The Museum of Dien Bien Phu Victory is one of the most significant works to mark the 60th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory in 2014. The Dien Bien Phu battlefield complex features 45 relic sites, of which eight were put into operation to serve tourists. Particularly, the inauguration of the Museum of Dien Bien Phu Victory in 2014 was one of the most significant works to mark the 60th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory (May 7). According to Vu Thi Tuyet Nga, vice director of the museum, more and more tourists have come to the complex of Dien Bien Phu battlefield. The battle occurred in Dien Bien between March and May, 1954 under the command of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

Sapa gets expansion decisionThe area included in Sapa District in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai will be doubled following Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s decision. Sapa District will be turned into Sapa town so its area will be expanded to 55.25 square kilometresUnder the PM’s decision issued late last year, Sapa District will be turned into Sapa town so its area will be expanded to 55.25 square kilometres, double the current size. However, according to the PM’s instruction, the expanded Sapa have to ensure to maintain the locality’s traditional cultural identities, prioritising tourism development. The plan needs to be submitted to the government for consideration in the second quarter of this year. Tourist arrivals to Sapa have increased in recent years.

Local fishermen back to the game after environmental incidentIt has been 2 years since the striking marine environmental incident in central provinces, including Quang Tri, late April 2016. Thanks to timely policies and measures from local authorities, fishing activities in the locality have gradually been bounced back. According to Tran Luong from Hai Lang Agriculture Promotion Office, Quang Tri province, local civil servants assisted local government in calculation of damages, helped the localities build new production models, and also provided technology transfer regarding the models. Lending for local fishermen to acquire fishing tools and upgrade vessels is among such policies. Tran Van Quang, Chairman of Gio Linh district People’s Committee, Quang Tri province said: "First of all, coastal communes always adhere to government’s policies on fishing activities.

Vietnamese student again wins opera contest in HungaryNinh Duc Hoang Long, a Vietnamese student who is learning for a master’s degree at Hungary’s Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, recently won the first prize at the 10th Simandy Jozsef International Singing Competition in Hungary. In the previous competition in 2016, Long secured his victory at the category for 18- to 25-year-olds after surpassing 150 competitors. Meanwhile, in this year’s contest, he shared the first prize with another contestant from Croatia at the category for those who are learning for a master’s degree in music or free contestants aged below 36. Long was born in 1991 in the northern province of Ninh Binh. He studied at the Vietnam National Academy of Music before becoming a student at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.-VNA

HCM City anti-landslide projects lagVietNamNet Bridge – Many anti-landslide projects in HCM City are lagging behind schedule due to limited capital resources and slow progress of land clearance and compensation, according to the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. A landslide causes the collapse of riverside houses in Hamlet 3, Hiep Phuoc Commune, in HCM City’s Nha Be District. Many anti-landslide projects in HCM City are lagging behind schedule due to limited capital resources and the slow progress of land clearance and compensation. Though the city urged district authorities before January 1 to speed up land clearance and compensation, most project land was not handed over in time, he added. Difficulties in determining appropriate compensation rates and resettlement guidelines for locals have slowed down the project, according to Nha Be District’s Steering Board for Compensation and Site Clearance.

FIEs rush to list shares on Vietnam’s stock marketVietNamNet Bridge - As Vietnam’s stock market has become increasingly attractive to foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), many of them are planning IPOs (initial public offering) and listing shares on the Hanoi and HCM City exchanges. Many FIEs want to list shares on Vietnam's stock marketJollibee Foods Corp from the Philippines is going ahead with an IPO for its Highlands Coffee chain by 2019. An analyst commented that foreign investors were choosing Vietnam to set up production bases, but also listing shares. This is good news for Vietnam, which wants foreign investors to retain profits in Vietnam for re-investment in the country. The Vietnam stock market has experienced a prosperous year and jumped to the third position, accounting for 18 percent of MSCI’s (Morgan Stanley Capital International) frontier markets’ basket of indicators, just after Argentina and Kuwait.

Electro-magnetic compatibility testing lab opened in HCM CityVietNamNet Bridge – The Radio Frequency Directorate has opened an electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) 10-metre testing laboratory in HCM City. The Radio Frequency Directorate has opened an electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) 10-metre testing laboratory in HCM City. “The increased use of electronic circuits coupled with the increasing use of radio technology in everyday life has made radio frequencies increasingly cramped, posing a major potential security risk because of the lack of electromagnetic compatibility between devices. “To accomplish the tasks of frequency interference treatment, electro-magnetic compatibility and radio frequency radiation safety, the Radio Frequency Directorate has set up the [laboratory] in HCM City.”With German equipment, the laboratory is expected to meet requirements like electro-magnetic compatibility, testing and regulatory compliance. The EMC 10m testing chamber is also equipped with a surveillance camera to ensure that the entire testing process is carried out correctly.

Centre raises funds for publishing bookVietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Centre, based in Australia, has recently kicked off a crowd-funding project. — Photo comicola.comThe money will be used for publishing a book on royal customs and costumes of Dai Viet (the old name for Vietnam) in the Early Le reign from 1437 to 1471. The book will also include photos of royal costumes that the organisation designed in the last year for the project by artisan Tran Le Trung Hieu. The Vietnam Centre is a non-profit organisation established in March 2017 based in Sydney, Australia, by Vietnamese people living in Australia. — Photo comicola.comThe book will also include photos of royal costumes that the organisation designed in the last year for the project by artisan Tran Le Trung Hieu.

Tampered cooking gas cylinders pose threat of explosionsVietNamNet Bridge – The recent instances of cooking gas cylinders exploding is due to fraudulent practices by suppliers, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has said. Authorities check cooking gas cylinders in Hai Duong Province. Tampered cylinders have been causing explosions in recent times, authorities said. In Ha Tinh Province, for instance, a mini gas tank in a sausage stand exploded during a school fair on February 5, splashing oil and injuring seven students. Cooking gas traders and retailers have been ordered to keep track of their gas cylinders and make sure they return all of them to their suppliers.

Party chief emphasizes personnel work at Party Central Committee sessionPersonnel and personnel work hold a decisive role for the success of the revolution, said General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the Party Central Committee’s seventh plenary session on May 7. The seventh plenary session of the 12th-tenure Party Central Committee opens on May 7In his opening remarks at the session, the Party leader stressed that the Party always pays special attention to personnel work to meet requirements and tasks of each period of revolution. However, the General Secretary pointed to several outstanding shortcomings and weaknesses in personnel and personnel work. With regard to salary reform, the Party leader said Vietnam reformed the salary policy in 1960, 1985, 1993 and 2003. The seventh plenary session of the 12th tenure of the CPV Central Committee opened on May 7.

Draft law designed to lift banks’ role in e-commercePayments for e-commerce transactions must be made via banks or authorised payment intermediary services, according to the draft of the amended Law on Tax Management. Besides the tax agency, it is necessary to have close co-ordination among other relevant ministries and agencies to make tax management more effective, according to the draft law. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) will take measures to develop e-commerce payments and to ensure that cross-border services pay through payment service suppliers or licensed payment intermediary services. However, tax authorities find it challenging to tax e-commerce businesses as it is not easy to control online business revenues given cash payment is so common in Vietnam. Experts therefore suggested that State management agencies should adopt measures to encourage online payment and reduce cash transactions to help oversee revenues of online traders.

The quantity of construction waste has soared in recent years because of the number of building projects in the city. Only a small amount of construction waste can be recycled and used as sand, concrete, brick or stone. Representatives of many businesses have said that the city needs a construction waste treatment plant. The company has asked for approval from the city’s People’s Committee to build a construction waste treatment plant at the Phuoc Hiep solid waste treatment complex in Cu Chi District. The city also plans to stop operation of a hazardous waste treatment plant at the Đông Thành dumpsite in Hóc Môn District and move it to the Phuoc Hiep solid waste treatment complex by the end of this year.

Singles final delayed, Vietnameses win doubles silverThe final of the Vietnam F1 Futures tennis tournament’s singles category was delayed due to poor light yesterday in Hue. Chun Hsin Tseng leads 1-0, 5-5 over Ly Hoang Nam in the final of the Vietnam F1 Futures. Nam, world No 459, lost 3-6 in the first set to the world No 1,138 player. Earlier on Saturday, Nam and his senior partner, Le Quoc Khanh, earned the silver medal in the doubles event. The wild card receivers lost 6-7 (5), 4-6 to Hong Kong pair Wong Chun Hun and Yeung Pak Long in an 82-minute final.

Vietnamese journalist wins Thai fine art photo contestViet Van, a photo journalist from Lao Dong (Labour) Newspaper, has won the first prize at the 6th Chang International Fine Art Photo Contest in Thailand. The winning series of photos by Viet Van describe his mother's “Filled Nostalgia” for his dead father. (Photo: RPST/VNA)The winning series of photos, themed “Filled Nostalgia”, depict memories of the photographer’s mother – Assoc. The photos were part of Viet Van’s personal project, named “My mother” (Part 2). The Chang International Fine Art Photo Contest by the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand was initiated in 2011 by Thai Beverage Public Co., Ltd and is an annual event organized in collaboration with the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand, aiming to promote and support fine art photography and photographers at an international level.

Canada issues final say on anti-dumping probe into Vietnam’s pipe fittingsThe Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has made final determinations of dumping and subsidizing in respect of certain copper pipe fittings (CPF) from Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Canada has made final determinations of dumping and subsidizing in respect of certain copper pipe fittings (CPF) from Vietnam. (Photo: Vov.vn)The CBSA determined that subsidies are being applied to the copper pipe fittings by Vietnam and sold at dumping prices to Canada. Vietnam’s copper pipe fittings under investigation were coded 7412.10.00.11, 7412.10.00.19, 7412.10.00.90 and 7412.20.00.11, as well as 7412.20.00.12, 7412.20.00.19 and 7412.20.00.90. Of note, there are currently special import measures in place since June 2006 on copper pipe fittings from the United States, the Republic of Korea and China.