(VOV) - The Nihon Keizai, Japan's leading economic newspaper, has published a May 14 article deeming Vietnam a world-leading smart phone producing nation.

(VOV) -Industrial parks (IPs) in the northern province of Hai Duong have attracted 163 projects invested by 30 countries and territories around the world, with total registered capital of US$3 billion.

(VOV) - The second Mekong Resources Forum on investment cooperation and the sustainable development of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) - was held in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on May 10.

(VOV) - Vietnam’s export earnings from Singapore in the first quarter of this year reached 692 million SGD, over 30 percent higher than in the same period last year.

(VOV) - The north central and central coastal provinces took the lead in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first four of this year.

Export processing zones (EPZs) and industrial zones (IZs) in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho have attracted 204 investment projects, capitalised at more than US$1.84 billion, according to the Can Tho EPZs and IZs Authority.

(VOV) -Vietnam and Japan have signed an agreement to boost bilateral cooperation in agriculture.

The Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) has proposed upgrading the commercial relations between Petrolimex and Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) by signing a long-term oil and gas supply contract between Petrolimex Singapore and CPC.

Four projects in seafood processing and waste incineration worth nearly US$10 million have been approved in southern Can Tho city, increasing the total number of valid project in the city to 204.

(VOV) -So far this year Vietnamese businesses have been licensed to invest US$460 million in seven projects in Myanmar.

(VOV) - The first General Electric’s Technical Design Centre in HCM City will be put into operation by the end of this year, according to GE Group’s Oil and Gas Company.

(VOV) - Vietnam’s cheap labour force and low land lease fees remain attractive to investors from Hong Kong (China).

(VOV) - More than 100 businesses from Japan’s Niigata prefecture recently attended a workshop to explore Vietnam’s investment environment and policy.

(VOV) - Despite the ongoing domestic and global economic woes, investment in Ho Chi Minh City has shown positive signs of foreign direct investment (FDI) re-growth in the first few months of this year.

(VOV) - World leading image technology solution provider Canon officially launched its first Image Square store on April 27at the Vincom shopping mall in Hanoi.

(VOV) - The Asian Banker magazine has awarded the prestigious Best Cash Management Bank in Vietnam and Leading Counterparty Bank in Vietnam to the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank).

The World Bank (WB) Board of Directors approved US$ 202.5 million in credit on April 26 to support sustainable development in Da Nang city.

(VOV) - The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) will continue to serve as the voice of the business community.

(VOV) - The south-central province of Ninh Thuan has pledged to prioritise, offer assistance to, and consider the requests of any Japanese businesses investing in the locality.

(VOV) - Vietnam has attracted more than US$8.2 billion worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) capital in the first four months of this year, up 17 percent on the same period last year.

(VOV) - The Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Association for Economic Cooperation Development VILACEAD) and the Vietnam Young Business Association held a talk themed “Myanmar - the emerging market” in Hanoi on April 24.

(VOV) -Samsung is planning to invest in Vietnam’s infrastructure construction and chemical production.

(VOV) - The Vietnam-Italy business and investment forum was held in Florence, the capital city of Tuscany region on April 22.

TUV SUD PSB Vietnam, a subsidiary of Germany’s TUV SUD Group, will cooperate with Vietnam in the management of wood processing factories.

(VOV) - Vietnam’s export turnover increased sharply in recent years, thanks to the great contributions from foreign direct investment (FDI), however, foreign-invested enterprises do not create high value added products.

(VOV) - The Ministry of Planning and Investment’s (MoPI) Foreign Investment Department has reported that since early this year, 22 projects have been licensed to operate overseas with a total capitalization of US$720.7 million.

(VOV) - Ho Chi Minh City hosted an April 18 seminar discussing ways to develop the international reputation of Vietnamese export trademarks.

(VOV) - The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) released 2012 edition of its annual report on Vietnamese businesses in Hanoi on April 18.

(VOV) - Although Vietnam’s export turnover in the first quarter of this year increased by 19.7 percent to US$29.69 billion compared to the same period last year, there remain certain challenges to overcome in the immediate future.

Ho Chi Minh City has considered the development of hi-tech and support industries as the key to economic restructuring and growth model shift by 2015.