An unnatural belief in natural curesThere seemed to be a collective gasp of horror as the news spread recently of a mother and her new-born dying as she tried to give birth at home. After the natural childbirth and its attendant risks, the “natural” people also take their belief in breastfeeding and breast milk to the extreme. In their eyes, breast milk is a panacea for all infant ills. For instance, she claims that breast milk can treat heart disease in newborns and that it even allows “a child’s cut thumbs to grow back." The Vietnamese Government has been coming down hard on advertising-based choices made by mothers to feed their children formula milk instead of breast milk.

Traditional grocers lose out to modern retailHai Huong, 66, owns a small grocery store in an alley off Huynh Dinh Hai Street in HCM City’s Binh Thanh District. Most of her once-regular customers have switched to convenience stores or mini supermarkets, which are mushrooming in that area. Thousands of these so-called mom and pop shops in cities and towns around the country face a similar fate as modern retail shops spring up everywhere. Products sold at modern retail stores are perceived as safer than those sold in wet markets and traditional grocery shops. The rapid development of the modern retail channel is also thanks to Government policies, which are always favourable to it.

Over the past 45 years, the Vietnam – Netherlands relations have grown fruitfully in all fields and been further deepened. It can be said that the Vietnam – Netherlands relationship is now an example of the dynamic and effective ties between Vietnam and a European country. Tertiary education also plays an important role in the Vietnam - Netherlands bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, the Netherlands has rich experience in these fields, therefore, the two nations share a huge cooperation potential cooperation. The two-way trade between Vietnam and the Netherlands has been growing steadily, with Vietnam having always enjoyed a trade surplus.

The cause is under investigation.Lê Anh Tân, vice chairman of Vĩnh Yên City’s People’s Committee told vietnamnet.vn “The fire has been controlled. This program aims at providing Vietnamese citizens with comprehensive information on the nature and importance of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution. The result is unprecedented abilities that are able to greatly affect not only political systems but also economic and social ones in the world. The second focuses on 3 major fields of the government with Revolution 4.0, businesses with Revolution 4.0, and the public with Revolution 4.0. The same day, Ho Chi Minh City’s Youth Union presented the Ho Hao Hon Award for its outstanding members on the occasion of the 87th anniversary of the HCMCYU.

Vietnam goes dark in response to Earth HourLocalities across Vietnam switched off their lights for one hour on the evening of March 24 in response to the global Earth Hour campaign. In 2009, the first Earth Hour campaign in Vietnam was organised with the participation of six provinces and cities. Following are some pictures on the activities in response to the Earth Hour campaign in Vietnam:Young students respond to Earth Hour 2018 in Hanoi. Delegates perform the official action of turning off the lights in response to Earth Hour 2018 during Hanoi’s ceremony. Streets in the capital city went dark during Earth Hour 2018.

Dior products withdrawn from circulationThree products of famous French brand Dior were recalled from circulation, reported online newspaper Vietnamplus.vn. The Dior products revoked in Viet Nam market. The perfume products were withdrawn because the formula noted on their labels differed from those submitted to the administration. The three products are imported and sold by L-Beauty Viet Nam Company, based in HCM City. The company was asked to stop selling the products and inform its dealers about the revocation of their certificates by April 25.

VN youngsters forego saving for spendingMany young Vietnamese are willing to spend the higher incomes they now earn rather than save. He continued saving throughout his life, to buy a house and cover any future medical bills. After covering the cost of living, consumers in Vietnam are now willing to spend rather than save. Travel tops the spending list of 44 per cent of people, the Nielsen report revealed. The willingness to spend to enjoy life is also reflected in entertainment spending, with wining and dining being the most popular form.

Young people find it difficult to start businesses in VietnamVietNamNet Bridge - Encouraged and supported by the government and local authorities, the startup movement in Hanoi has not developed well despite numerous business ideas. Anh and her team attended a competition on startup ideas launched by the Vietnamese Students Association in early 2017. According to Anh, in most cases, students’ business plans are “cumbersome, requiring complex operations”. Anh’s business idea improved after the competition, especially in terms of calling for capital. However, the majority of students cannot access the programs,” Anh said.

Russia fire: Children killed in Kemerovo shopping centre blazeAt least 64 people have died in a fire that tore through a shopping and entertainment complex in the Siberian coal-mining city of Kemerovo. The shopping centre, which opened in 2013, includes a multiplex cinema, restaurants, a sauna, a bowling alley and a petting zoo. Yevgeny Dedyukhin, deputy head of the Kemerovo region emergency department, said the area of the fire was about 1,500 sq m."The shopping centre is a very complex construction," he said. Four people have been detained for questioning, including the head of the company that manages the shopping centre, according to the Investigative Committee. Andrei Mamchenkov, deputy head of Russia's National Crisis Management Centre, said 41 children were not accounted for.

Supply chain the key to sustainable farming production in VietnamVietNamNet Bridge – Not any single day past when you won’t find Nguyen Thi Sinh’s tender to her crops on her farm. — VNA/VNS Photo Do Phuong Anh - TTXVNChallengesTuong pointed out several challenges that tackle the development of supply chain in Vietnam. But it takes time for both producers and customers to catch up with the trend of supply chain, he said. The first instruction is how to smoothly run a supply chain with many lessons drawing from typical examples. And the second is provided authorised agencies more skills to manage food hygiene and safety under the supply chain model, he said.

Unlicensed doctor fined for illegal abortionVietNamNet Bridge – An unlicensed doctor in the central province of Nghe An was fined VND50 million (US$2,200) for performing an unsafe abortion that killed a local woman. Family member gather around the body of a woman that dies after having an unsafe abortion. — Photo: VNNThe unlicensed doctor, Dinh Thi Thanh, 52, performed the abortion by placing a catheter into the woman’s uterus and fed her boiled katuk (Sauropus androgynus) water on March 12, Vietnamnetonline newspaper reported. Local officials said Thanh had only finished secondary school and possessed neither medical qualifications nor a medical license. Thanh reportedly agreed to perform the abortion at the price of VND1.7 million ($75), as per the earlier request of the dead woman’s mother.

Da Nang sea turns blackLocal people living along the Nguyen Tat Thanh Beach in the central city of Da Nang have complained that the sea water became black with brown foam and a foul smell. The sea water became black with brown foam and a foul smell at Nguyen Tat Thanh Beach in Da Nang City on March 25. Director of Da Nang Drainage and Wastewater Treatment Company, Mai Ma, said that there are 28 drainage pipes which are discharging wastewater and rainwater along Nguyen Tat Thanh and Xuan Thieu beaches. Because most of the wastewater from pipes placed from Phu Loc Bridge to Nguyen Tat Thanh Beach are all well-treated before being discharged into the sea." Earlier, local people and newspapers reported about beaches in Da Nang being polluted by wastewater discharge.

Stable foreign exchange rate expected in 2018Some commercial banks appreciated the US dollar after last week’s interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve (Fed). After the Fed’s decision, domestic commercial banks also increased their US$/VND exchange rate. He explained that if the exchange rate stabilised, the Dong could be appreciated higher, affecting the competitiveness of Vietnamese exports. The stable exchange rate may also cause domestic firms to prefer imported input material for their production instead of local materials, he said. But the exchange rate stability was sure to bring more benefits, he added.

Clean-up makes Vietnam banks attractive to foreign investorsSince last year there has been a churn in the banking sector with some foreign investors selling their stakes in local banks and others buying in. Analysts said foreign banks are merely pulling out to invest in more profitable markets. In December Ho Chi Minh Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) had sold stakes to more than 76 foreign investors before listing. The Government is making policy changes that would help the industry overcome its limitations in technology, capital and management, making foreign investors feel secure. Foreign investors want the ratio to be increased to 50 per cent or even 65 per cent.

Customers warned about online suppliers trading without their own websitesLe Thi Thu Hang from HCM City’s Go Vap District recently ordered a product displayed on an e-commerce marketplace from a supplier that had no e-commerce website. E-commerce websites play a role in quality control and protect customers’ interests. “After I said no, I received an email that said they had run out of the item.”E-commerce websites play a role in quality control and protect customers’ interests. Many suppliers who trade directly with customers provide low-quality products, an e-commerce expert said. To limit trade without e-commerce websites as well as protect customers’ interests, e-commerce websites should stop contracts with suppliers who try to trade directly with customers, and hire more customer-care staff to warn buyers about inappropriate sellers, according to a representative of one e-commerce website.