VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has decided to develop teaching kits under VNEN – the new teaching model for Vietnam – into one of the sets of textbooks to be used for general education reform, commencing from 2018.

VietNamNet Bridge - The water of the Ba River has turned abnormally green, covered with scum and moss. However, it is still being used by thousands of local households, as it is their only source of water.

 A new master plan in Vietnam has mapped out medium-term objectives for investment and development in the power sector to meet the goal of advancing industrial capacity.

There has yet to be a definitive conclusion on the cause of mass fish deaths in the central region, but nonetheless, local residents whose diets rely on seafood and fishermen living along the coast from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue have been suffering.

 The government management agency will not "intervene" in the purchasing activities of retailers until suppliers can prove that supermarket chains were discriminating against their products, the governments e-portal reported.

 Tran Ngoc Lan Khue, former Miss Ao Dai Vietnam 2014 titleholder, who was supposed to compete at the Miss Grand International 2016 pageant, has bowed out due to scheduling conflicts.

 Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) and Vietnam Oiland Gas Group (PetroVietnam) have extended the production sharing contract with their partners for offshore fields in the overlapping zone between Malaysia and Viet Nam.

 Olympic qualifier Vu Thanh An will participate in the Senior World Cup Men’s Sabre individual and team events in Madrid, Spain, from May 13-15.

 Nearly 140 samples of seafood, vegetables and water in the four central coastal provinces which suffered mass fish deaths are determined to be safe and within the prescribed level.

 The Ministry of Health has collected samples of two beverages sold by Vietnam URC Co., Ltd., to test for lead in response to allegations it was selling poor-quality products.

 No case suspected of carrying Zika virus has been detected in District 7, HCM City, since a Republic of Korea (RoK) woman was found with Zika virus on her return home from the city.

 The Government has approved a report on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) so as to submit the deal to the 14th National Assembly for ratification at its first session scheduled for this July.

Among organizations and individuals of Vietnam named in the Panama Papers are Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chair of Sovico Holdings, and Chair of SSI Securities Company Nguyen Duy Hung. How did they explain this inclusion on the list?

On May 10 the General Department of Taxation held an extraordinary meeting on the Panama papers case. The agency decided to set up a working group to investigate tax obligations of 189 organizations and individuals named in the list.

VietNamNet Bridge – Although luxury tax on beer has increased, production and consumption of beer in the past four months increased by nearly 6%, reported the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

After an electronic store in Hanoi was fined $2,000 for using PR girls wearing swimsuit, a restaurant on Tran Thai Tong Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi also hired PR girls wearing bikinis to pour beer and bring food to customers. 

After three failed dialogues with 14 plants, people of Long Son commune in the southern city of Vung Tau have hired lawyers to prepare a lawsuit against 14 firms for discharging wastewater into the environment, killing their fish.

A group of foreign ambassadors to Vietnam, an UNESCO representative and US Assistant Secretary of State landed in the central province of Quang Binh on May 11 to embark on their adventure inside Son Doong Cave, the largest natural cave in the world.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ministers, Government officials and People’s Committee leaders should improve management of food safety and hygiene, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in a recent directive.

VietNamNet Bridge - From 17/2 to 16/3/1979, Beijing mobilized 600,000 troops and modern weapons to attack six northern border provinces of Vietnam.