Six damaged boats stop operating in Ha Long Bay

 The People’s Committee of northern Quang Ninh Province’s Ha Long City has suspended operations of six tourist cruise boats in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays.

ADB continues infrastructure investment in Vietnam

 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will continue its support for infrastructure development in Vietnam, said ADB Vice President for Knowledgement Management and Sustainable Development Bambang Susantono at a press conference on March 8.

VNPT, Viettel Group chase global market share

 Government controlled telecom equipment maker VNPT and mobile network operator Viettel Group have announced plans to hit their rivals hard and gain global market share in 2017.

Thanking the garbage women

One of the most thankless jobs in Vietnam is that of the garbage collectors. These are women and men that are part of our daily lives, taking away all our decay, the stuff we don’t want or that no longer serves us.

Chinese tourists continue to test Vietnamese hospitality

 The month of January saw continued strong growth in the number of Chinese tourists to the city of Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa, reports the municipal department of tourism.

Vietnam to convene ahead of Asian Cup

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam national football team will convene on March 20 in Ha Noi to prepare for the qualifying round of the Asian Cup 2019.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 8/3

AIIB to offer loans for HCM City infrastructure projects, VND54 trillion in G-bonds, govt-guaranteed bonds sold in Jan-Feb, VCCI proposes scrapping 24 poor rules, State units earn VNĐ14 trillion from divestment

Social News 8/3

 Measures against bird flu stepped up, Contaminated pepper seized in Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan cracks down on illegal sand mining, Pregnant woman suffers brain death after treatment in private infirmary

Vietnam's Que Huong choir participates in International Choir Festival

 The Que Huong (Homeland) Choir of the Vietnamese community in France performed at Madeleine Church in Paris on March 4, which is a part of the 23rd International Choir Festival of Paris.

Siam Cement Group acquires construction material company in central Vietnam

 SCG Cement-Building Materials Co., Ltd., a member of Siam Cement Group (SCG), has just spent $156 million on buying up the shares of Vietnam Construction Materials JSC (VCM).

Hanoi to crack down on bootleg alcohol

 On March 7, Hanoi held an urgent meeting to discuss measures on tightening control over alcohol production and business activities in the city.

Savills: More investment opportunities in Vietnam

  Investors need to look beyond first-tier cities and at new types of assets to make profits, including emerging markets such as Viet Nam, as the Asian property market slows.

Poor diet tied to nearly half of U.S. deaths from heart disease, stroke, diabetes

 Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the U.S. cut deaths from heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half, suggests a new study.

Ten Da Nang fishermen rescued from sea

 Ten fishermen from central Da Nang City were rescued and taken home safely on Wednesday morning after their boat broke down at sea on Tuesday evening.

Coffee exports drop in volume, surge in value

 Coffee exports drop in volume, surge in value

An Giang: Cambodian national sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder

 The People’s Court of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on March 7 sentenced a Cambodian national a 25-year imprisonment on charge of murder and illegally storage and use of military weapon.

Thailand – Vietnam Contemporary Art Exhibition opens in Hanoi

 The 3rd Thailand – Vietnam Contemporary Art Exhibition opened at Fine Arts and Photography Exhibition Center in Hanoi this morning.

HCMC to broadcast environment indicators on electronic boards

 The HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment will start late this month broadcasting eight indicators on air and water quality.

Hanoi conducts 2017 economic census

 Hanoi is conducting an economic census to collect data on local businesses and economy, heard a conference to discuss the implementation of the work on March 7.

Belgian university backs Vietnam’s family medical practice training

 The Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine inked a deal with the University of Liège, Belgium for a Europe-standard family medicine training programme in HCM City on March 7.

Hanoi launches hotline for H7N9 avian flu prevention

 The Hanoi Health Department has announced two hotlines, 0949396115 and 0969082115, for H7N9 avian flu prevention, heard an online meeting on plans to prevent diseases in humans in Hanoi on March 7. 

Hanoi seeks enhanced cooperation with New Zealand

Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung has suggested New Zealand consider cooperating with Hanoi in protecting the environment, developing transport infrastructure, and studying measures to improve the quality of locals’ lives. 

Romanian dancers to perform in Vietnam

 A Romanian traditional music and dance performance will be held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on March 15-20 by the Romanian Embassy and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

VN police officers practise for military parade

 Police officers are preparing for the upcoming military parade to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Special Police Battalion No.1 on March 9. 

Vietnamese SMEs to invest strongly in e-commerce

 Hundreds of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) were trained on how to promote their brands through e-commerce at a workshop on March 7 in southern Dong Nai Province.