A UN court ruling that the Japanese government must halt its whaling programme in the Antarctic has been welcomed in Australia and New Zealand.

VietNamNet Bridge – A lack of puppeteers is threatening the survival of traditional puppetry, according to the chairman of Viet Nam Theatre Artists' Association, Le Tien Tho.

 Int’l Kite festival to kick off in Ba Ria Vung Tau; Fish praying festival in coastal Vietnam; Photos feature wild side of life; Bao Son Paradise to hold values-honouring event; Railway to General Giap's grave to be built

 VietNamNet Bridge – Le Hoai Anh has become the new general secretary of the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF).

 Nato foreign ministers are due to discuss ways to help Ukraine and reassure allies in Eastern Europe, at a meeting in Brussels.

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City authorities have signed a tourism co-operation agreement with 30 cities and provinces so that it can promote inter-regional tourism.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has to improve provision of social protection for women and girls because current policies are not inclusive enough, officials and experts said at a policy dialogue held in the capital city yesterday.

 Regional leaders to attend MRC summit in Vietnam; UN praises Vietnam for MDG achievements; Vietnam vows to effectively use WB aid; Deputy PM welcomes World Bank Vice President Axel Van Trotsenburg

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many commercial banks are raising their fees, but the quality of their services has not kept pace.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Danang, often cited as having the most beautiful beach on the planet, witnessed a remarkable surge in the development of luxury resorts in recent years. Now, many of them are sitting idle.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The economic crisis has made a lot of workers redundant. However, medium-class personnel prove to be the biggest sufferers, because it is very difficult for them to find new jobs.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Well-off Vietnamese families are willing to pay several billions of dong a month, a sum high enough to buy 200 tons of rice, to fund their children’s overseas studies.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Tra Khuc River, which provides water to Quang Ngai province, has turned dry, due to the Dakdrink hydropower plant, which has “taken away” the water.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Cross-ownership, long considered a serious threat to the banking system, is on the wane, according to Dao Minh Tu, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam. Some economists, however, disagree.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam needs about 30 billion VND to reduce Carbon Dioxide - CO2 emissions in its industry sector from now to 2020, which is quite a big challenge on its way to achieve a sustainable economic development.

 With its vast coffee orchards, ruou can (fermented rice wine drunk out of a jar using pipes), and gong culture, the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) is an attractive tourism destination, especially at this time when the coffee trees are in full bloom.

 Scientists say they have taken a step forward in understanding why some people are at greater risk of skin cancer because of their family history.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Being paralyzed in both legs since the age of three, Ms. Phan Thi Hai in Bac Ninh Province has relied on her two hands to move about, to work, and to support herself for 55 years.

The Ministry of Information and Communication’s inspectors still have not decided how to treat the three biggest mobile phone operators, which have “rifled subscribers’ pocket” by forcing subscribers use their services without any notice in advance.

 Talks to focus on tackling ODA fraud; HCM City needs over 460m USD for rural development; Deputy minister affirms resolve in improving personnel quality;

 Vietnamese seafood available in 156 markets; Positive signs for the economy in Q1; Vingroup announces plans to launch into e-commerce; Shrimp industry protests US imposition of anti-dumping taxes

 Vietnamese guitarist defeats 200 to win Yale scholarship; Vietnamese artists to participate in charity event; Hue International Food Festival 2014 to open in mid-April;

 U19 Vietnam to face strong rivals at regional champs; Bronze medal for Vietnamese gymnast at world tournament; Women football remains 28th place on FIFA rankings; Vodickova, Wild claim first place at Hue triathlon

 Funeral held for Most Venerable Thich Tri Tinh; Blaze rips through 3000sq.m of wood; 58 passengers saved from stranded boat; Heat wave spreads across the north; Bomb left over from war found in garden

Vietnamese construction companies, which always complain that they cannot win the bids due to the small operation scale, will have bigger opportunities to obtain more contracts, once the Bidding Law takes effects on July 1, 2014.