The Vietnamese economy will remain stable in 2016 with a growth rate of 6.7 percent, followed by a modest slowing of growth to 6.5 percent in 2017, according to the ADB’s “Asian Development Outlook 2016” report, released on March 30.

VietNamNet Bridge - Input material sources and the encouragement by the state both have encouraged more and more businesses to invest in waste recycling projects.

 The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court sentenced three women to prison for anti-State propaganda at a trial on March 30.

 Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh and his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan hailed the third border defence friendship exchange between the two countries as a success following their meeting to review the event in Guangxi province on March 30.

 The Vietnamese Defence Ministry handed over a defence e-portal to its Lao counterpart during a ceremony in Vientiane on March 30.

 The National Assembly debated the draft Law on Signing, Joining and Implementing International Treaties (revised) and conducted procedures to relieve the NA Chairman and head of the National Election Council on March 30.

 Vietnam and Algeria exchanged practices in judicial reforms and court procedures during a talk between Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Truong Hoa Binh and his Algerian counterpart Boudi Slimane in Hanoi on March 30.

VietNamNet Bridge - Only 50 percent of Vietnamese population can be listed as ‘middle class’ if considering their real annual incomes. However, 96 percent of Vietnamese think they belong to the middle class.

Head of the Western Border Department under the Foreign Ministry’s National Border Commission Thai Xuan Dung has stressed the need for continued coordination between Vietnamese and Lao border localities.

VietNamNet Bridge - Some mobile network operators have proposed to take back 2G network frequency to pave the way for the development of 4G network. However, some analyst say it is still too early.

Since the development of new schools cannot catch up with the population increase, HCM City is seriously lacking schools. Because of this, parents have to enroll their children in privately run day-boarding classes.

 President Truong Tan Sang asked Samsung Group of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to help Vietnam develop the support industry during a reception for Han Myong Sup, Samsung Vietnam’s General Director, in Hanoi on March 30.

Mobile phones and components remain in the lead amongst the group of ten products that foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) earned from exporting between January 1 and March 15, 2016.

The National Assembly (NA) has agreed to let Nguyen Sinh Hung step down from both positions as Chairman of the NA and the National Election Council (NEC) during a plenary session in Hanoi on March 30.  

VietNamNet Bridge – Cao Van Cuong left his hometown in the northern province of Hung Yen for Hanoi over a decade ago to start everything from scratch. 

  “Saigoner welcome” signage hung on the door of Saigoner café is a lovely greeting that may attract passers-by.

 Tay Ninh border gate to expand, Dao maturity rite recognised as intangible cultural heritage, Contraband cigarettes seized in Hai Phong port, Gia Lai: 14,000 drought-hit households face food shortage

VietNamNet Bridge - The continued net sales by foreign investors has raised big concerns. However, experts have said the net sales would end by June.

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.

 Diseases in Hanoi have been controlled over the past three months, Deputy Director of the municipal Health Department Hoang Duc Hanh has said.