State agency websites are targets for hackers

VietNamNet Bridge - A number of websites in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province have been hacked, adding to a growing number of incidents. 

Buddhist practice of releasing fish could be harmful to environment: experts

VietNamNet Bridge - Setting caught animals free is a behavior praised in Buddhist teachings, but releasing harmful exotic species can damage the environment, experts warn. 

Hanoi’s streets dotted with early white Dalbergia tonkinensis flowers

Flowers of the perennial tree known scientifically as Dalbergia tonkinensis or sưa in Vietnamese usually bloom in late March when Hanoi’s streets are in the wet of drizzle. But this year the flowering season has come one month earlier than usual. 

Nearly 500 foreigners register for e-visas

 Some 490 foreigners registered for e-visas from Vietnam, with 210 approved by the Ministry of Public Security’s Department of Immigration, according to the department.

GrabTaxi, Uber must display taxi signage

 Vehicles offering taxi services on technology platforms such as GrabTaxi and Uber must place a “TAXI” sign on their roof when on the road, the Hanoi People’s Committee has proposed.

Private organizations banned from 20 industries

 The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has proposed 20 industries from which private organizations are banned, in the latest draft decree on goods and services under State monopoly.

Online hotel booking sites must pay taxes

 The Ministry of Finance has confirmed the tax obligation of overseas-based online hotel booking service providers with Vietnam-sourced income.

Major realty projects drive early FDI

 Supported by strong liquidity in 2016, a range of foreign invested real estate projects in major Vietnamese cities is expected to launch for sale in 2017.

Cisco strives for faster growth together with Vietnam

CEO of Cisco Vietnam Luong Thi Le Thuy talked about her experience leading Cisco Vietnam as well as Cisco’s role in helping Vietnamese companies and the government become more competitive as the world undergoes a digital transformation.

Foreign brewers tap into VN's robust market

 Foreign breweries’ thirst for the Vietnamese beer market has by no means been quenched.

Nghi Son Refinery may not be eligible for preferential selling price

 PetroVietnam may not have to purchase the products of Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex (NSRP) at the preferential price earlier agreed upon.

Vietnam needs to learn from ‘Make in India’ policies?

With Apple’s recent decision to produce iPhones in India, and with its rumoured plans in Vietnam seeing no news/mention at all, Vietnam may have to reconsider its business environment and incentives for investors in electronics manufacturing.

Vietnamese chess player wins in first round at women's world champs

 VietNamNet Bridge – Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Viet Nam won her first round match at the FIDE Women’s World Chess Championships 2017 yesterday in Tehran, Iran.

Hanoi hospitals seek external funding

 In a bid to raise capital and improve medical treatment services, Hanoi is seeking both local and foreign investors to buy stakes in public hospitals it owns.

Made-in-China truck sales lose ground in Vietnam

 Made-in-China trucks which had once dominated the Vietnamese market are facing the slow sales since early 2016.

'La La Land' wins big at Britain's BAFTA awards to continue hot streak

 Musical "La La Land" won big at Britain's main film awards on Sunday as it scooped the prize for best film, while Emma Stone and Damien Chazelle picked up awards for best actress and best director respectively.

First train for Hanoi metro handed over

 The first among 13 trains imported from China for Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway route in Hanoi has been transported to Vietnam.

Tourist junk catches fire again on Ha Long Bay

No injuries were reported after a fire broke out on board a tourist junk on Ha Long Bay on Monday afternoon. 

New software village opens

 The paucity of skilled IT (information technology) workers in the country was highlighted as the FPT Corporation opened its second software village, F-Ville 2, in Ha Noi on February 13.

Hanoi plans to impose taxi badges on Uber and Grab cars

 Hanoi authorities propose to issue badges for Uber and Grab taxis as they currently do with traditional taxi companies.

2017 expected to be better for investment funds

 Investment funds are expected to perform better this year, following the successful 2016, on expectations that more individual investors will purchase their own investments, reported Dau tu Chung khoan (Securities Investment) newspaper.

Wanted: foreign students

 VietNamNet Bridge – Education and Training Minister Phung Xuan Nha tells the Tien Phong (Vanguard) that a programme to attract foreign lecturers and students to Viet Nam has yielded modest results.

Adele sweeps Grammy awards in upset victory over Beyonce

 Adele swept the Grammy Awards on Sunday, taking home statuettes for the top prizes - album, record and song of the year - in a shock, history-making victory over Beyonce on a night marked by political statements and emotional tributes.

Bus-assembly line fire inflicts $11m loss

 A fire that broke out at two sites of a bus assembly plant early this month destroyed spare parts and components worth VND250 billion (US$11 million).

Warehouses coming to Laos, Cambodia gates

 Viet Nam will have some 116 warehouses at the border gates with Laos and Cambodia by 2035, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.