Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- After a helicopter crash that happened near the waters off the world-famous Ha Long Bay in the northern Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh on Thursday, the Bell Helicopter manufacturer and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada sent letters to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) proposing helping Vietnam with a probe into the crash, CAAV deputy head Ho Minh Tan told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday afternoon.

-- Police in Lam Dong Province in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam have filed criminal charges against the deputy director of an auto testing center in the province and four other suspects for allegedly giving and taking bribes, and falsifying documents.

-- The Standing Board of the Da Nang City Party Committee has decided to remove from the Party Ho Van Khoa, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of Cam Le District, and Vo Thien Sinh, member of the Standing Board of the district’s Party Committee and vice chairman of Cam Le District, as they violated the Party’s regulations and laws.

-- The northern and central regions of Vietnam will experience medium to heavy rains and thunderstorms on Friday, while the scorching heat is forecast to hit southern Vietnam, with the highest temperature reaching 36 degrees Celsius, according to the national weather center.

Business

-- The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam will add 26 landing and take-off slots every day at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City during the upcoming holidays, Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1), and the peak summer travel season, allowing local airlines to offer an additional 5,000 air tickets daily.

-- Airfares for domestic flights during the upcoming holidays, Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1), are going up and are even much higher than those on routes to international destinations, prompting many Vietnamese visitors to opt for outbound trips.

Lifestyle

-- The 19th Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival kicked off at September 9 Park in downtown Ho Chi Minh on Thursday evening, featuring a series of discounted tours and promotional programs. The event, which is set to wrap up on Sunday, is aimed at boosting domestic travel and paving the way for travel firms to introduce their tourism products and services to local and international visitors.

-- Hanoi will organize the Me Linh Flower Festival in November every year, following the success of the first edition, which kicked off last November and attracted tens of thousands of visitors. Me Linh District is the biggest flower and vegetable hub in Vietnam’s northern city.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!