The south central province of Phu Yen is taking urgent measures to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, as part of the national effort to tackle the European Commission’s IUU yellow card.

The central province of Quang Nam is reviewing tourism projects on Cu Lao Cham (Cham Island), a tourism magnet in Tan Hiep commune of Hoi An township, following reports on the environmental impacts of some construction activities.

The Chiba District Court said on March 6 that it will begin the trial under the lay judge system on June 4 for a man indicted for murdering a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl last year.

 The government is developing a scheme for reforming Vietnam’s social insurance policy aiming to establish a multi-tiered social security system which will be submitted for approval in May, said Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on March 5.

 Experts from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) talked with Vietnamese enterprises on how to protect their intellectual property rights overseas at a seminar in HCM City on March 5.

Five staff members of an airport in central Vietnam have been fined for letting a mental patient sneak onto a plane on the weekend.

A gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) study by Assoc. Prof. Dr Tran Van Khanh, which supports prenatal diagnosis of DMD to prevent genetic disorders, has earned the scientist the Kovalevskaya Award 201​7.

15 companies have agreed to take in the unfortunate workers after their employer disappeared without paying them salaries.

Measures to promote cooperation for sustainable development of water resources are being discussed during the Vietnam International Water Week 2018 from March 4-8, which gathers representatives from more than 30 countries and territories worldwide. 

A photo exhibition on the life and career of late Venezuelan Commander-in-Chief Hugo Chavez Frias opened in Hanoi on March 5 on the occasion of his fifth death anniversary. 

The Finance Ministry recently issued a Notice requiring the People’s Committees of cities and provinces to strengthen price management following the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet), so as to achieve the goal of controlling consumer price index below 4 percent this year. 

The Hanoi People’s Court opened on March 5 the first-instance trial for nine defendants accused of being responsible for the 18 successive ruptures of the Da River water pipelines in the capital city.

VOV.VN - The first phase of the Duong River Surface Water Plant with a daily capacity of 150,000 cu m, will enter operation in October 2018, according to a statement from the project’s investor at a recent meeting with Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung.  

Green-skin pomelo, a speciality of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, has been granted a geographical indication (GI) certificate by the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP).  

The Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau held a meeting with Vietnamese representative agencies and expatriates in Macau on March 4.

A scientific project to preserve and develop the genetic resources of the medicinal plants Ba Kich (Morinda officinalis How) and Sa nhan tim (Amomum Longiligulare T.L.Wu) is underway in Pu Hu Nature Reserve, the northern central province of Thanh Hoa.

VOV.VN - Thousands of Hanoi youth said goodbye to their families as they signed up for military service on the morning of March 5. The see-off ceremony was a bitter sweet occasion with both smiles and tears on the faces of the crowds.

The Mecklenburg – Vorpommern (MV) state of Germany wants to enhance cooperation with Vietnam in training Vietnamese caregivers for work in German, according to an official of the MV government. 

The automated customs system is expected come into operation at all seaports and airports by the end of the third quarter of 2018, according to the General Department of Customs.

Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Finance plans to submit a proposal to the People’s Council to increase salaries for Government workers in line with the National Assembly's Resolution No 54 for “piloting a special mechanism and policy for the development of HCM City.”

VOV.VN - Hong Ngoc General Hospital has coordinated with a delegation of US doctors to launch the “Lighting up dreams” program from March 7-13 which aims to provide free medical check-ups and surgeries to disadvantaged children with congenital defects.

German experts and representatives from the embassies of ASEAN nations in Germany gathered at a forum in Hamburg city on March 2 to seek ways to expand cooperation in vocational training between the two sides.

The water quality in Hanoi’s lakes, including 86 in the inner city and 44 on the outskirts, earmarked for renovation has improved markedly after months of dredging and cleaning, experts have announced.

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union has launched a five-month “Green Sundays” campaign to raise awareness of environmental protection nationwide, particularly in crowded residential areas, factories, agencies and schools.

Ho Chi Minh City plans to increase the parking fees for automobiles that park on roadsides and sidewalks in District 1, 3, 5, 10 and 11 to VND20,000-40,000 (US$0.9-1.8) per hour.

Beginning March 3, 2018, persons who are between 15 and 18 years old can open debit cards, credit cards and prepaid cards without the need to provide proof of income’s sources, according to the State Bank of Vietnam.

Spiritual tourism has become an indispensable part in spiritual life for many people. However, currently spiritual tourism is only popular during special occasions like during the spring festival. To tap the sector’s potential, it’s necessary to develop more activities to create a complete tourism product.

The Vietnamese Buddhist Association in Japan held a requiem at Nisshikutsu pagoda in Tokyo on March 4 to pray for the soldiers who died to defend Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago three decades ago.

Japan has benefited greatly from the innovation and value creation of entrepreneurship, yet has a culture that is highly resistant against, if not openly hostile to start-ups.

Bangkok Airways will launch the first direct flight from Hanoi to Chiang Mai and vice versa, from March 25 this year.