for assistance from the US Government and businesses to local startup and innovation activities as well as smart city building, said Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan.

 Vietnam is seen as an active and responsible member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) with substantive contributions to the IPU Assembly, said Chairman of the National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau.

 This year’s winter is forecasted to come later but be colder than the previous three years, said an expert from the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

 There are only two months left until January 1, 2018, the date set for the nation to switch from RON A92 petrol to bio-fuel E5, but the plan is facing problems. 

 The Ministry of Health has proposed more details to complete the bill to legalise sex reassignment surgery for those aged over 18.

To ensure delivery of HIV treatment services, the health sector in HCM City is accelerating coverage of health insurance for HIV patients as donor funding for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and treatment will end in a few years.

 Foreign bands in recent years have stepped up their efforts to “stay in the game” as Vietnamese bands appear to be regaining popularity in the local music scene.

 The annual Vietnam Open tennis tournament will be held from October 21 to 29 in Ho Chi Minh City.

 First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (Central Committee Le Quoc Phong met with Chairman of the Young Guard of United Russia Denis Davidov in Sochi, Russia on October 18.

The teaching and learning of spoken and written ethnic minority languages in Vietnam is facing a range of difficulties, heard a seminar held in Hanoi on October 18. 

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh has expressed her hope for stronger cooperation in all spheres with Finland while meeting Finnish officials and entrepreneurs during her official visit to this European country from October 16-19.

 The central city of Da Nang is redoubling efforts to complete preparations for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, slated for early November.

 Vietnam won two bronze medals at the three-day Asian Canoe Sprint Championships, which closed in Shanghai, China on October 18.

 Shares declined on the HCM Stock Exchange on October 18 as investors looked for short-term profits when the VN Index reached the intraday high of 831 points.

 National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan arrived in Hanoi in the evening of October 18, concluding her three-day official visit to Kazakhstan.

 VietNamNet Bridge - "Inclusive Growth" is one of the four priorities proposed by Vietnam for APEC 2017 cooperation.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam can control up to 70.5 percent of seed production technology, with 90 percent for purebred rice and 66 percent for hybrid rice.