VNA News Bulletin - Apr. 1, 2016

Some 180,000 Vietnamese people now call Germany home. Many have set up businesses in the hope of catering to demand for Vietnamese food while contributing to local economic development.

Clay statues are a traditional type of toy in Vietnam and popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year (Tet). They are usually figurines of animals, like turtles and birds, or people dressed in traditional outfits. Today they have lost their popularity, however, and Phùng Đình Giáp and his wife are among the last artisans to still make them.

US online magazine Foreign Policy has published an article looking into Vietnam’s leadership progress in ASEAN.

After social isolation order implemented in the central city of Da Nang, all students in the city have been allowed to leave school to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks. However, there many are stranded in dormitories, facing difficulties. Given that, universities and sponsors have been exerting efforts to help them to be assured of staying safe.

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) officially came into effect on August 1. It is the first FTA the EU has signed with a developing country in the Asia-Pacific region. The level of commitment Vietnam has made is the highest of any such agreement it has signed.