Accident postpones trains on north-south connection

 Travel on the north-south railway line was interrupted for almost 20 hours on March 11 after a train hit a lorry in central Quang Tri province on March 10 evening.

5,450 containers of garbage piled up at seaports

VietNamNet Bridge – Many seaports in Vietnam are being compared with the world’s “dumping grounds” where thousands of containers of imported wasted materials have piled up.

Multi-billion dollar land plots in Hanoi remain empty

VietNamNet Bridge – Investors once paid thousands of dollars for each square meter of land in so-called golden land areas in Hanoi, but the plots remain empty and unused.

Hungary proposes building tumour research centre in HCM City

 Hungary is keen to cooperate with Ho Chi Minh City to build a specialised tumour research centre in the city in the coming time.

Dak Lak elephant race attracts tourists

 The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak held its traditional elephant race in Lak district on March 11 as part of the fifth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival.

Vietnamese man succeeds in hatching eggs of blue-eye cockatoos

VietNamNet Bridge – Tran Nhu Giap in Thanh Tri District in Hanoi, who owns an ornamental bird farm, has successfully bred blue-eye cockatoos after buying four eggs for VND4 million.

Sarah Brightman to perform Lloyd Webber song in space

 Sarah Brightman has been working with her former husband Andrew Lloyd Webber on a song she can perform in space.

Japan assists Vietnam in maritime human resources training

 The Vietnam Maritime Administration and the Seamen’s Employment Centre of Japan (SECOJ) signed an agreement on training maritime lecturers in Hanoi on March 11.

Vietnam, Thailand boost defense ties

Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Do Ba Ty welcomed Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Treetod Sonjance in Hanoi on March 10.

Vietnam, Myanmar talk strengthening ties

 Myanmar continually looks to foster cooperation with Vietnam, especially within the ASEAN framework, affirmed Myanmar leaders.

PM Dung praises Slovakia-VN traditional friendship, cooperation

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung praised the traditional friendship and cooperation between Slovakia and Vietnam during his meeting with the Justice Minister of the Slovak Republic Tomas Borec on March 11.

Vietnam encourages Japanese inflow into agro-forestry-fisheries

 Vietnam highly encourages Japanese investment inflow into agro-forestry-fisheries, President Truong Tan Sang told Governor of Japanese prefecture Wakayama, Yoshinobu Nisaka, during a reception in Hanoi on March 11.

National precious objects announced

 National precious objects announced; Exhibition portrays happiness road in Ha Giang; Anh wins silver in no-gold contest; 'French Village' to open soon to tourists in Danang; British book spotlights millennium-old Cham towers

Foreign securities firms get go-ahead

 VietNamNet Bridge – Foreign investors may wholly own securities and fund management companies in Vietnam from this year,

Blazing new trails

 VietNamNet Bridge – Inspired by Mark Twain's call to "sail away from safe harbour", a young Vietnamese entrepreneur quit his day job, opened a cafe and began an adventure travel business.

Analysts doubt Transport Ministry can sell airports, highways this year

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has decided that the transfer of operation rights of a number of airports and highways would be implemented this year but the plan has proven to be unfeasible.

VAMC special bonds may not decrease bad debt ratio in 2015

 VietNamNet Bridge – Industry insiders are doubtful whether the Viet Nam Asset Management Company (VAMC) issuing special bonds will help reduce the overall bad debt ratio to below 3 per cent in 2015.

In photos: Goat fighting festival in Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang

 VietNamNet Bridge – To welcome the lunar New Year, goat fighting festivals were held in early March in the northern mountainous provinces of Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang.

Social News 12/3

Vietnam to issue international driving licences in August; Large bomb defused in Quang Binh; Police seize 2,000 smuggled smartphones, tablets; Transport Ministry announces establishment of electronic tolls

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 12/3

 PVN to invest $2.3 mil in oil dump, port in Phu Quoc; Work starts on $187.8 mil urban area in Ha Long; Environmental tax on petrol to jump 300%; Samsung tops 500 fastest growing firms; 24,000 firms pay taxes electronically

Train driver is killed as train hits truck

 One person was killed and three injured when a north- south train slammed into a truck in the central Quang Tri Province yesterday evening.

More banks enter into M&A deals

VietNamNet Bridge – Both VietinBank and PG Bank have confirmed their merger and acquisition (M&A) deal, as have Vietcombank and Saigon Bank, Sacombank and Southern Bank, BIDV and MHB, and Maritime Bank and MDB.

Man thought to be dead returns to Tien Giang Province

VietNamNet Bridge – A man in Tien Giang province in southern Vietnam, who had been diagnosed with having a stroke and pneumonia, and later thought to be dead, was found alive at his funeral.

FIDE Master Minh takes lead after four rounds in Zone 3.3 qualifier

 Vietnamese FIDE Master Le Tuan Minh led the 44 players in the men's side of the Zone 3.3 qualifying round of the World Chess Championships 2015, held in HCM City yesterday.

Investors plan new Da Nang Airport terminal

  A group of investors has asked for the transport ministry's permission to build a new terminal at Da Nang International Airport in the central Da Nang City.