The Republic of Korea (RoK) on May 7 confirmed that its fourth national to contract the Zika virus had recently returned from a trip to Vietnam.

 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, the world’s top smartphone maker from the Republic of Korea, is planning a production run of 200 million smartphones in Vietnam this year.

 The Japanese International School was inaugurated in Hanoi on May 7.

 Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha yesterday signed an diploma note over scholarship project for personnel development.

Vietnam National Petroleum Group has yet to make any progress on its South Van Phong oil refinery project eight years after receiving the investment certificate, because the company is still asking the government for incentives.

 Vietnam reiterates the common responsibility and benefits of countries and the international community towards maintaining regional peace and stability, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, said.

 Scientists from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting have estimated that the 2014-2016 El Nino is expected to be as serious as the 1997-1998, and it could become one of the longest warming events ever (up to 20 months).

The number of cervical cancer cases in Vietnam has fallen by half in the last 30 years thanks to a nationwide network of health facilities providing gynaecology screening, according to Chairman of the Vietnam Cancer Association. 

 Vietnamese disabled swimmer Vo Thanh Tung brought home a gold medal at the 2016 IPC Swimming European Open Championships which wrapped up in Funchal, on the island of Madeira, Portugal on May 7.

 Sanna Khanh Hoa are in Group D of the Asian Football Confederation Futsal Club Championship in Thailand after an official draw for the continental gathering in Bangkok on May 6.

 China was crowned the winner of the Asian Volleyball Confederation Women’s Beach Volleyball Tour Vietnam – Can Tho Open 2016 after defeating their Thai rivals on May 7.

 France’s Cyril Viennot and Switzerland’s Caroline Steffen took the men’s and women’s titles, respectively, of the VNG Ironman 70.3 Vietnam 2016 in Da Nang on May 8.

 The Vietnamese Embassy in the US held a ceremony in Washington on May 7 to present the Friendship Order to Andre Sauvageot, a war veteran, for his contributions to the normalisation and development of Vietnam-US relations.

 All eight members of the Vietnamese team have bagged prizes at the 17th Asian Physics Olympiad held in Hong Kong, China from May 1 to 9.

 The Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City was inaugurated in Le Minh Xuan commune, Binh Chanh district on May 8.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with voters from the northern port city of Hai Phong on May 7-8.

Over the last five years of operation, the Vietnam History Development Fund has given awards to 897 excellent students who won first, second and third prizes at national history competition.

 The Vietnam Border Guard High Command held an exchange programme in Hanoi on May 7 to increase border friendship and solidarity with China, Laos and Cambodia.

 Scholars at a recent workshop at Yale University, the US state of Connecticut, have adduced evidence to prove that China’s sovereignty claims in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) are not true.

VietNamNet Bridge - While the national economy is in strong recovery, inflation has been curbed and p administration reform has been simplified, the number of dissolved businesses has been increasing rapidly.