Vietnam protests China’s reef expansion in Truong Sa

 Vietnam once again declares that the country has sufficient legal and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh on April 16.

Rare monkey to be rescued soon: ENV

 Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) will team up with forest range department in Tuyen Quang Province to inspect and rescue as soon as possible a rare monkey that is being raised illegally.

Ministries propose more barriers for businesses

VietNamNet Bridge - Ministries and branches are tending to be more abusive in their power when setting up numerous business conditions, thus severely distorting the Vietnamese business environment, experts have said.

VN to face Thailand at SEA Games

 Viet Nam will play against arch-rival Thailand during the upcoming 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore this June.

Ly Hoang Nam closes in on title at Asian Closed Junior Champs

 Ly Hoang Nam (Viet Nam) and Alberto Lim (Philippines) advanced to the final match of the Asian Closed Junior Championships' boys' doubles event yesterday in India.

National Assembly House design wins Grand Prize

 The National Assembly House design by German company gmp International GmbH has just won the Grand Prize 2014 of the Viet Nam Architects' Association.

IMF projects Vietnam growth at 6 percent

 Vietnam was expected to maintain the second fastest growing economy in ASEAN-5 in 2015, according to the International Monetary Fund's latest World Economic Outlook.

Gov't hiring process needs reforms to avoid waste

 A simple job application form is often more efficient than a complicated application package for Government jobs. Manpower and time is wasted reviewing 10,000 applicants, when there are only 300-400 positions available.

Norwegian PM starts VN visit today

Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg arrived in Hanoi on April 16, beginning her three-day official visit to Vietnam as guest of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Happiness Road leads to plateau of beauty

 VietNamNet Bridge – A professor at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Dang Van Chuyet, has been to a lot of areas in Tay Bac region, but he said none were as beautiful and imposing as the karst plateau in Ha Giang Province.

Party General Secretary welcomes Chinese Minister of Public Security

 Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted Chinese Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun in Ha Noi yesterday, saying that both sides should enrich co-operation, especially in training law enforcement.

HCM City police bust prostitution ring involving models

Police have uncovered a prostitution ring, reportedly involving several models and actresses in HCM City. It was noteworthy that some of them allegedly involved in this ring were those who were recently reported as missing by some media outlets.

Hospitals making headway on overloading: Minister

VietNamNet Bridge – Hospitals are making progress in efforts to cut down on overcrowding, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said on Sunday. 

Artificial islands: 'military fortresses' or 'sandcastles'?

 VietNamNet Bridge – Building up rocky areas, changing reefs into islands, and building runways and infrastructure on illegally occupied islands are part of China’s "artificial islands" strategy.

New regulations cloud BOT power plant deals

 Foreign investors in build-operate-transfer power projects that have yet to finalise agreements are keeping a  close eye on a long-awaited Decree 15/2015/ND-CP on public private partnership investment modes, taking effect on April 10.

Fate of vocational schools unclear

Vocational schools still don’t know which management agency they will belong to – the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) or the Ministry of Education and Training (MOIT).

HCM City Ballet goes patriotic

VietNamNet Bridge – A gala to be performed by the HCM City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra on Sunday at the HCM City Opera House will feature contemporary dance, symphony music and singing about love for the country and people of Viet Nam,

Social News 17/4

Long Bien Bridge to get a new urban railway neighbour, Cocaine found in passenger's luggage, Police arrest illegal online gambling ring's leader, New poverty line to be submitted for approval in September

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 17/4

 Insurance market expected to bloom in ASEAN, MoT to analyse, cut infrastructure projects, Local authorities told to harness macadamia nut, HAGL fulfills 91% of 2014 plan, sees $141m in revenue, Workshop promotes sustainable lifestyle

EU helps improve legal nuclear safety framework

 An EU-funded technical assistance project has helped Vietnam prepare necessary human resources for nuclear power development, especially advancing technical capacities within legal agencies.

Ngoc Trinh to receive Asia Bikini Model Awards 2015

 Vietnamese fashion model Ngoc Trinh is to receive a prize titled "The Asian Bikini Model Queen" presented during the Asia Model Awards 2015 in the Republic of Korea.

Putin sees sanctions as stimulus for Russian economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country can use Western sanctions to boost economic development by becoming more self-reliant. 

The unique products of the “Coconut Kingdom”

 VietNamNet Bridge - Ben Tre Province residents showcased many unique products at the 2015 Coconut Festival, including handicrafts made with the leaves and roots of coconut trees.

Digital music matches physical sales for the first time

 Digital music revenues matched physical sales for the first time in 2014, thanks to strong growth in the streaming market.

Vietnam boy opens 66 beer bottles in one minute with teeth

 VietNamNet Bridge - The world record is opening 54 beer bottles with teeth in one minute, but Le Hong Giang from Thanh Hoa surpassed that figure by opening 66 bottles.