VietNamNet Bridge - Civil service exams have been a hot topic of discussion in local newspapers in recent years because of their popularity and stiff competition.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Two plays Lo Lem va Hoang Tu (Cinderella and the Prince) and Nang Cong Chua Di Lac (The Princess Gets Lost) kicked off a summer season of children's plays in Ho Chi Minh City.

 Demand for anti-retroviral medicines for people living with HIV/AIDS continues to grow but the State's budget allocation for purchasing ARVs is limited, said Bui Duc Duong, deputy director of the Viet Nam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control.

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s foray into free trade agreements will open up opportunities for local enterprises to tap new markets but these pacts might also expose exporters to more trade defense cases in member countries,

 VietNamNet Bridge – Hospitals in Hanoi and HCM City have recently received patients who were in critical condition after they drank the bile of carp fish for medicinal purposes.

SCIC, representing the State, a major shareholder in Vinamilk, and the SCIC board of directors, representing shareholders, are in a behind-the-scenes battle for the right to manage Vinamilk, the country’s biggest dairy production company.

 The World Health Organization is to set up a $100m (£63m) emergency contingency fund following the Ebola outbreak, its director-general has announced.

 Japan's economy grew faster than expected between January and March, boosting hopes that the economy is recovering from last year's recession.

 Major art & entertainment events in big cities in Vietnam from May 10-20.

 Migrants found by the BBC last week drifting off the coast of Thailand have been rescued by Indonesian fishermen.

 Man arrested for smuggling 120,000 packs of cigarettes, 580kg of animal organs found in passenger bus, Government supports 36 drought-hit localities, Older population in need of financial assistance

 The HCM City Stock Exchange (HoSE) has officially become a partner of the Sustainable Stock Exchange (SSE) Initiative of the United Nations, along with top stock exchanges in the world.

 Innovation and creativity are vital to improving competitiveness, stated Minister of Science and Technology (MoST) Nguyen Quan at the second international forum on business creativity held in HCM City on May 19.

 The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea will ratify the Vietnam – RoK Free Trade Agreement to complete the necessary legal corridor, accelerating investment and trade between the two countries.

 America’s Warner Brothers films has revealed the trailer of Pan, an animated fantasy-adventure film,  on Youtube which features scenes of Vietnam’s Hang En (Swift) Cave, the third largest cave in the world.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Young Vietnamese singer Nguyen Tran Trung Quan will fly to Japan to participate in a music program to be held by Japan’s NHK Group in collaboration with Vietnam Television from May 21.

VietNamNet Bridge – HCMC-based Loud Minority, an organization that brings quality international acts to Vietnam, will host a concert by the UK rock & roll band Little Barrie at Cargo Bar in HCMC’s District 4 on May 27.

The predicted high trade deficit in the first four months of the year reportedly put pressure on the exchange rate and led to the State Bank’s decision to devalue the VND by one percent on May 7. 

 The first Vietnamese-raised Kobe-style beef will be sold in June in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong with prices ranging between VND3.5 million  (US$165) to over VND5 million (US$234) per kilogram.

 Bolivian President Evo Morales and Vietnamese Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan met in La Paz on May 19, stressing their determination to expand the countries’ multi-faceted cooperation for mutual benefit.

 Vietnamese marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh failed in his favourite sport in the men's 10m air pistol at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol competition in Fort Benning, the United States, early morning Vietnamese time on May 19.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Toshiya Miura yesterday (May 19) announced a list of 24 players who will compete at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers this weekend.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s green prospects look set to grow as investment in renewable energy is on the rise. However, the country needs to overcome a slew of hurdles to reach its full potential.  

 VietNamNet Bridge - With more than 21 islands, Nam Du archipelago in Kien Giang province is fascinating, with beautiful beaches and a magical water world.

 Certificates of origin go electronic, Vietnam posts trade surplus of US$150 million in April, Hi-tech production soars amidst foreign investment, FDI leads in electronics exports, Car buyers continue preferring imported vehicles