Cities have played an important role in human society for centuries. But it is only recently that the majority of the world’s population has begun to live in such close proximity. 

 A tropical low depression operating in the eastern offshore Philippines is predicted to develop into this year’s eleventh typhoon and hitting the East Sea, warned the National Hydrology Meteorology Forecast Center this morning. 

 Downpours triggered by the tropical low pressure system over the past two days have threatened to overflow reservoirs and have caused serious damage to houses and roads across the northern and central regions.

468 medium- to small-scale hydroelectric plants situated in hilly areas were struck off the national power development programme in the 2011-2020 period due to economic constraints.

 By the end of 2017, Vietnam will see soaring foreign investment capital, reaching $28 billion with an expected record in disbursed FDI capital of $17 billion. 

 The FDI HCM City team played outstandingly to defeat nine-time defending champions New South Wales 6-3 and won the title for men 50-59 years at the Australian Open Veterans Table Tennis Championships on October 11.

An eight-year-old primary school student in Quang Nam has died of diphtheria, while six other students aged four to 12 have been infected with the disease in the mountainous Tra Van commune of Nam Tra My District.

 Six wild elephants went on a rampage in a village in Nghe An Province and destroyed crops on October 10.

 A landslide in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh has buried eight local households, causing nine deaths, while 10 others have been left trapped.

 The Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR) has revised its 2017 growth forecast for Vietnam up to 6.64% in its latest report from its previous projection of 6.37%.

 The Ministry of Finance has turned down Xuan Kien Automobile JSC (Vinaxuki) Chairman Bui Ngoc Huyen’s proposal to be given more bank loans to resume his firm’s Made-in-Vietnam car dream.

 The Government projects a GDP growth of 6.7 percent in 2017 in a report submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee on October 12 during the Committee’s 15th session in Hanoi. 

 Car sales in September plummeted, according to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA).

 Viet Nam’s foreign exchange reserves are at an all-time high of US$45 billion, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said.

The Vietnam-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee on Military Technical Cooperation convened its 19th meeting in Hanoi on October 12. 

 The Government has issued Resolution 104/NQ-CP on streamlining administrative procedures and citizens’ documents related to resident management in the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry. 

 Touting it as a win-win deal for everyone, banks and insurance companies in Vietnam are promoting the “bancassurance” model to exploit a market with huge untapped potential.

 Some 400 delegates from 20 countries and territories will attend the 21st Annual Conference of the Asian Science Park Association (ASPA) scheduled for October 19-21 in Ho Chi Minh City. 

 Vietnam's e-commerce growth forecast to double by 2020

VietNamNet Bridge - More and more players have joined the ice cream market recently.