Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Binh held talks with Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jose Almendras in Hanoi on April 11.

 The National Assembly convened a plenary session in Hanoi on April 11 to remove some posts of vice chairmen and members of the National Election Council (NEC) and the Council on National Defence and Security.

 The Party, State and people of Vietnam will do their utmost, together with Laos, to preserve and deepen the special solidarity between the two countries, Dinh The Huynh, permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, affirmed.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 11 for visiting Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jose Almendras.

  Many foreign insurers operating in Vietnam may no longer be able to transfer all reinsurance premiums overseas, following a decree to restrict these transfers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Hai Tac, literally translated as “Pirate” archipelago, 30 km from Ha Tien township, is a new tourist attraction in Kien Giang Province. The pristine natural landscapes of this place are amazingly beautiful.

 VietNamNet Bridge – More rich people in Vietnam want to purchase houses in the US in order to get an official green card from the U.S. Government. A green card allows lawful permanent residence.

By July 2017, the Government will have changed the way it allocates official development assistance loans. Instead of receiving an ODA allotment, local-level administrations will have to borrow the loans from the government

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City has announced that it will pump an estimated VND11.61 trillion (US$505 million) into 84 projects in an attempt to reduce floods over the next five years.

  Many foreign enterprises are keen on investing in the Vietnamese mining market due to the country’s huge mineral resources awaiting exploitation.

 On April 11, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received visiting Philippines Foreign Minister Jose Almendras in Hanoi.

On April 11, the National Assembly approved a list of members of the National Electional Council and the Council on National Defence and Security presented earlier by President Tran Dai Quang and NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

After drastic restructuring in the Vietnamese banking system, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) still need to be made by an additional 34 commercial banks, said Sandeep Mahajan, World Bank (WB)’s Lead Economist for East Asia-Pacific.

 Hai Phong carried on with their stunning winning streak in the 2016 V-League, defeating Hoang Anh Gia Lai 4-2 in the fifth round of play at Lach Tray Stadium on April 10. 

 Top Vietnamese shuttler Nguyen Tien Minh was not able to claim the top title in the men's singles at the Finnish Open 2016 after suffering a bitter 0-2 loss to Kanta Tsuneyama from Japan in their final clash on April 10.

 This year's Yamaha Motor Show 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City on April 7, attended by thousands, saw some downright thrilling performances by two Japanese professional stunt riders.

 President Barack Obama is looking forward to his visit to Vietnam, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in reply recently to the media.

 Vietnam still enjoys strong growth prospects among the large developing ASEAN economies though its economic growth is expected to moderate to 6.2 percent in 2016, the World Bank (WB) says.

 The Prime Minister has approved the amended decision on the development of drainage in Vietnam’s urban centres and industrial parks up to 2025 and a vision towards 2050, with the aim that urban centres will be free of flooding by 2050.

Unranked Vietnam lost to world No. 19 China 11-0 in Pool A of the FIH Hockey World League at Seng Kang Stadium in Singapore on April 10.