Kazakhstan opens Embassy in Hanoi to boost bilateral ties

 Kazakhstan officially opened its Embassy in Hanoi on March 30, looking toward it helping promote ties between the two countries.

Photos: The flower market that never sleeps in Saigon

 VietNamNet Bridge - Wandering the Ho Thi Ky flower market at night is an exciting experience in the life and culture of Saigonese.

Russia’s Prime Minister to visit Vietnam from April 5-7

 Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev will pay an official visit to Vietnam from April 5-7, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 30.

Party chief: Vietnam backs India’s connectivity with SEA

 Vietnam backs India’s Act East policy and comprehensive connectivity with Southeast Asia, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament (Lok Sabha) of India Sumitra Mahajan in Hanoi on March 30.

President meets IPU-132 legislators

 President Truong Tan Sang hosted Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou, Speaker of the Pakistani National Assembly Sardar Ayat Sadiq and Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament of India Sumitra Mahajan on March 30.

IPU Assembly focuses on sustainable development, security issues

 The Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, ongoing for the first time in Hanoi, continued its discussions on March 30 with emphasis placed on the sustainable development, environmental protection and regional and global security.

Pollution threatens river's fish farming

 VietNamNet Bridge – Serious pollution in the Vam Co Dong River is the main reason for heavy losses to fish farmers in Tay Ninh Province, local environmental authorities have confirmed.

Hanoi cracks down on sand exploitation

 VietNamNet Bridge – Riparian communes should be asked to stop permitting individuals or firms to set up sand-gathering sites on the banks of the Red River,

All vaccines meet WHO standards

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tran Dac Phu, director of the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health, speaks to VietnamPlus about the scarcity of some vaccines under the national immunisation programme.

When Vietnam replaces China as "a promised land"

 VietNamNet Bridge - The year 2014  marked one of the biggest events in recent years in the global economy: China’s hot growth in the three consecutive decades came to an end.

Wave of M&As forecast for Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge – With a raft of free trade agreements on the way, a checklist of equitisations, and new legislation in place to support foreign investment, a new wave of M&As are forecast to sweep across Vietnam.

Two bankers eye seats on Eximbank board

 Two former leaders of NamA Bank, Tran Ngo Phuc Vu and Tran Ngoc Tam, now represent this bank’s share holdings at the Vietnam Bank for Export and Import (Eximbank) and are expected to run for board membership at Eximbank’s upcoming general meeting.

Vinalines plans to turn debts into shares

 In an initial public offering plan, Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) will convert debts owed to other firms into shares and have a positive cash flow by 2019.

Vietnam, Philippines launches hotline for fishing activities

 Vietnam and the Philippines have launched a hotline to facilitate the timely exchange of information on fishing activities.

Le Hoang’s inspiring journey to Silicon Valley

 A voluntary organisation located in Mikkeli, Finland dedicated to promoting young entrepreneurs’ concepts and assisting them in starting a new business venture recently chose to assist Vietnamese Le Hoang with an app he is developing.

How high will airfares go?

VietNamNet Bridge - The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has confirmed that airlines will have to include the environment fee in their adjustments of airfare ,but it is still unclear how this would be implemented.

HCM City reveals plan to expand classrooms

 VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Department of Education and Training hopes to increase average classroom space to 6-8sq.m for each school student this year by reducing the number of children per class.

Audit finds car registration-fee scam

 VietNamNet Bridge – Complaints have been made that some banks and registration centres entrusted with collecting fees to check vehicles for roadworthiness delay sending the money to a central State fund known as the Viet Nam Register

State-owned enterprises’ remain essentially the same, despite reform

VietNamNet Bridge - One of the aims of state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform is to streamline enterprises’ operations, but they continue to expand.

Guinea declares Ebola 'health emergency' in five regions

 Guinean President Alpha Conde has declared a 45-day "health emergency" in five regions in the west and south-west of the country over Ebola.

Social News 30/3

 New bridge opens in Da Nang, Unusual floods kill 3 in central Vietnam, Australia assists Vietnam in improving water quality, Traffic banned on Pasteur and Le Duan Streets, Three die in separate train accidents

Art & Entertainment News 30/3

 American fast food franchise makes longest sandwich in VN, New musical film to be broadcast next month, Vietnam’s culture promoted in Australia, HCM City literature, art and press award kicked off, 200-meter water slide set up in town

Iran nuclear talks: World powers to meet foreign minister

 Ministers from six world powers are expected to hold their first full session on Monday with Iran's foreign minister over its nuclear programme.

VN, Japan boost digital co-operation

  Viet Nam is now seen as one of the leading countries in the field of software outsourcing and digital content, which has been given priority by the Party and State.

US awards $1 million grant for wind power

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) on Thursday awarded a non-refundable grant worth US$1 million to Cong Ly Construction-Trade-Tourism Ltd. Co. for a feasibility study to develop a 300 MW wind power project in Viet Nam.