Researchers around the world are now convinced the Zika virus can cause the birth defect microcephaly as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis,

VietNamNet Bridge – According to the report on the cost of living index 2015 by the General Statistics Office, the cost of living in HCM City is 2.61% cheaper than in Hanoi.

 The insurance market saw a total insured value reaching 11.7 quadrillion VND (526.5 billion USD) from 2011-2015 said an official during a press conference in Hanoi on March 29.

 The highlights of the 2016 Hung Kings Temple Festival will be a street folk festival in Viet Tri entitled 'Viet Tri - festive city returning to the roots' and a high-range firework display. 

VietNamNet Bridge – “Don’t raise poultry or cattle”; “Don’t litter, make a mess or dispose of waste in public areas”; “Don’t burn votive paper”. These regulations sound familiar to anyone living in an apartment building, 

 VietNamNet Bridge – A spokesperson for Song Da No2 Joint Stock Company (SD2) called up a magazine to grumble that steel prices have skyrocketed, pushing up costs for his company by billions of dong since the prices started to rise.

 The local tourism sector has fully recovered, thus entering a new stage of development, said Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

 The National Assembly (NA) and Government should take more radical measures to improve the investment climate, fight corruption and ensure food safety in the years ahead, lawmakers said during a plenary session on April 1.

 The 4th ASEAN Chief Justices’ Meeting took place in Ho Chi Minh City on April 1, focusing on the institutionalisation of the meeting itself to improve the efficiency of the cooperation mechanism in the bloc.

 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held meetings with leaders of foreign countries and international organisations on the sidelines of the ongoing Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C. on March 31 (local time).

 Events in Vietnam's major cities from April 1-15. Daily updated

 National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced the inaugural flight on March 28 of a new non-stop service route between Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai, China.

Li Bai Chinese restaurant will introduce a special menu featuring sizzling Australian beef cooked in Chinese style with choices of exclusive sauce created by the talented chefs at Li Bai Restaurant during the month of April.

 It is necessary for related sides to avoid taking unilateral actions that complicate the situations and affect the negotiations and delineation in the waters off the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf, said Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given a nod of approval to the establishment of Hoa Lam International University of Medicine and Pharmacy invested by Hoa Lam-Shangri-La Healthcare LLC.

 After March 31 certain enterprises will be not permitted to borrow foreign currencies from banks and then exchange it into VND to buy materials, according to Circular No. 24 from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).

 The United States and China confirmed Thursday that they will sign the Paris climate change agreement in New York on April 22, a move that officials hope will help the accord enter into force this year.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Overseas Vietnamese and all those living in Viet Nam, including foreigners, are invited to enter a photo competition. The contest theme is "Vietnamese Rivers". The contest is open until June 20.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam women’s team beat Iran to take the lead after three rounds at the Asian Nations Cup Chess Team Championship on Wednesday.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam national men’s football team will play friendly matches to prepare for the upcoming third qualifying round of the AFC Asian Cup 2019, according to the Viet Nam Football Federation.