Ronaldo opens CR7 souvenir store in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge - Fans of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid FC are going to have a chance to buy CR7 brand souvenirs right in Vietnam.

SBV bans foreign exchange trades

 VietNamNet Bridge – Transactions on foreign exchange (forex) trading floors are illegal in Viet Nam and violators can face administrative fines of up to VND100 million, or US$4,760.

The collection of old bicycles of a Hanoi man

 VietNamNet Bridge - Mr. Tran Tuan Phong in Ha Dong district, Hanoi always sees dozens of bikes manufactured in the mid-20 century as his bosom friends.

Nguyen Ha Dong confirms Flappy Bird will return

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Ha Dong, the father of the lovely “Flappy Bird”, has confirmed on his Twitter that he would revive the game, but said this would not occur soon.

Young girl creates flea market for local and foreign artists

VietNamNet Bridge – With nearly 60,000 likes on its Facebook page, Saigon Flea Market in HCMC’s District 7 has become a popular rendezvous on second and forth Sundays of month to many locals and foreigners who wish to find hand-made artworks,

Ministry of Public Security proposes to have the 2nd top-ranking general

The police force currently has only onetop -ranking general who is the Minister of the Public Security. The Ministry of Public Security proposes to have the second top-ranking general, who is the Deputy Minister.

Green tourism in Mui Ne

 From a desolate coast with red sand dunes, Mui Ne has now become the green tourist centre of Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province.

Doctor dedicates life to treating the poor

VietNamNet Bridge – Doctor Vo Truong Nhu Ngoc has spent 13 years treating poor people in remote areas. He talks to the reporter about what inspired him to devote his career to helping unfortunate patients nationwide. 

Life in the poorest “oasis” in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge - About 100 households in a commune of Luc Ngan district in Bac Giang province have lived without electricity, travel by boat and had no means of communication for many years.

Bank M&A deal nears

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many market observers believe that Sacombank will benefit less from its merger with Southern Bank.

Art & Entertainment News Headlines 22/3

 VN women feature in film festival; Author reprints inspiring book; Coin honours Dien Bien Phu win; Capital awaits colourful street festival; Celebrating harmony, happiness;

Social News Headlines 22/3

 Hi-tech criminals jailed for 72 months; Vietnam among countries most burdened with TB; International Day of Happiness observed in Vietnam; Essential preparations for 2014 Vesak finalised; Southern heat wave drives more patients to hospitals

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 22/3

 PM approves plan for central EZ; Dense fog causes collisions in Hai Phong waterways; Low-income buyers can mortgage new homes; Norwegian ship equipment plant opens in Haiphong; Vietnam expected to post two-digit export growth

Foreigners unhappy with meager FOL rise

VietNamNet Bridge – Strategic foreign investors on March 18 showed disapproval of a scant increase of the foreign ownership limit (FOL) in local banks.

VN high on instant noodles list

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam is the world's fourth-largest consumer of instant noodles, purchasing roughly 5.4 billion packets yearly, according to the latest report of the World Instant Noodles Association.

Lung cancer rates in British women climb rapidly

 Lung cancer rates among British women have risen by 73 percent over the last 40 years, while the figures in men have fallen by nearly half, cancer research authorities said.

Ministry takes action against overseas employment firms

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has suspended the activities of 14 Vietnamese and 11 Taiwanese employment companies involved in sending Vietnamese workers to Taiwan for regulation violations.

SOEs seek strategic investors

 VietNamNet Bridge – State-owned corporations and groups preparing to launch Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) as part of their equitisation process are finding it difficult to find strategic investors, industry insiders say.

Lives Worth Living: The struggle for equal rights for disabled people

 VietNamNet Bridge – American filmmaking couple Eric Neudel and Alison Gilkey are in Viet Nam from March 11 to 20 to present their TV documentary Lives Worth Living about the struggle for equal rights for people with disabilities,

Ukraine crisis: EU signs association deal

EU leaders have signed an agreement on closer relations with Ukraine, in a show of support following Russia's annexation of Crimea.

PM to attend Hague nuclear summit, visit Cuba, Haiti

VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the third Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague, the Netherlands, from March 24-25 at the invitation of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Business gets stagnant because of policy makers’ delays

 VietNamNet Bridge – Enterprises have voiced their complaints that their business has come to a standstill because of the new policies which have not been legalized.

36 sports to be contested at 28th SEA Games

VietNamNet Bridge – Singapore National Olympic Council Secretary-General Chris Chan has said the local organising committee and SEA Games Federation council members have agreed to cap the number of sports to be contested next year at 36.  

Troupe works to keep traditional music alive

 VietNamNet Bridge – Artists from HCM City's Bong Sen Music and Dance troupe will bring traditional music to the city's schools in an attempt to arrest the music's declining popularity among young people.

Presidential visit to Japan - a milestone in bilateral ties

 VietNamNet Bridge – The recent visit to Japan by State President Truong Tan Sang is an important landmark signifying a new chapter in bilateral relations, says Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.