The Vietnamese manufacturing sector ended 2016 on a positive note, with the Nikkei Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) coming second among the top three PMIs in ASEAN region.

Midfielder Phạm Thành Lương made national football history on January 4, winning his fourth Golden Ball as the best male player for 2016.

Vietnam will achieve its 2017 goal of 6.7% growth in gross domestic product (GDP), higher than 6.21% in 2016, due to the efficiency of its reforms, say experts.

The popular practice of exchanging new or special banknotes for a fee kicked off several weeks ago in many big cities, with one month to go before the start of Tet (Lunar New Year).

In a new move, the Government has announced the rate of State-ownership in firms that are set to be equitised, instead of fixing the rates by sectors as usual.

Vietnamese producers must improve product quality and make the most of their advantages so that imported goods don’t take over the market, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.

The National Ba Ra Mountain Climbing Tournament is scheduled to kick off on January 6 in the southern province of Binh Phuoc, the event’s organisers announced on January 3.

Hanoi Buffaloes will compete in the Thailand Basketball Super League with three foreigners.

The price of several kinds of lumber in Vietnam had gone up due to scarcity created by unexpected Chinese purchases, creating pressure on the domestic wood business and Vietnam’s wood industry.

This was due to the combined effort of the government and financial economic administrative agencies, Nguyen Bich Lam, director general of the General Statistics Office of Viet Nam (GSO), said.