Hastening the disbursement of ODA and preferential loans remains a huge task for the remaining two months of this year in the context of increasing public debts and limited resources, said Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh.

 Foreign military attachés in Vietnam took part in a shooting exchange at the Mieu Mon national training centre in Hanoi on October 18. 

 The Government has approved the granting of electronic visa for foreign visitors to Vietnam from early next year, said the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (VNAT).

 Veteran German band Scorpions will be special guests at the Monsoon Music Festival 2016 scheduled to take place at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi from October 21 to 23, reports Vietnamplus.

VietNamNet Bridge - Is Vietnam capable of controlling the international transportation railway, or will it be controlled by Chinese companies?

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City bagged the top spot in the finswimming event at the National Swimming and Finswimming Championships in Ha Noi.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked central provincial authorities and relevant ministries to inspect water discharge from reservoirs in wake of the recent floods.

 The Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association (Vinastas) confirmed on October 17 that a survey it conducted nationally found that most fish sauce has arsenic content exceeding permitted levels.

 Viettel plans to earn $1.5 billion in revenue in its nine international markets this year.

Consideration is being given to raising the basic monthly wage of public servants to VND1.3 million ($58.3) next year, as recommended by a number of National Assembly (NA) delegates.

Vietnam’s two leading beer producers Hanoi Beer, Alcohol and Beverage JSC (Habeco) and Saigon Beer, Alcohol and Beverage JSC (Sabeco) have both registered to list their shares on stock exchanges and received approval.

 The Government will submit a tax reduction plan to the National Assembly (NA) this month, which aims to meet targets of increasing the number of efficient enterprises in the country to one million by 2020.

 More and more retailers in the country are shaking hands with big e-commerce companies in order to widen their businesses while ensuring cost savings.

Ly Hoang Nam and Nguyen Hoang Thien had a promising start in men’s doubles at the Vietnam Men’s Futures tennis tournament’s yesterday in Binh Duong Province.

VietNamNet Bridge –  Viet Nam have advantages and disadvantages in the race for a berth in the quarter-finals of the Asian Football Confederation U19 Championship, which is ongoing in Bahrain. 

 The Greek Ambassador to Vietnam, Nikos D Kanellos, is showcasing his paintings inspired by Vietnamese culture and landscape at a solo exhibition entitled "Kanellos in Vietnam".

 The Viet Nam Journalists Association has launched the ‘ASEAN – One Community’ press photo contest, calling for the participation of members of press organisations from the ASEAN members.

 Local authorities have been placed on full alert for typhoon Sarika, which is predicted to make landfall in areas from Quang Ninh to Hai Phong at around 4pm today.

 More than 400 talented students from HCM City and neighbouring provinces have taken part in the YouthSpeak forum which encourages them to take action and initiate positive societal change. 

 Doctors at HCM City’s Medical University have successfully performed surgery to remove a giant kidney stone from a 59-year-old woman.