Whenever spring comes around, flower lovers wish to buy a yellow ochna flower tree to pray for a new year full of peace and luckiness and it is better if the yellow ochna flower tree stands on the holy Yen Tu Mountain.

 A project that turns the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City into a ‘smart city’ has begun, aiming to bring multiple benefits to local residents. 

 Vietnam’s import tax on complete built-up units from ASEAN was reduced to zero percent as from Jan. 1 this year under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. The accord helps reduce the prices of imported cars, meeting consumers’ aspiration.

 Recognising that green materials will be an inevitable market trend, a lot of businesses have decided to “step in”.

 The Vietnamese property market is witnessing a significant number and value of transactions made by foreign investors, adding to an already impressive performance made over the years since Vietnam opened for global integration. 

 Vietnam opposes and resolutely rejects China’s unilateral decision to adjust regulations on a fishing break at sea, including some territorial waters of Vietnam, said the Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang. 

 Taiwan (China)’s repeated launch of live-fire drills in the waters surrounding Ba Binh (Itu Aba) Island in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago seriously violated the territorial sovereignty of Vietnam over the archipelago.

 Nearly 90 per cent of surveyed people agreed to have the C9 metro underground station located near Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake.

 The Health Ministry has not been involved in investigation, prosecution and trial of the case related to the death of eight persons after undergoing kidney dialysis at Hoa Binh Province’s General Hospital in June last year. 

 Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has asked relevant bodies to report a pilot plan on applying new payment services to Prime Minister before April this year.

 Viet Nam’s leather and footwear industry will continue to develop in the coming years, according to the Viet Nam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso).

 Toyota Motor Vietnam is recalling 20,490 Corolla and Lexus cars nationwide over airbag flaws, the firm said on March 21.

 The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Duong has decided to earmark $426,800 to protect the “don ca tai tu” art form (southern amateur singing) from 2018-2020, heard a local conference on March 21.

VietNamNet Bridge - With protectionism pursued by the Trump administration, Vietnam’s exports, especially seafood and steel, to the US will face challenges in the time to come.

The Republic of Korea's President Moon Jae-in and his spouse set foot in Hanoi on March 22 afternoon, beginning a State visit to Vietnam from March 22 to 24.

 The United Nations (UN) in Vietnam on March 21 launched a study on the criminal justice system response to sexual violence in Thailand and Vietnam, shedding new light on discrimination against rape victims.

 The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) on March 21 increased for three consecutive days to reach 1,170 points, up nearly 10 points over the previous day.

 The southern metropolis Ho Chi Minh City will form logistics centres in concentrated production areas or those near seaports to provide various services and operate as ports, container depots and container freight stations. 

 The Republic of Korea’s media has highlighted the significance of  President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Vietnam, saying it reflects his initiative to expand the RoK’s economic market around the world.

Despite challenges, Vietnam’s leather and footwear sector will still have a competitive edge for the next two decades, according to Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) Diep Thanh Kiet.