General Do Ba Ty nominated for NA Vice Chairman post

 General Do Ba Ty, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Defence Minister has been nominated for the post of National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman.

Hanoi under a polluted cloud

Many Hanoians seem unaware of the high air pollution in their city despite the warnings of environmentalists and statistics from the US Embassy’s air quality monitoring station in Lang Ha Street over the past week.

Vietnam hopes to have second global geopark

 The central province of Quang Ngai is working to have Ly Son island, Binh Chau commune’s coastal area, and their vicinity included in the UNESCO list of global geoparks.

Vietjet Air honoured as most favourite airline

 Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has recently received the “Most favourite airline” and strong brand name titles in Vietnam.

Prime Minister kicks off PetroVietnam’s gas projects

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pressed the button to commence the Block B-O Mon gas project launched by the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) in the southern province of Kien Giang on April 3.

Manufacturers become ‘hired workers’ for distribution chains

VietNamNet Bridge - Many manufacturing enterprises have lost their brands and the market, becoming outsourced workshops for retailers.

Europe gives green light to first gene therapy for children

 The world's first life-saving gene therapy for children, developed by Italian scientists and GlaxoSmithKline, has been recommended for approval in Europe, boosting the pioneering technology to fix faulty genes.

Vietnamese in RoK protest China’s illegal acts in East Sea

 A crowd of Vietnamese gathered in front of the Busan Station in South Korea on April 3 to protest China’s increasing violations of Vietnam’s marine sovereignty as well as international law in the East Sea.

Thailand detains 48 Vietnamese fishermen

 Thailand has seized 48 Vietnamese fishermen and a trial on the case is expected to begin at Chon Bu-ri provincial Court on April 4, according to Nhan Dan newspaper.

Chinese vessel seized for illegally entering Vietnam’s waters

Coast guards from the northern port city of Hai Phong said on April 2 that they have captured a Chinese vessel that violated Vietnam’s waters sovereignty.

Minister pledges greater efforts to ensure food safety

Minister Cao Duc Phat has publicly apologised for his remark at a recent National Assembly session that the majority of food sold in the market is safe but people do not know this, which met with public objections.

April 4 announced as Day of Vietnam’s traditional “pho” in Japan

 April 4 was officially announced as Day of “Pho”, Vietnam’s signature noodle soup, in Japan during a ceremony at EXPO City Osaka complex in the country on April 2.

13th NA’s 11th session: New President elected, some posts dismissed

 National Assembly deputies of the 13th National Assembly (NA)’s convened a plenary meeting during their ongoing 11th session in Hanoi on April 2 to elect new President and dismiss some parliamentary posts.

Vietnam’s ship leaves for naval exercise in Indonesia

 The hospital ship coded 561 of the Vietnam People’s Navy left Cam Ranh Port in the central costal province of Khanh Hoa on April 3 for the Komodo multilateral naval exercise in Indonesia.

Foreign leaders congratulate new President, NA Chairwoman

 Leaders of Laos, China and Russia have sent congratulatory letters to newly-elected President Tran Dai Quang and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Fish festivals declared intangible heritage

 VietNamNet Bridge – The fish-worshipping festival of the central city has been recognised as one of seven National Intangible Heritage items by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Films made by deaf people screened

 VietNamNet Bridge – First short films made by people with disabilities in Viet Nam were shown at Cong Nhan Theatre on April 2.

Hanoi officials may use public transport for their daily travel

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi People’s Committee is considering giving transport allowances to government officials or senior leaders to use public transport for their work.

Dong Van Stone Plateau’s charm

 Located over 1,000 meters above sea level, Dong Van Stone Plateau is formed by narrow valleys alternating with rocky mountain ranges in the north of Vietnam.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 4/4

 Ministry wants sea freight charges under control, Binh Dinh calls for investment in 45 tourism projects, Vietnam HR Awards launched, Vietnam’s aquatic exports up 1.7 percent in Q1, Vietnam urged to promote part suppliers

Vietnamese women lead at Asian Nations Cup Chess Championship

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese women’s chess team had their first loss at the Asian Nations Cup Chess Team Championship in their sixth match at the Novotel Abu Dhabi Al Bustan Hotel in United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday.

HAGL beat Viettel in first round of National Cup

 VietNamNet Bridge – Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) defeated Viettel 2-1 in the first round of the National Cup at Pleiku Stadium, Gia Lai Province, on Saturday.

Vietnamese-born world-famous engineers graduated from MIT

VietNamNet Bridge - A number of famous Vietnamese-born engineers have received their education from MIT (Massachuset Institute of Technology).

VN's rice supply may decrease due to drought and saline intrusion

VietNamNet Bridge - Opinions vary about the rice supply in the context of the serious drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong River Delta, the rice granary of Vietnam. 

Students think vocational schools offer more job opportunities

VietNamNet Bridge - Going to vocational schools instead of university tends to be the choice of more students. Reports show workers with good skills can have better incomes than some university graduates.