The door to the 2018 World Cup officially closed on Vietnam after they succumbed to a 0-1 defeat against Iraq in their last Group F clash of the second World Cup qualifying round, held on neutral ground in Tehran, Iran on March 29.

 A special art programme themed ‘Sac 16’ (Beauty 16) will be held on April 2 on Dao Duy Tu Street, one of Hanoi’s Old Quarter pedestrian streets. 

 Vietnamese National Assembly deputies called on the government to show the greater determination in protecting the country’s sovereignty in the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos.

  US investors anticipating business windfalls from the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership have been showing a strong interest in Vietnam.

Vietnam Aviation Academy and D’viation Solutions Sdn Bhd today signed a collaboration agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership with the aim of enhancing the aviation education and training in Vietnam. 

 No mosquito-borne Zika virus case has been reported within Vietnam so far this year, as samples collected are confirmed by labs as negative for the virus.

 Fifty-six information and technology (IT) products and 17 IT services, will receive the 2016 Sao Khue Award, according to the Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA).

 Viet Nam is a main target for hackers in the network environment, said Nguyen Van Thinh, deputy head of the Department of Cyber Security under the Ministry of Public Security, at the Security World 2016 conference on Tuesday.

 The Phu My Hung Golf Tournament begins this Sunday with the participation of more than 108 amateur golfers at the South Saigon Golf Court in HCM City’s District 7.

  The Vietnamese judo team have left for China for a short training course to secure tickets for the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics.

 Violist Nguyet Thu and her Apaixonado String Quartet band will hold a concert for children with autism on Saturday at the Vietnam National Academy of Music’s Grand Concert Hall.

 Two Chinese nationals were yesterday sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison for using technical devices to steal VNĐ100 million (US$4,440) from multiple banks.

  HCM City hopes to ease traffic jams by efficiently using existing infrastructure, promoting investment in public transport, developing waterway transportation and speeding up transportation projects.

 Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Netherlands to continue helping Vietnam cope with climate change, especially the ongoing drought and saline intrusion which is the most severe in the Mekong Delta in the past 100 years.

 Vietnam has urged the Netherlands to collaborate with Vietnam in conducting intensive research into solutions to preserve water in the Mekong Delta, which is facing severe drought and saltwater intrusion.

 The Hung Kings Temple festival will see no visitors being overcharged, nor illegal dishes of endangered wildlife on sale this year , the organising board said at a press conference in Hanoi on March 30.

 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.