Netherlands backs Mekong region; Eurocham upbeat about Vietnam’s business climate; Top 50 businesses in Vietnam named; Vietnam’s FDI attraction eyes prospective increase; Ford Vietnam reports best-ever performance in May

 Updated information about cultural events in big cities of Vietnam.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Investigators from Ha Noi's Department of Information and Communications have found that Viet Hong Technology Company Limited has illegally accessed smartphones to take control and steal private information.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Foreign State Secretary Markus Ederer on June 17 voiced Germany’s support for peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Seven members of a family were poisoned after consuming green-spored parasol mushroom (Chlorophyllum molybdites) in the northern mountainous Dien Bien Province's Tan Thanh Ward last Friday.

 VietNamNet Bridge – National Assembly members yesterday (June 17) agreed that the Law on Vietnamese Nationality should be amended to allow overseas Vietnamese more flexibility in retaining their citizenship.

 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Argentina's legal defeat in its fight against hedge fund investors may have wider implications.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Catfish exporters, who strongly oppose a newly released decree on catfish export management, say they hope the watchdog agency will rethink its policy. The decree is to take effect on June 20.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Two of Vietnam's sovereignty steles on the islands of Nam Yet and Song Tu Tay, built by the Republic of Vietnam in 1956, have been honored as national monuments.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Hoi An and the UNESCO office in Ha Noi plan to develop a tourist card to replace entrance-tickets used to enter the old section of the ancient city.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese economists are trying to calculate the damage to the national economy in case China stops trade and investment activities with Vietnam.

The Subscription Concert vol.71 of Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra will take place at Hanoi Opera House on June 25 and 26 under baton of Famous Italian conductor Andrea Pestalozza.

 Nguyen Anh Tuan and Nguyen Khanh Hoang will represent Viet Nam at the World 9-ball Pool Championships in Doha, Qatar, from June 20-28.

 Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki has fired senior officers for failing to halt a sweeping advance by Sunni Islamist rebels.

 A major pipeline in Ukraine carrying gas from Russia to the rest of Europe has been hit by a blast.

 At least 13 tourists were killed when their bus swerved off a mountain road and fell into a gorge in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Two early goals in the first half were enough for Thailand to beat a fighting Philippines two-nil to finish first at the Asian Confederation Cup U-14 Girls' Regional Championships.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Short film David And Luisa by director Bui Trung Hai will vie for an award at an online competition launched by Viewster Online Film Festival.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Motion Picture Association of America  has requested the Ministry of Information and Communications to take steps to prevent copyright violations of the films produced by its members

 VietNamNet Bridge – A set of ten black and white photographs by Vietnamese artists has claimed the silver medal in the 32nd International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) Black and White Biennial in Turkey.

 China’s oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, illegally stationed in Vietnamese waters, was probably preparing to move to a new position on June 17 as it lowered its two cranes, according to Vietnam News Agency reporters at the site.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The volume of government bonds issued by the State Treasury in the first five months of the year equaled the number issued for the entire year of 2013.

 Viet Nam and Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the possibility of cooperating in a joint seismic research at Lots 125 and 126 in the Phu Khanh basin in Viet Nam's continental shelf.

 A Vietnamese photograph has been selected for display at Atkins CIWEM – a well-known photographic exhibition on the environment in London.

 Vietnamese chess player Le Quang Liem gained four points in the rapid event on June 17 - the first day of the 2014 World Blitz and Rapid Championships taking place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).