Vietnam Airlines and the Ho Guom Tourism company late last week held a ceremony to resume the direct air route between Ha Noi and Kuala Lumpur.The resumption of the air route on June 16 is part of the national flag carrier’s plan to expand its flight network from Ha Noi to destinations in the Southeast Asia region, the airline said.Chief of Vietnam Airlines office in Malaysia Mai Quoc Tuan said rising demand prompted the move with seven flights a week. Airbus A321 aircraft capable of carrying 168 passengers will be used.

The northern port city of Hai Phong attracted more than US$274 million in foreign direct investment in the first five months of this year, equivalent to 55 per cent of its yearly target, the municipal Department of Planning and Investment said.During the period, the city granted licences to 10 new

flights from Ha Noi to KL

foreign-invested projects, worth $28.2 million, double the figure of last year’s corresponding period.It also allowed 10 other operating projects to increase their level of capital by $246 million, marking a 31-fold increase over the same time last year.

The central province of Quang Binh is seeking investment from the Czech Republic.On a nine-day trip to the country from last Thursday, a delegation from the province is to hold two investment promotion conferences, one each in Prague and Hradec Kralove Province, to advertise Quang Binh’s potential and its investment opportunities.To date, Quang Binh province is home to two Czech-invested projects in the beverage and industrial sectors.The HCM City Accounting Association and IGlocal Resource Co signed an agreement yesterday to offer accounting and human-resource consultancy.Established in 2003 by a Japanese national, IGlocal Resource offers solutions and human resources for accounting, taxation, and auditing.