Here are today’s leading news stories:

Society

-- The northern province of Quang Ninh has become the 11th locality in Vietnam to have been hit by African swine fever since mid-February.

-- Officers from the Ministry of Public Security arrested and initiated legal proceedings against Tran Duc Hai, former deputy head of the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration for being involved in a slush fund that was established at the agency when he was in office.

-- A 40-year-old man from the central province of Quang Nam, who suffered mental illness, died after pouring gasoline on his body and setting himself on fire on Saturday afternoon.

-- Police in the southern province of Kien Giang caught nearly 40 people red-handed high on drugs inside a karaoke venue at around 2:00 am on Saturday.

-- Police in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa confirmed on Saturday they had apprehended five suspects, aged from 21 to 24, who allegedly killed one person and injured another after opening fire on the victims on Friday night.

-- A total of 56 murder cases which arise from the activities of loan sharks have been recorded in the past four years, according to the statistics announced during a conference hosted by the State Bank of Vietnam.

Business

-- Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh officially inaugurated Vietnam’s largest cluster of solar power plants in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Saturday. The venue covers about 12 hectares and cost nearly VND3.3 trillion (US$141.9 million).

-- The inspectorate of the Department of Culture and Sports in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa has ordered managers of Laxiba Company, based in Nha Trang City, to end its illicit recreational diving services as the firm’s permit had expired in late 2018.  

Lifestyle

-- The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and representatives from many consulate generals kick-started a campaign aimed at minimizing plastic waste at the 23/9 Park in District 1 on Saturday morning.

-- The seventh Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival commenced in the namesake city in Dak Lak Province on Saturday. The event will last until March 16, featuring various activities including investment promotion programs, art exhibitions, fairs, parades, and musical performances.

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