An exhibition featuring historic sketches opened in Buon Ma Thuot city, the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, on April 17.

Vietnam currently has 3.2 million disabled people who still can work and need loans. However, preferential loans for people with disabilities have remained modest.

The Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, tenth tenure, convened its 16th meeting on April 17 to discuss the local socio-economic development in the first quarter of 2018 and a mid-term review plan.

The investigation police agency of the Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) has put seven persons into temporary detention for their alleged involvement in the case of Phan Van Anh Vu, who was charged with “deliberately disclosing state secrets”, “tax evasion”, and “abusing position and power while performing duties.”

The central coastal province of Quang Tri has enhanced surveillance of offshore fishing vessels as part of efforts to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, especially after the European Commission (EC) issued a  “yellow card” warning to the country’s fishery sector.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh Dong Van Lam has directed provincial departments, sectors and localities to strengthen the application of information technology in improving provincial competitiveness index (PCI).

VOV.VN - The Vietnam Children Protection Fund in collaboration with Operation Smile have helped nearly 30,000 disadvantaged children with cleft lips and palates to receive free surgeries from 1997 to the present, with total funding of nearly VND70 billion.

The “7 Day Challenge” campaign, an initiative from Sweden, has arrived in Vietnam. It encourages the participants to eat, move and live without harming the environment.

 A new turtle with an appearance similar to that of the turtle that lived in Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi have been found. But according to an expert, it is yet to be confirmed if they are of the same species.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) is discussing regulations to restrict the number of hours to sell alcohol.

Vietnam will use three new vaccines in the national expanded vaccination programme (NEVP) this year, heard a workshop held by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on April 16.

An art and exchange programme was held in Hanoi on April 16 to honour people with disabilities who manage to overcome their difficulties and become successful.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed with the proposal of the French consultant company ADP-I to build a new passenger terminal south of Tan Son Nhat aiport in Ho Chi Minh City as part of the airport expansion plan.

The teacher training college of the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on April 16 hosted a celebration of the traditional New Year Festival of Laos – Bunpimay – for Lao students in the province.

A forum on occupational safety and hygiene for young workers took place in Hanoi on April 16 in response to annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28).

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho wants to promote cooperation with France in the fields of hi-tech agriculture, infrastructure, medical equipment and education.

The High-Level People’s Court in Hanoi has maintained the life sentence given to Chau Thi Thu Nga, former National Assembly deputy and former Chairwoman and General Director of the Land and Housing Construction and Investment JSC (Housing Group), for swindling to appropriate assets at the B5 Cau Dien housing project.

Prolonged heat in the southernmost province of Ca Mau has exposed 43,000 hectares of cajeput forest in U Minh Ha National Park to high risk of forest fires, according to the local forest protection sub-department.

Vietnam’s central province of Ha Tinh and the Korea Environment Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) will cooperate to implement a project on building a master plan on improving the sewage system and river water quality in Ha Tinh. 

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has provided more than US$170 million in financial support for Vietnam’s efforts in HIV/AIDS prevention over the last two decades. 

Dinh La Thang, former Chairman of the Member Council of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), who involved in the notorious OceanBank case, has submitted his written appeal asking the Hanoi People’s Court for reconsidering his charge, penalty and civil responsibility.

A conference was held in Hanoi on April 16 to discuss a model to provide psychological support and consultations for drug addicts before the court gives decisions on compulsory detoxification methods to them.

 An exchange between 17 firms from the Japanese region of Kyushu and Vietnamese students in five local universities took place in Fukuoka prefecture on April 14. 

VOV.VN - Customs officers of Quang Ninh province coordinated with the police of Hanoi’s Ha Dong district for the arrest of Pham Anh Tuan, who was caught smuggling heroin and synthetic drug pills.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Food Safety Management Board (FSMB) will step up inspections to ensure food safety, said head of FSMB Pham Khanh Phong Lan.

Craft villages in the capital city of Hanoi are sharing a concern over the shortage of highly-skilled craftsmen, which is hindering them from improving the designs and competitiveness of products.

In recent years, the Vietnamese Party and State have devised many policies to support victims of unexploded ordnance (UXO), and deployed many programmes to clear UXO and reduce the pollution caused by war-left bombs, mines.

VOV.VN - Over the past two days, a series of heavy hail showers accompanied by destructive whirlwinds have damaged houses and subsidiary crops across the northern mountainous provinces of Son La and Yen Bai.

The Vietnamese Buddhist Association (VBA) in Japan on April 15 organised an art performance to raise funds for Dai An pagoda in Saitama prefecture.

A ceremony to repatriate remains of US servicemen missing in action during the war in Vietnam took place at Da Nang international airport on April 15, according to the Foreign Ministry.