Ministry wants to restart railway projectVietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport wants to secure investment from the private sector to complete the Yen Vien – Cai Lan Railway project, which connects Yen Vien Station in Hanoi with Cai Lan Station in the northern province of Quang Ninh. The 131-km railway consisted of four parts: Ha Long – Cai Lan, Lim – Pha Lai, Pha Lai – Ha Long and Yen Vien-Lim. However, according to the ministry, the project was delayed and suspended in 2011 when Government tightened its belt, cutting public investment. The ministry’s Railway Project Management Board, the project investor, has proposed the Government call on private investors to complete the project under a Public-Private Partnership contract. Cai Lan Station already has seven lines, as well as a warehouse and container area.

Hoi An memories show wins two recordsThe Hoi An Memories show, which debuted on March 18 at Hoi An Impression Theme Park in the central province of Quang Nam, has set two Vietnamese records. The Hoi An Memories show, which debuted on March 18 at Hoi An Impression Theme Park in the central province of Quang Nam, has set two Vietnamese records. The colourful and musically dazzling night show, with a cast of nearly 500 actors and actresses, recalls the memories of Hoi An as a prosperous trading port over 400 years. Photo/Clip: Thuy Tinh/VietNamNetThe show is a key component of the Hoi An Impression Theme Park that will open in the second quarter of this year. The 10-hectare theme park in Hoi An includes indoor and outdoor theatres, shopping and entertainment complexes, and 200 hotel rooms.

Following tests during the inspections, unsafe food will be confiscated, creating a radical change in public compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations, he said at a meeting with the press on March 20. Along with enhancing state management by setting up food safety watchdogs and inspection groups at grassroots levels, the city will develop food safety production and supply chains and join hands with localities in food safety chain management. Chung also pointed out that poor awareness of both food businesses and consumers of the issue as well as a lack of involvement of local authorities hamper the fight against unsafe food. Authorities detected 26,310 production units violating food safety regulations and punished 7,221 of them. At present, Hanoi has 60 farm-to-fork food chains and has been working with other provinces to manage vegetable farming to VietGAP standards to ensure safe food supply for its citizens.-VNA

Airport security intercept US passenger with gunsSecurity forces at Noi Bai International Airport have intercepted an American man for carrying guns. The transport of guns, even if transiting through Viet Nam airport, is a violation of law.— Illustration photoTien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported that the security forces discovered the case at the checked baggage liaison area, T2 passenger terminal, at Noi Bai International Airport. Aviation security forces checked the baggage of passenger L.S, who took flight BR397 from Taoyuan International Airport (Taiwan) to Noi Bai airport, and was to board the connecting QV312 flight to Wattay International Airport (Laos). Security forces seized several detachable guns and three plastic boxes containing 200 bullets. A day later, Noi Bai airport security force discovered another baggage belonging to this passenger (planned to move to Laos), with three detachable guns and 450 bullets.

ROK President touts special ties with Vietnam ahead of state visitPresident Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea has praised Vietnam as a key partner and invaluable friend in an interview with Nhan Dan Newspaper ahead of his state visit to Vietnam from March 22-24. Over the past 30 years, a variety of development cooperation projects totaling US$1.65 billion have been carried out in Vietnam. I will pursue economic cooperation between our two nations in a mutually beneficial way that contributes to our common prosperity. I hope bilateral cooperation in new industries such as the Smart City and ICT will strengthen the foundation to promote future-oriented economic cooperation between our two nations. The RoKGovernment intends to continue expanding bilateral cooperation in sports to create yet more Korea-Vietnam Magic.

Korean man found illegally transporting gold bullionCustoms officers at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 20 detained a Korean man after he was found illegally transporting a gold bullion to the Incheon airport in the Republic of Korea. The gold bullion seized in the case (Source: http://thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn)The 39-years-old man, named H.W.I was found hiding a gold bullion worth nearly 700 million VND (around 30,800 USD) in his luggage. 11/2014/TT-NHNN by the State Bank of Vietnam, Vietnamese and foreign individuals are banned from carrying gold bullions or gold materials when leaving or entering VietnamIndividuals on exit or entry are permitted to carry only jewellery gold and fine-art gold articles. If the gold totals 300 grams or more, they must declare to customs officers. In this case, the man may face up to 2-5 years in prison if he is prosecuted.-VNA

Social network users spread false health claimsVietNamNet Bridge – Social media has recently lit up with a discussion about medical treatments that supposedly “follow natural therapies”, reported Lao Dong (Labour) Newspaper. -- VNA/VNS Photo Duong NgocSeveral therapies have rapidly spread across social networks as users describe their experiences. “At present, there are no medical organisations recommending that women should give birth without medical assistance”, Tien told the paper. After birth, babies’ health is checked and monitored carefully by doctors. “If we blindly follow false information, we’ll put our health at risk.”Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Vinh, head of the Child and Maternal Healthcare Department of the Health Ministry, recommended that social network users take greater responsibility for posting information.

Young entrepreneurs born in the Year of Dog achieve early successVietNamNet Bridge - Born in 1994, many of these entrepreneurs are young but have already become rivals of prominent businesspeople. Born in 1994, many of these entrepreneurs are young but have already become rivals of prominent businesspeople. Pham Anh Tai, the 'fashion scrap dealer'Born into a family of architects, the young Hanoi man studied to become an architect. Following success with his first shop, Tai opened the second one recently. With a hobby for shopping and passion for fashion, just a short time after she finished junior college, she opened a fashion shop for men.

RoK President’s Vietnam visit expected to tighten bilateral tiesPresident of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Moon Jae-in will pay a state visit to Vietnam from March 22-24, which is expected to be a chance for the two countries to further enhance their relations. In terms of economics, the Vietnam-RoK free trade agreement, which became effective on December 20, 2015, has opened a new chapter in bilateral economic ties. The RoK is currently one of Vietnam’s most important economic partners, ranking first in terms of investment, and second in development cooperation, trade and tourism. Two-way trade jumped from 500,000 USD in 1992 to 61.5 billion USD in 2017, of which 14.8 billion USD came from Vietnam’s exports, up 30 percent from the previous year, and 46.7 billion USD from the Southeast Asian country’s imports, a year-on-year increase of 45.3 percent. The RoK also provided Vietnam with 1.2 billion USD in official development assistance for Vietnam in 2012-2015, and a 1.5 billion USD loan for the country during 2016-2020.

Nem nuong Cai Rang, a specialty of Can ThoVietNamNet Bridge – Each city and province in Vietnam is known for its local produce and specialities – Hanoi is famous for its pho, bun bo from the central city of Hue and original nem nuong Cai Rang from the southern province of Can Tho. Ready to roll: A flat basket of nem nuong Cai Rang. In years gone by, only gourmets and foodies knew to go to Cai Rang to enjoy the best nem nuong, produced by Ba Loc or later Tu Khem. Nem nuong Cai Rang, a tasty and delicious dish, came into being hundreds of years ago. Delicious: Tasty and aromatic nem nuong Cai Rang should become a national dish to welcome international visitors.

Vietnam to use satellite data to monitor forests, water resourcesVietNamNet Bridge - Scientists and natural resource management agencies will no longer have to pay for optical images for forest inventory and surveys after the Vietnam DataCube, a satellite database, is put into operation. FIPl is carrying out a forest inventory projectFIPl is carrying out a forest inventory project in 2016-2020 and has to release reports on changes in the forests. With access to image sources of Vietnam DataCube, the task can be implemented properly. In 2017, the Forest Inventory and Planning Department (FIPl) in 2017 signed an MOU with the Vietnam Space Center on using satellite data in forest inventory.FIPl is one of the institutes which use satellite images regularly in their work. However, many problems existed.As these were optical images, their quality could not meet standards and they were also very costly.

Big challenges await Spotify in VietnamVietNamNet Bridge - Spotify has officially joined the Vietnamese market. The world’s largest digital music service, Spotify has been warned about challenges it could face in Vietnam where people are used to free music services. However, it still has not become popular in Vietnam, because the majority of people want free music service. Analysts commented that the monthly fee of VND59,000 set by Spotify is the same as Apple Music in Vietnam. The VIP service fee set by Nhaccuatui and Zing Mp3 is around VND30,000 a month and VND80,000 for three months.

Late PM leaves imprint on Ho Chi Minh CityFormer Prime Minister Phan Van Khai passed away on March 17 but he lives in the heart of the people, especially those in Ho Chi Minh City, as a child of Cu Chi who made great contributions to the development of the city and the country. The late Prime Minister left a deep imprint on the process of building and developing Ho Chi Minh City - a dynamic, warm city that pioneers in innovation. The new face of Cu Chi and other suburban areas in Ho Chi Minh City has been attributed to the efforts and determination of the Party, the government and people of Ho Chi Minh City. Since the start of the doi moi (renewal) process, Ho Chi Minh City has been the role model in innovation. Policies boosting the development of the private sector have contributed to the strong growth of Ho Chi Minh City's business community, helping Ho Chi Minh City maintain its role as the economic locomotive of the country.-VNA

Central bank enhances supervisionThe State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) can take early intervention measures against weak credit institutions in the supervision process from July this year, according to a new SBV regulation. Central bank can take early intervention measures against weak credit institutions from July. — Photo tapchitaichinh.vnUnder Circular 04/2018/NHNN-TT, which will replace Circular 08/2017/TT-NHNN from July 1 this year, the SBV Governor stipulated orders and procedures for banking supervision, aimed at minimising the weakness of credit institutions and contributing to restricting risks to the banking system. The new circular is also expected to help Viet Nam’s regulations in the banking industry to gradually match international rules. SBV inspection bodies will also be permitted to conduct extraordinary inspections on these credit institutions during the supervision process.

Miss International Transgender to fight for LGBT rights in VNFending off 26 competitors from different parts of the world, Nguyen Huong Giang from Hanoi was crowned this year’s “Miss International Queen” in Thailand at one of the world’s top beauty pageants for transgender women. Bo Xuan Hiep speaks to Giang in Bangkok about her plan to fight for the LGBT community in Viet Nam. What inspired you to participate in the Miss International Queen competition this year? In addition, I also plan to bring Miss International Queen or Miss Tiffany to Viet Nam to help transgender people in the country to shine. As a transgender woman and the winner of Miss International Queen, what message about LGBT people would you like to spread?