Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh on Wednesday decided to repeal regulations on rice exports and traders as they have become hurdles in the expansion of the sector.

 The agriculture sector, especially hi-tech agriculture, has caught the attention of domestic giant firms, such as Vingroup, Hoa Phat and Hoang Anh Gia Lai, creating a new wave of investment.

 According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), import turnover for cars in December 2016 increased in both quantity and value, making the year’s total annual car imports finish at $2.3 billion.

 The People’s Court of Hanoi on Wednesday sentenced to prison five members of a group for illegally selling arms.

 Nguyen Ha Dong, creator of Flappy Bird, said he will provide funding for student projects, with a maximum budget of VND200 million (US$8,810) per project.

 Agricultural group Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Company has issued bonds worth VND930 billion (US$41.3 million) to a financial institution, it said in a filing to the HCM Stock Exchange.

 The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has set a credit growth target of 18 per cent for this year, and it pledged to continue measures to keep credit growth suitable to the country’s economic development.

Chung cake, green bananas, pork pies, peach and kumquat trees are much sought after when the Lunar New Year festival or Tet is nearing.

 Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will accept the formal invitation of numerous Vietnamese leaders and make their first-ever visit to Vietnam in early March, reports the Japan Today newspaper.

 The Red Sunday programme will take place across 25 provinces and cities nationwide this year, with 40 blood donation events scheduled.

  Vietnam International Bank (VIB) will make its debut on the market for unlisted public companies (UPCoM) on January 9, offering around 564.4 million shares at the starting price of VND17,000 each.

 A classical concert featuring guitarist Tran Tuan An will take place at the French Cultural Exchange Center, L'Espace, in Hanoi on January 7.

 The Dung Quat Economic Zone (EZ) Authority aims to attract US$2.5-3 billion investments in the zone by 2020, quangngai.gov.vn reports.

Three news sites in Vietnam have been fined a total VND80 million for publishing articles with inappropriate content about convicted child sex offender comedian Minh Beo.

 16 national treasures will be displayed for the first time at the National Museum of Vietnamese History.

 The State Bank of Vietnam announced they intend to restructure five banks this year.

 More challenges and difficulties will face the local economy in 2017, said Nguyen Duc Thanh, head of the Vietnam Institute for Economics and Policy Research.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The HCMC government will implement 80 traffic infrastructure projects with total capital of VND39,263 billion (US$1.72 billion) this year in a bid to ease congestion,

 VietNamNet Bridge – LaBrassBanda band who has been known for its trademark mixture of Bavarian folk music and ska-punk will perform at 3A Station in HCMC’s District 1 on January 11. The city will be the first destination on their world tour.

Chinese tourists have made up half of international arrivals to Nha Trang City in the central province of Khanh Hoa this year, forcing the local government to find ways to diversify its source markets, instead of heavily depending on China.