The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

One of the highlight cultural events in Ho Chi Minh City this year was the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival, with the city adopting a policy of attracting investment in cinema and cultural activities to contribute to overall economic growth.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the Government’s monthly session on law building in Hanoi on March 25 to collect feedback on three draft laws, one proposal for a National Assembly resolution and another for a law.

The craft of building houses from bamboo trees and coconut leaves in Cam Thanh commune of Hoi An City in the central province of Quang Nam has at times seemed destined to fade away due to new construction materials that are cheap and durable.

Experts from top real estate consulting companies in Vietnam have expressed optimism about development prospects of the real estate market, particularly regarding the office and industrial segments.

Supporting localities in effectively exploiting benefits brought about by free trade agreements (FTAs) was the focus of a seminar held by the Cong Thuong magazine of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) in Hanoi on October 31.

Thailand’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin vowed to act quickly to relieve the country's economic problems in his four-year term in his inaugural speech to the parliament on September 11.

Baseball has gained in popularity around Vietnam as it finds favour among many high-school students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of the northern province of Bac Giang has has just sent a dispatch asking for assistance to local farmers in selling their farm products on e-commerce platforms, contributing to boosting the development of digital agriculture and rural areas in the locality.

Italian patrol vessel ITS Morosini, with a crew of 132 officers and sailors commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Giovanni Monno, docked at Ho Chi Minh City port on May 9, starting a four-day visit to the city in order to strengthen the friendly cooperation between the navies of the two countries.

Experts have said Vietnam needs a roadmap to recover the tourism sector which has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The domestic auto market is expected to grow further in the remaining months of this year after expanding up to 120 percent in October, experts have said.

A hospital providing treatment for COVID-19 patients in Hanoi and northern localities will be set up at the Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said on August 2.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will gradually increase flights from/to the central city of Da Nang as COVID-19 outbreaks have been brought under control nationwide, said a representative of the airline.

Malaysia’s interim Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on February 26 proposed forming a unity government in his first public comments since his resignation.

A delegation of leaders of the Party Central Committee, State President, National Assembly, Government and Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi on February 3 on the occasion of the 90th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

An assessment by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) shows that currently, less than 40 percent of Vietnam’s firms can join the global supply chain.

The death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia’s eastern Papua province has risen to 107 on March 20, local officials have said.

Vietnam will play two friendly matches with Myanmar ahead of the second round of the 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, according to the Vietnam Football Federation.

The Ministry of Health and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on March 7 inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on efficient natural disaster, calamity and emergency response.