The average bonus given to Vietnamese workers for Tet is 4.9 million VND (218 USD) per worker, almost equivalent to a month’s average salary and 96 percent of last year’s level of 5.1 million VND (227 USD).

 Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu held talks in Hanoi on January 13 with his Hungarian counterpart Gergely Gulyas, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from January 12-16.  

 The National Assembly plans to pass 24 bills and debate 14 other draft laws in 2017, along with considering many important policies, stated NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in a New Year interview with Vietnam News Agency.

 The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) will work to foster relations between Vietnam and China in a long-term and sustainable manner.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Only around 100 wild elephants, and an additional 60 in captivity, remain in Viet Nam, with most living in Dak Lak, Dong Nai and Nghe An provinces, a conference on elephant conservation heard on Wednesday.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Animal protection group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has listed HCM City among the top 10 havens for vegans and vegetarians in Asia.

The HCM City Tourism Association has sought the continuation of an existing visa waiver for citizens of five Western European countries (UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy) and the addition of India and Australia to the list.

Thousands of pedestrians recently crowded Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in HCM City to enjoy a multi-disciplinary Street Art Contest featuring hip-hop dance, a street symphony orchestra, rock bands, a magic show and other performances.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Urbanisation and a sharp increase in population have presented a number of challenges for Ha Noi, one of which is the collection and treatment of household waste in a way that causes minimal impact to the environment.

VietNamNet Bridge - For foreign investors, most Vietnamese startups copy foreign ideas and develop ideas locally. However, many Vietnamese startups are creative and have brought big money to their owners.

VietNamNet Bridge – At least 2,300 swimming pools must be built to accommodate swimming lessons for public high school students, according to HCM City Department of Culture and Sports.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Customs Department of HCM City on Wednesday said it would cut by half the amount of processing time to complete customs documents for import and export businesses.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Five workers of a private business specialising in aquatic product processing died due to suffocation under suspicious circumstances on Thursday in southern Phu Yen Province.

  Computer viruses caused losses of VND10.4 trillion (US$470 million) in 2016, surpassing the VND8.7 trillion the year before, according to the latest report from the BKAV Technology Group.

 The Asia-America Gateway (AAG) submarine cable broke once again, causing bandwidth loss from Viet Nam to Hong Kong, Singapore and the US.

 Ha Noi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Joint Stock Corporation (Habeco) will start trading with code BHN on the HCM Stock Exchange (HOSE) on January 19, the southern bourse announced on Wednesday.

 The Import and Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade on Wednesday recommended firms study their trade partners carefully in order to avoid risks in international trade.

 The rate of enterprises registering online is expected to reach 30 per cent this year, said Tran Thi Hong Minh, head of the Business Registration Management Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

 Vietnam’s national football squad is placed 136th with 218 points in the latest FIFA rankings, two notches lower than that in the previous month.

 The 2017 Vietnamese Film Day will be organised in the Republic of Korea (RoK) for the first time, as part of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the RoK.