Netflix violating Vietnamese laws: officials

VietNamNet Bridge - Netflix’s services are now available in Vietnam but Vietnamese state management agencies say the service is violating state laws.

Will climate change destroy Vietnam’s agriculture?

VietNamNet Bridge - If the sea water level rises by one meter, the rice growing area will be cut by half, from 4 million to 2 million hectares, experts say.

Will Thai Central Group acquire Big C in Q1?

Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam has been officially transferred to TCC, a giant firm from Thailand. Big C, which has been put up for sale, is also expected to be bought by a Thai company by the end of the first quarter of 2016 at the latest.

Vietnam battles to balance State budget

 VietNamNet Bridge – Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung said in an interview on VTV on Sunday that one of the key tasks that his ministry will fulfill this year is to balance the state budget.

Vietnam lose 3-1 in U-23 championship opener

 Vietnam could not spring the expected surprise in the first match at the Asian U-23 Football Championship in Qatar on January 14.

Social News 15/1

 20,000 workers receive free bus ticket to return homeland for Tet, Hung Yen hospital treats 34 for food poisoning, Woman punished in scheme to smuggle 7 Vietnamese into UK, Ha Noi authorities seize expired food

Vietnam condemns terror attacks in Jakarta

 Vietnam condemns terror attacks in downtown Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 14, which caused deaths and injuries, said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh.

‘Soft infrastructure’ creates momentum for new economic development

The significant improvement in Vietnam’s business environment is expected to be the major reason which helps Vietnam obtain high economic growth rate in difficulties, and helps ‘the fish swim against the current’ as economists commented.

The imprints of Hanoi’s new chair Nguyen Duc Chung

VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi’s newly elected chairman Nguyen Duc Chung served more than three years as the city police chief. He directly commanded investigations of many major cases.

HCM City toughens penalties for street food safety violations

 VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Department of Health instructed relevant agencies to severely penalise small food stores and vendors on streets who continue to flout safety and hygiene regulations.

Farming expects sales of $40 billion

 VietNamNet Bridge – The agricultural and rural development sector expects to gain US$39-40 billion in total farming, forestry and fishery products by 2020, according to officials.

Closure of Hanoi's vintage cinema saddens public

 VietNamNet Bridge – As most of us enter adulthood, one of the things that we encounter is the gradual disappearance of a habit, a place or a thing we loved as children.

Chinese toxic sticker sets sold near schools

Chinese stickers containing phthalates – a group of toxic chemicals believed to be harmful to human health – are still being sold by street vendors and toy stores near primary schools in Ha Noi despite warnings from local agencies.

Foreign brewers strengthening foothold in Vietnamese beer market

 VietNamNet Bridge – Competition is getting tougher for domestic brewers as foreign rivals are increasing their share of the country’s output.

8,000-hectare marine reserve established on Ly Son Island

VietNamNet Bridge – The central province of Quang Ngai has decided to establish the Ly Son marine reserve of nearly 8,000 hectares in order to preserve marine resources and biodiversity and improve livelihoods for local people.

Canadian sentenced to prison for child sexual abuse

 The People's Court in Ha Noi yesterday sentenced a foreign teacher to four years in prison for sexually abusing teenagers.

Hanoi discovers large bomb in field

 Military authorities transported a bomb, discovered in My Duc District, on the outskirts of Ha Noi, to Mieu Mon Military Airfield yesterday to safely destroy it.

Int’l workshop on 3E nexus for sustainable development opens in Da Nang

 An international workshop was opened in the central city of Da Nang on January 14 to gain an insight into the Asia-Pacific Regional Initiative on Energy, Environment and Ecosystem (3E) Nexus for Sustainable Development.

Vietnam’s open budget index ready to be changed

 Vietnam’s Open Budget Index (OBI) has not been substantially improved but is ready to be changed, Joel Friedman, a senior fellow at the International Budget Partnership (IBP), said at a workshop revealing the index on January 14.

Noi Bai Airport strengthens customs checks before Tet

 Customs officials at Noi Bai International Airport are strengthening inspections of passengers, luggage and cargo from all flights arriving at the airport.

No Vietnamese killed or injured in Jakarta attacks

 No Vietnamese were killed or injured during a series of bomb attacks and gunfight in downtown Jakarta, Indonesia on January 14, the Vietnamese Embassy to Indonesia has confirmed.

Ministries, agencies urged to prepare for NA elections

 The Prime Minister has issued a directive on elections for deputies to the National Assembly and the People’s Council in the 2016-2021 tenure, urging relevant ministries and agencies to well prepare for the country’s major event.

NA Standing Committee convenes 44th session

 The 44th session of the 13th National Assembly Standing Committee opened in Hanoi on January 14.

'Friends' cast scheduled to appear in NBC tribute to comedy director

 The cast of NBC's hit sitcom "Friends" is scheduled to come together next month for the first time on the network since the series ended in 2004 for a tribute to TV comedy director James Burrows,

Suicide bombers, gunmen kill at least six in Indonesian capital

 Militants launched a gun and bomb assault in the center of the Indonesian capital on Thursday, killing at least six people, police said, in an attack on a country that Islamic State had threatened to put in its "spotlight".