Transport Ministry to dismiss officials in rail project management unit

 VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Transport has asked the Vietnam Railway Administration to replace the entire managerial staff of the rail project management unit, saying that they were irresponsible and had caused project delays.

Photos: Vietnamese ship rammed by five Chinese vessels

 VietNamNet Bridge – Surrounded and attacked by Chinese ships near HD-981 oil rig anchored in Vietnam’s waters, ship 951 of the Vietnam fishery surveillance dodged the attackers but the boat was still damaged on both sides.

Top-seeded Vinh set for World Cup contest in Beijing

Two-time winner Hoang Xuan Vinh will head to Beijing this week to compete at the International Sport Shooting Federation World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in China.

Bus depot developers suffer at the hands of two-faced officials

 VietNamNet Bridge – Hundreds of billions dong have been wasted as a series of bus stations, modern and well-serviced, have been left idle because of the local authorities breaking their promises.

Political News Headlines 1/7

 President bids farewell to outgoing UK diplomat; Top legislator welcomes WFUCA President; HCM City signs pact with Rhone-Alpes Region

PM reiterates Vietnam’s resolve to defend sovereignty

 Vietnam should continue to underscore its opposition to China’s illegal actions, persisting in using all possible peaceful measures in line with international law to resolutely defend sea and island sovereignty.

Vietnamese authorities stay strong at oil rig site

 China keeps five military ships to defend its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 which is illegally standing in Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, reported the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department on June 30.

Examinations on the right track

 VietNamNet Bridge – The 2014 secondary graduation exams can be considered a breakthrough in education, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Vinh Hien told the New Ha Noi newspaper.

Japanese architect designs a home in Viet Nam

 VietNamNet Bridge – As a top graduate of the Department of Architecture from Tokyo University who has had many opportunities to work with top-notch architects around the world, Massaaki Iwamoto chose Viet Nam as the place to start his career in 2011.

MPI: No need for steel SEZ

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Planning and Investment has said there is no need for a special economic zone (SEZ) for steel and iron industry as proposed by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company.

The mystery of forests in Quang Binh

 We followed Dinh Hong Nham, a famous forester, and spent several days going through thick forests and crossing over streams to discover the beauty and mystery of caves hidden in deep forests in Minh Hoa District, Quang Binh Province.

Three world-famous bamboo houses in Vietnam

Vietnamese architects have created unique houses and a coffee shop that have won international architecture awards for their use of traditional materials in Vietnam like bamboo and wood. Here are the three most famous bamboo-made houses in Vietnam.

Photos: Lotus market at midnight

 VietNamNet Bridge - From mid-May, the pink and white colors of lotuses flood the Quang An flower market in Hanoi. From midnight, the market is very crowded and bustling.

Facebook emotion experiment sparks criticism

 Facebook is facing criticism after it emerged it had conducted a psychology experiment on nearly 700,000 users.

Vietnam economy grows by 5.18% in H1

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam achieved GDP growth of 5.25% in the second quarter of this year, bringing the six-month rate to 5.18%, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

China still adds fuel to East Sea hot spot

 Despite incessantly asserting it desires peace and does not want to complicate the situation, China continues to blatantly doublespeak in attempts to change the status quo in defiance of all.

Singing contest lures young pro singers

Twelve young singers are competing in the final round of the popular singing contest Sao Mai Diem Hen (Morning Star - Rendezvous) hosted by Viet Nam Television.

Hanoi grapples with purulence of false taxis

Authorities in Hanoi are trying to deal with thousands of taxis operating in the city, whose licenses are from other provinces.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 1/7

Vietnam Airlines proposes VND22,300 per share in IPO; HCMC Industrial Zone to be built in Myanmar; Vietnam enjoys $6.85 billion FDI in six month'; B. Braun looks to invest extra US$270 million

EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 1-10 (daily updated)

 Updated information about cultural events in big cities of Vietnam.

Experts skeptical about Formosa’s SEZ proposal

VietNamNet Bridge – Local experts have cast doubt on a recent proposal by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company for establishing a special economic zone (SEZ) for steel and iron industry enjoying the most preferential incentives ever.

Time bomb laid in foreign currency credit market

The dollar lending interest rate is lower by at least 3-5% annually than the dong interest rate, which is the reason for the sharp increase in the ratio of the dollar outstanding loans on dollar deposits.

Cloned Flappy Birds turn up before imminent return of the real thing

Flappy Bird, a Vietnam-made mobile game, has been taken down from app stores by its developer. However, stories and images of the lovely bird have reappeared in sci-tech newspapers and forums these days.

Japanese encephalitis cases increase in Vietnam

Because of increasing trend of Japanese encephalitis cases in the country, Vietnamese Ministry of Health issued June 27 some warning of the disease.

Laos hydropower plant threatens Vietnam’s Mekong

 VietNamNet Bridge – Experts in Vietnam continue to voice their worries about the Lao government’s determination to build the Don Sahong hydropower dam on the Mekong River.