New President vows to fulfill assigned tasks
 The newly-elected President, Tran Dai Quang, has pledged to make all-out efforts to fulfill the duties of State leader, who also chairs the Council for National Defence and Security and commands the people’s armed forces.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 3/4
 Budget collection rises in March, Ocean tuna sells for record price in Japan, Mekong Delta businesses study impacts of AEC, TPP, 1,000 enterprises attend garment industry expo in HCM City, SBV ups anti-dollar efforts


 
Banned ’superstitious’ items keep selling
Despite efforts of local authorities to stamp out superstitious practices as well as publications of unsavoury reading materials, sales of "mystical cultural” items and books of superstitious practices boomed after the Tet holiday

A hobby for a better work-life balance
VietNamNet Bridge – The rapid growth of the Internet has turned the world into a smaller and more connected place. Postal services, therefore, are getting less popular.


 
Peaceful beauty of Dak Mil Lake
Dak Mil Lake in the central highlands province of Dak Lak is a place that has little traffic and few tourists, but is rich in natural beauty and the culture of minority hill tribes.

Population increase outstrips school building
 VietNamNet Bridge – While some districts in inner Ha Noi lack land to build schools, dozens of pieces of land in the suburbs of the capital city are left fallow, or used for other purposes.


 
Long term solution needed for Mekong drought
VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta is facing severe drought and critical inland salination at the same time. El Nino and the shortage of water to the delta due to dams built by countries in the upper Mekong mainstream are the main causes


 
Binh Dinh: the heart of martial arts culture
 VietNamNet Bridge – The practice of martial arts, an integral part of Vietnamese culture, is still being preserved and developed after decades of existence.

United States, China to sign Paris climate accord on April 22
 The United States and China confirmed Thursday that they will sign the Paris climate change agreement in New York on April 22, a move that officials hope will help the accord enter into force this year.


 
 
Vietnam's Central Highlands struggles with historic drought
In the severe drought that has lasted for several months, water levels of hundreds of reservoirs in the Central Highlands are at 30-40% of capacity. In Dak Lak, 250 lakes are dry and the numbers are 17-40-5 in Dak Nong, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai.

Living with bombs in the time of peace
VietNamNet Bridge - Many people in Hong Van in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue still look for bombs and mines to sell as metal scrap, even though they risk injury or death.


 
 
Cinderella ballet to come back on stage in town
  Artists of the HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will stage the popular Cinderella ballet at the HCMC Opera House on April 8 and 9.

Korean guitarist Sungha Jung returns to Vietnam
 A 20-year-old talented Korean guitarist Sungha Jung will perform two concerts at Vietnam’s Youth Theatre in Hanoi on April 16 and at HCMC Conservatory of Music in Ho Chi Minh City on April 17.