Preparations for the election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and People’s Councils for 2016-2020 are being conducted in line with the law and progressing smoothly, according to the National Election Council (NEC)’s Office.

Nearly 150 cinematic works have registered to compete for the 2015 Golden Kite Awards, announced President of the Vietnam Cinematography Association Dang Xuan Hai on March 31.

 David Sapterstein, Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, and a delegation from the US Department of State took a fact-finding tour in Vietnam from March 26 to 31.

 The Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique called on local agencies to take effective measures in order to ensure security and safety for Vietnamese and their property amid increasing armed conflicts in the country.

VietNamNet Bridge - The state-owned enterprises (SOEs) using foreign loans for production and business fields which bring profits will no longer get a government guarantee for loans.

In the severe drought that has lasted for several months, water levels of hundreds of reservoirs in the Central Highlands are at 30-40% of capacity. In Dak Lak, 250 lakes are dry and the numbers are 17-40-5 in Dak Nong, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Luckily for us, Danang is a beautiful city with plenty of inspiring locations for your wedding photography.

 A 20-year-old talented Korean guitarist Sungha Jung will perform two concerts at Vietnam’s Youth Theatre in Hanoi on April 16 and at HCMC Conservatory of Music in Ho Chi Minh City on April 17.

 Taxi operator Mai Linh Group has recently requested the support of the Vietnamese government for its electric car project, which it is going to carry out with French car-maker Renault.

 The Saigon Railway Company has rejected a proposal that having the HCM City station and rail tracks in an urban area causes traffic congestion and so should be moved to the suburbs or a neighbouring province.

 Budget revenues were estimated at about $10 billion in the first quarter of this year, up 0.3 percent year on year and meeting 22.7 percent of collection goals, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said on March 31.

 Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang on March 31 had a working session on information technology cooperation with representatives from the US Microsoft Corporation.

 A number of coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta which are located about 25-40 km from the sea are expected to welcome inflows of fresh water in April when the tide recedes, according to the Southern Irrigation Science Institute.

 The government has approved the draft content of an agreement on establishing an ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Animal Health and Zoonoses (ACCAHZ) in Vietnam.

Hanoians’ dream of owning cheaper cars after the tax cuts under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) may be dashed as local authorities are considering applying a quota scheme in an effort to restrict the number of cars in circulation.

 An exhibition displaying children’s paintings on Vietnam and Russia opened at Hoan Kiem Cultural Centre in Hanoi on March 30, the Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) newspaper reported.

 The 2016 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Youth Week in conjunction with the Model ASEM will be held in Hanoi and the northern province of Quang Ninh from April 1 to 7.

 Police in the Republic of Korea (RoK) recently busted an online sport gambling ring with a fake office in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, Yonhap News Agency reported on March 31.

 Chairman of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly Zulkifli Hasan has pledged to do his best to foster ties between Vietnam and Indonesia as well as their legislatures.

 Vietnam congratulates Myanmar on the establishment of its new Government, said Foreign Ministry Vice Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang on March 31.