The 44th Executive Board Meeting of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) officially opened in Hanoi on April 19, with the theme of “For a professional and innovative journalism”.

The Yonhap News Agency of the Republic of Korea (RoK) inaugurated its Southeast Asian representative office in Hanoi on April 18.

During more than 70 years of development, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has grown to become a trustworthy national information centre and a prestigious news agency in the region.

The Hung Kings Temple historical relic site in Viet Tri city, the northern midland province of Phu Tho, welcomed over 7 million visitors during the Hung Kings Temple Festival from April 5-14.

Police in the northern mountainous province of Son La arrested a suspect illegally transporting nearly 6.5 kilogrammes of heroin in Long Luong commune, Van Ho district, on April 17.

Lam Son Square in the north central province of Thanh Hoa will be turned into a kaleidoscopic stage for a grand ceremony to mark the 990th anniversary of the locality’s naming on May 8.

Director of the National News Agency Bernama of Malaysia Nurini Kassim has highlighted professional journalism and the need for press agencies to affirm their prestige today during an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporters.

The Ninh Thuan Grape and Wine Festival 2019 will be held from April 26 to May 2 in Phan Rang-Thap Cham city and six districts of the south central province, according to the organising board.

The police of the central province of Nghe An on April 17 busted a drug trafficking ring, seizing 700kg of crystal meth and arresting three suspects.

“The Steps Challenge 2019” – a social event aiming to bring appropriate care and special education to children with autism in Vietnam – is scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City on May 25, announced the organisers on April 17.

Major General Tran Ngoc Tho, former Chief of Staff of Military Region 7, sent a letter on April 16 to US courts to demand the resumption of the lawsuit filed by Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange (AO) in 2004 against 37 US chemical firms, including Monsanto and Dow Chemical.

A conference discussing the building of applications to give the disabled community better access to social services was held in Hanoi on April 17 on the occasion of Vietnam’s Day for People with Disabilities (April 18).

More than 350 artisans and 62 craft production facilities and villages, both domestic and international, have registered to participate in the Hue Traditional Craft Festival, which is scheduled to take place from April 26 till May 2, the festival’s organiser said.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front and other socio-political organisations should promote communications work and mobilise resources to better support blind people, helping them improve their livelihoods and well integrate into society, a senior Party official said. ​

Over 1,000 clients installed solar panels with a total capacity of nearly 2.5 million kWh on rooftops in 21 southern cities and provinces as of April 15, according to the Electricity Vietnam’s Southern Power Corporation (EVNSPC).

The central province of Quang Tri had cleared more than 9,100 ha of land contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO) as of mid-April, helping ensure safety for residents and promoting socio-economic development.

Leaders of the Vietnam Union of the Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and Vietnam – US Friendship Association hosted a delegation of US legislative assistants in Hanoi on April 16.

Qualified helmets have been presented to 10,000 students across Hanoi under a programme organised by the Vietnam Grand Prix company, aiming to convey traffic safety messages to the young.

Thirty two scholarships were presented to impoverished students who have excellent academic performances at the Hue University in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on April 16.

The Hanoi People’s Court will open a trial of the case of abusing position and power to appropriate assets at the PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) on May 6.