Fresh litchi, which is in season now in northern Vietnam, is being served to business-class and premium-class passengers on Vietnam Airlines’ international and domestic flights departing from Hanoi. 

 Fertiliser stocks are surprising the market with many large names hitting the ceiling prices, mainly due to the Ministry of Finance’s decision to make fertiliser subject to VAT at the preferential rate of 5 percent.

 The Mrs Ao Dai Vietnam Europe 2018 pageant took place in Prague capital of the Czech Republic from June 15-16 (local time) with the purpose to honour the graceful and delicate beauty of Vietnam’s traditional long dress.

 Pop star Dong Nhi will represent Vietnam at the second Japan-ASEAN Music Festival 2018 in Tokyo in October.

The manufacturing-processing industry absorbs more than half (57.9 percent) of the FDIinflow into Vietnam over the past years to May 2018, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

 Given the insatiable demand on swimming classes for kids in the central coastal city of Da Nang, numerous hotels within the locality have held swimming training courses at their facilities. 

 The actors are no professional but actually farmers from Sai Son commune in Hanoi’s suburbs. The stories they are telling by body language revolve around farmers’ daily life in the past.

 Japanese violists Masakazu Saito, Shunichiro Sato, Kumiko Nakagawa and Tetsuya Osawa are set to perform in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang on June 26-27 to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

 Ho Chi Minh City authorities is working with all 24 districts on a wide range of plans to prevent flooding in the rainy season.

 The Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) on June 17 inaugurated its third vaccination centre at 243A De La Thanh street in Hanoi.

 Cambodia – Laos – Myanmar –Vietnam Cooperation

Over 132 million bank cards had been issued by the end of 2017. However, according to the Vietnam Card Association (VCA), only 77 million cards are being used to make regular transactions.

VietNamNet Bridge - France, the US, Canada and Scotland have said no to plastic disposable cups, but they  are still used widely in Vietnam despite warnings about the existence of carcinogens.

VietNamNet Bridge - OTT TV service providers are competing with each other as well as amateur and unlicensed players.

VietNamNet Bridge - At least 616 people have been sent to training courses under the program on training and attracting talents (Program 922). 

 The Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) will increase its charter capital to nearly VND34.97 trillion (US$1.53 billion).

 Hanoi drew in more than US$5.9 billion in FDI in the first half of 2018, making it the country’s largest six-month FDI attractor for the first time in three decades, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung on June 17.

 The HCM City housing market will continue to grow this year, especially the VND1 billion (US$44,000) condo segment, the HCM City Real Estate Association (HoREA) has predicted.

 Contributions Vietnam made to ACMECS 8 and CLMV 9 once again affirm its sense of responsibility for and activeness in joining regional cooperation frameworks, thus helping promote comprehensive and sustainable development in the Mekong Sub-region.

 General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong on June 17 met with voters in Thanh Xuan, Ha Dong and Cau Giay districts, Hanoi, to inform them about outcomes of the recent fifth meeting of the 14th National Assembly.