PM Nguyen Tan Dung starts official visit to Germany

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung arrived in Stuttgart city, Baden Wuerttemberg, in the afternoon of October 14 (Vietnam time), beginning his official visit to Germany at the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

ODA for Long Thanh airport not to affect public debt

 VietNamNet Bridge – The impact, if any, of ODA loans on the Long Thanh international airport project on gross domestic product would not be considerable, especially in 2016-2019,

Schonleber and Padrock to hold concerts in Viet Nam

VietNamNet Bridge – Freelance pianist Boris Schonleber of Berlin will perform the music of Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss and Frederic Chopin in a solo concert at the Goethe Institute here on Saturday.

Nguyen wins bronze at Guri Three-Cushion World Cup

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese cueist Nguyen Quoc Nguyen won a bronze medal at the 2014 Guri Three-Cushion World Cup which concluded in South Korea on Sunday.

Former pilot proposes trans-Indochina road, railway

 VietNamNet Bridge – Former pilot Mai Trong Tuan has asked the Government and relevant agencies to consider developing a trans-Indochina road and railway linking Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

KFC to open first Myanmar outlet in 2015

 KFC's parent company, Yum! Brands, has teamed up with Singapore-listed Yoma Strategic Holdings to bring the franchise to Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Forest rangers under threat

 VietNamNet Bridge – Attacks on forest rangers are increasing, Inspection and Legislation Division director under the MARD's Ranger Department Nguyen Xuan Thang tells Nong thon Ngay nay.

Boycotting low quality made in China imports

VietNamNet Bridge – A group of business leaders spurred on by Vu Tien Loc, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has called for a boycott of low quality Chinese products

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 15/10

Credit quality of Vietnam banks has improved: Moody's; Steel firms need tax cut roadmap; Real estate tax arrears reach $190m in Ha Noi; Rise in M&A deals stir up nation's property market; Vinacomin expects 10% rise in profits to $57.1 million

Five-star ship brings over 3,000 foreign visitors to Vietnam

Five-star ship brings over 3,000 foreign visitors to Vietnam; Vietnam Airlines to add 1,200 flights during Tet holiday; Dak Nong strives to awaken ample tourism potential; Travel companies sponge off Central Highlands

Foreign private-equity firms hope for big profits in Vietnam

Standard Chartered Private Equity has poured money into a Vietnamese restaurant chain and is planning another investment deal, while Mekong Capital and Dream Incubator are preparing new campaigns to raise funds to begin a new adventure.

The 10 most modern works in Hanoi

The National Assembly House, an elevated highway, Thang Long Boulevard and the Keangnam and Lotte high-rises, the two tallest buildings in the country, are among the most modern works in in Hanoi, giving the city a new look.

Northern mountainous regions attract amateur photographers

 VietNamNet Bridge – As autumn arrives, adventurous amateur photographers are packing up their cameras and heading to the picturesque northern mountainous regions of Viet Nam to capture the beauty of the season.

Businesses applaud Customs’ decision to simplify procedures

Every year, businesses lose a total of around $19 billion a year because of customs formalities. Now, the customs agencies, following the lead of taxation agencies, are finally trying to solve the problem.

VN mothers wake up to early education gains

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Bich Trang had become inured to the derisive or pitying laughter that she heard sometimes when she was reading out aloud from a book to her two-month old boy.

Locked iPhone 6 in big demand in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese Apple fans have been able to purchase iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones, just two weeks after the products hit the market.

The life of the world’s most mysterious tribe in Vietnam

Deep in the forests and mountains of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang national park in the central province of Quang Binh there are several villages of the Ruc ethnic group – one of the 10 most mysterious tribes in the world.

Ebola outbreak: Liberia medics defy 'danger money' strike call

 Nurses and medical assistants fighting the Ebola outbreak in Liberia have largely ignored a call to strike over danger money and conditions.

Hong Kong protests: Police remove more barricades

 Hundreds of police have used chainsaws and bolt-cutters to dismantle barricades put up by pro-democracy activists near the government offices in Hong Kong.

Farmers ignore shrimp warning

 VietNamNet Bridge – Farmers in Bac Lieu Province are expanding their white-legged shrimp ponds in unzoned areas despite warnings from local authorities that it could damage the environment and cause outbreaks of disease.

Kim Jong-un: North Korea leader 'appears in public'

 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made his first public appearance since 3 September, the country's official news agency says.

Social News 14/10

Technical hiccups block popular websites; 33 Vung Tau students suffer food poisoning; Rare wildife seen in Ca Mau forest; Sick fishing boat crew member hospitalised; HCMC applies early treatment for HIV patients with ARV

Art & Entertainment News 14/10

Artist creates ‘geometric game' with colorful prints; Pianist to perform Wagner, Chopin; Sculptor to dissect her art; Design contest winners announced; Hoi An troupe to perform in Japan; Ha Noi hosts peace cultural festival

Liem beats Irina of US in Millionaire Chess tourney

 Viet Nam's top chess player Le Quang Liem defeated Krush Irina of US in the seventh round of the Open category at the Millionaire Chess tournament in Las Vegas yesterday.

Mekong Delta suffers as factories dump waste into local river system

VietNamNet Bridge – Newly built seafood and garment factories have polluted once-pristine rural areas in the Mekong delta, but relief seems far away.