All districts will be expected to develop a “smart urban area” plan by 2020, said Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, who is also head of the smart city management board.

The Hanoi People’s Court on March 19 opened a trial for Dinh La Thang, former Chairman of the Member Council of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), and six accomplices for their wrongdoings in investing PetroVietnam’s capital in Ocean Bank. 

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has urged Vietnamese expats in Japan to continue uphold their role as bridges, contributing to helping Vietnamese enterprises promote exports. 

Vietnam has been ranked 87th on a global survey that rated 119 countries in terms of their ability to attract, develop and retain talent.

Vietnam’s organ transplantation technique is now on equal footing with developed countries, experts say.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany said it is working with the Vietnamese Consulate General in Frankfurt and local authorities to solve the recent death of a Vietnamese student in Germany.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Van Khoa on March 17 welcomed Adama Ouane, Director of the International Francophone Organisation (OIF), who is on a working visit to Vietnam and attends Francophone Day activities in the southern city.

Russian nationals headed to ballot stations in Vietnam to elect a new President of Russia on March 18 when the election was also taking place in their homeland. 

Various types of education in the US were introduced at an exhibition held by the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on March 16.

The Vietnam Peace Commemoration Committee (VPCC) organised an array of activities in the US from March 15-17 to commemorate 504 victims of the Son My bloody massacre by US troops 50 years ago. 

VOV.VN - The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Education and Training of Australia have signed a memorandum of understanding on vocational education.

A new report shows Vietnamese students perform best academically in East Asia and the Pacific and surpass even some from developed countries outside the region. 

HCM City may fail to reach the target to restore 50% out of the city’s total old apartment building number of 474, according to the municipal Department of Construction.

Vietnam is on course to make electronic toll collection (ETC) technology available at all toll stations on its lifeline National Highway 1 by the end of 2018, as stipulated in a government plan.

Over 1,000 people came together at the walking and painting events held on the pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake, Hanoi on March 17 in response to the Earth Hour 2018.

Australian Home Affair Minister Peter Dutton on March 17 named use of encrypted messaging apps to plot terrorist attacks the greatest threat faced by intelligence agencies in modern times in his remarks at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit that is underway in Sydney.

Young overseas Vietnamese working in Vietnam and their fellows at home engaged in a dialogue in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17 to make connection and share their experience in starting and doing business.

Doctors at the 108 Military Central Hospital announced on March 16 that they successfully performed the first lung transplant from a brain dead donor in Vietnam, marking a huge step forward in the tissue and organ transplant field of military doctors, opening more opportunities for patients in Vietnam with dangerous diseases.

VOV.VN -At around 8:30 pm on March 16, a large fire broke out at a scrap warehouse located in Trieu Khuc Village in Hanoi, causing extensive damage.

VOV.VN - The opening ceremony for Voice of Vietnam (VOV)’s representative office in Australia was held to coincide with celebrations of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam - Australia diplomatic ties.

VOV.VN - Thousands of mourners including former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung have paid tribute to late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, who passed away at 1:30 am on March 17 in Cu Chi district, HCM City.

VOV.VN - The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) officially launched a new representative office in Sydney, Australia on March 17 as part of the national multimedia agency’s blueprint to reach a wider global audience. 

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc highlighted Vietnam’s efforts and practical contributions to the development of the French-speaking community and promoting the French language in the region at a function to mark the International Francophone Day in Hanoi on March 16.

A Government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh on March 16 paid homage to Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese and former President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam Paul Bui Van Doc, who passed away in Rome on March 6 (Rome time).

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on March 16 visited the National Press Festival 2018, which opened the same day at the Hanoi Museum.

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee on March 16 signed a cooperation agreement to produce and air a television programme entitled “Strength of Great Solidarity” on the VNA’s TV Channel Vnews in the 2018-2021 period.

Ho Chi Minh City wants to receive further assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in a number of key infrastructure projects, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong. 

As many as 96,478 foreigners requested e-visas on Vietnam’s immigration portal at https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn in the Feb-December period of 2017, according to the Administration of Immigration under the Ministry of Public Security. 

The central province of Quang Binh on March 16 launched a plan on inspecting fisheries activities to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as guided by the European Commission (EC). 

The Vietnam Education Publishing House convened a workshop in Hanoi on March 16, seeking to gather international experience in compiling textbooks promoting learners’ ability.