Convenience store chains are on their way to conquer fast-growing ASEAN markets, but they get little love in Indonesia, the region’s largest market.

Decree 54 and the draft circular that guides its implementation compiled by the Ministry of Health have both raised controversy: foreign investors say the regulations break Vietnam’s WTO commitments.

 Viet Nam’s U15 PVF easily defeated Thailand’s Police Tero 5-1 in the opening match of the U15 ASEAN Dream Football Tournament, held at the SCG Muangthong United Practice Field.

The Hoi An Memories show, which debuted on March 18 at Hoi An Impression Theme Park in the central province of Quang Nam, has set two Vietnamese records. 

 The Vietnamese embassies in many countries held ceremonies on March 20 to pay respect to former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 85.

 The People’s Court of Ha Dong district in Hanoi on March 20 handed down a jail sentence of 13 months on Nguyen Mau Chien for smuggling 36kg of rhino horn, according to the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV). 

Former PM Phan Van Khai passed away on March 17 but he lives in the heart of the people, especially those in HCMC, as a child of Cu Chi who made great contributions to the development of the city and the country.

 Vietnam-Italy economic and cultural relations

 Testing chemical residues in vegetables, fruit and other foodstuff sold at wet markets, supermarkets and restaurants will be enhanced in Hanoi this year as part of the city’s efforts to stop unsafe food being consumed.

 Security forces at Noi Bai International Airport have intercepted an American man for carrying guns. The US passenger had flown to Viet Nam from Taiwan and was transiting to Laos.

 Customs officers at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 20 detained a Korean man after he was found illegally transporting a gold bullion to the Incheon airport in the Republic of Korea.

Foreign investment funds are interested in fields benefiting from the growing middle class in Vietnam, listed companies and those with plans to make IPO in the areas of food, retail, digital technology, aviation, tourism, oil and gas.

 The list of 16 finalists in the Fintech Challenge Vietnam (FCV) – the first-ever financial technology contest in the country has been officially announced, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam on March 20. 

 The VN-Index failed to hit the threshold 1,160 points after the stock market experienced loads of selling transactions late on March 20.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan will attend the 138th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-138) and related meetings in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 24-25 and pay an official visit to the Netherlands from March 26-28.

The US’s recent ruling to impose unprecedentedly high import duties on frozen Tra fish fillets from Vietnam shows a level of unfairness and is not in line with the usual antidumping law provisions, said VASEP Secretary General Truong Dinh Hoe.

 Vietnam will organize the sixth Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS-6) Summit and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV-10) Development Triangle Summit in Hanoi from March 29-31.

 Vietnam is likely to surpass the United States to become the Republic of Korea’s second biggest importer by 2020, thanks to a bilateral free trade agreement, according to a report released by the Korea International Trade Association on March 20.

 The Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control said the country has successfully bidden anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs with prices 15-17 percent lower than those of similar drugs in use, bringing more hopes to local HIV/AIDS patients.

 President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Moon Jae-in will pay a state visit to Vietnam from March 22-24, which is expected to be a chance for the two countries to further enhance their relations.