Quang Liem drops to second at HCMC int’l chess tournament

 VietNamNet Bridge – On March 12, Le Quang Liem got a win and a draw when holding the black pawns in the games against Zhang Zhong of Singapore and Duc Hoa of Vietnam.

Ninh Binh has second consecutive win in AFC Cup

 VietNamNet Bridge – In the afternoon of March 12, Ninh Binh FC defeated Yangon United 3-2 at home to take up the top of Group G.

Hoang Nam enters third round of Malaysia ITF Juniors G1 Tournament

 VietNamNet Bridge - On March 12, Vietnamese tennis player Ly Hoang Nam defeated Sharmal Dissanayake of Sri Lanka in the second round of the Sarawak Chief Minister Cup in Malaysia.

Air Mekong’s license may be revoked

 VietNamNet Bridge – The private air carrier Air Mekong is in danger of losing its license after one year of flight cancelations.

European Parliament adopts earth observation programme Copernicus

 The European Parliament on Wednesday gave its green light to Copernicus, the EU's new earth observation programme, according to a statement on its official website.

HCMC tourism needs over 21,000 workers each year

 VietNamNet Bridge – The tourism industry in HCMC needs over 21,000 workers, especially tour guides, each year between now and 2020, said the HCMC Forecast Center of Manpower and Labor Market Information.

PetroVietnam eyes Itochu stake in $80m ethanol plant

VietNamNet Bridge – PV Oil – the wholly owned subsidiary of the state-run PetroVietnam – recently said it was considering negotiating with Itochu and Licogi 16 to buy out a 71% stake in the joint venture to build an $80 million ethanol factory

Young actresses strike right chord with film audiences

VietNamNet Bridge – Though the film industry is a notoriously difficult one to break into, some young actresses in HCM City have proven their ability to moviegoers as well as their male counterparts.  

Political News Headlines 13/3

Vietnam, Belgium discuss judicial bond; SE Asia forum explores green growth funding; Vietnam attends ASEAN-EU defence seminar; Korean Chairman honoured with PM certificate

VN to regain home cosmetics market with natural materials

 VietNamNet Bridge – The number of Vietnamese cosmetics brands in the home market remains very modest. But the situation may get different in the future, as more investors plan to pour money into the sector.

Ha Tinh’s people pray to heaven for help clear toxic pesticides

 VietNamNet Bridge – Plant protection chemical residues still exist in 160 places in Ha Tinh province in 74 communes, making people live in fear of cancer diseases.

Death toll of New York building collapse rises to 3

A powerful explosion leveled two residential buildings in New York's East Harlem neighborhood on Wednesday morning, killing three people, while nine others remained missing, officials said. 

Vietnam enhances search of the missing plane on land

 VietNamNet Bridge - Military experts said that the Malaysian plane might not crash in Vietnam territory but the rescue forces will keep searching it on land.

Vietnam continues exporting rice to China, but with cautious steps

 VietNamNet Bridge – How would Vietnam behave towards the Chinese market in continuing to export rice to China to clear the big stocks, or stop the export in anticipation of high risks?

Schools’ conditions not good enough to teach children to swim

 VietNamNet Bridge – Every teacher has to take care of 30-50 children during swimming lessons. The current modest teaching staff cannot provide safe swimming lessons to primary and secondary students.

Vietnam learns to settle disputes through lawsuits

 VietNamNet Bridge – Instead of closing eyes to the intellectual property (IP) infringement or trying to settle disputes through conciliation, Vietnamese nowadays tend to bring the cases to court.

Tien Son cave – attractive destination in Quang Binh

 VietNamNet Bridge – Forming part of the UNESCO-recognised Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Tien Son cave is currently reckoned the most attractive destination in central Quang Binh Province.

New regulation feared to put cross-ownership network in a maze

Under the government’s Resolution No. 15, state owned commercial banks can buy the stakes of finance companies and banks to be sold by State owned enterprises (SOEs) during their capital withdrawal process.

U.S. FDA approves first device to prevent migraine headaches

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday it has approved the marketing of a medical device as a preventative treatment for migraine headaches.

Art & Entertainment News Headlines 13/3

 HCM City kicks off annual book fair; Horseback riding attracts young people in HCMC; Brutal dog fight in Hanoi stirs anger;

“Japan rush” puts students over head and ears in debt

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tens of students in Quang Nam province once harbored the dream of studying and working for money in Japan. Only after arriving in Japan, did they realize that they were swindled.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 13/3

 Vietcombank to exceed credit limit for PVOil; Vietnam Airlines airs new jets as part of expansion; Cienco 6 sets IPO date; Cao Bang border gate economic zone established; Vietnamese, Russian companies ink LNG deal

Social News Headlines 13/3

 Forest fire in Ca Mau at alarming level; Spread of bird flu brought under control; Hanoi hopes for Bangkok’s tourism support; Hanoi keeps human diseases under control; Prime Minister instructs no heavy interest rate to fishermen

Exxon Mobil speeds up major project in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – The US group Exxon Mobil has accelerated the pace of its investment in a 20-billion-USD gas-electricity complex in Vietnam.

Flappy Bird Creator appears in Rolling Stone magazine

VietNamNet Bridge – Rolling Stone – the world’s leading music magazine on March 11 ran an article on Nguyen Ha Dong – a 28 year-old Vietnamese programmer whose Flappy Bird games have gone viral.