Da Nang threatens to sue Ministry of Natural Resources

 VietNamNet Bridge – Da Nang authorities have said to take the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment nd the Dak Mi 4 Hydropower Plant to the court if these agencies do not revise the draft regulations on operating hydropower reservoirs.

VN asks Cambodia to investigate the death of a Vietnamese in a free-for-all fight

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday that Vietnam had asked the Cambodian authorities to investigate the death of a Vietnamese in a free-for-all fight in this country.

Vietnam designer shines on int'l stage

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese designer Nguyen Minh Giang Tu is Viet Nam's representative at the ongoing International Fashion Showcase (IFS) taking place in London.

Vietnam, China discuss sea borders

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese and Chinese experts discussed the sea area off the Tonkin Gulf during the fifth expert-level round of negotiations in Ha Noi on February 19 and 20.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 21/2

 Review of social welfare policies recommended; Australia aids restructuring effort; VN, US boost humanitarian ties

Outlets booming, luring shoppers

 VietNamNet Bridge – A lot of outlets quietly disappeared from the market in 2012-2013, which made people think that the business mode “died young” in Vietnam. However, it is now recovering.

Thousands of extra security agents for World Cup 2014

 Brazil has announced a security boost of around 70,000 officers to police this year's football World Cup.

Hanoi to host International Travel Mart in April

 VietNamNet Bridge – Almost 500 stalls by travel agencies from 25 countries and territories will be set up at the second Viet Nam International Travel Mart.

Having no residence book, student forced to stop going to school

 VietNamNet Bridge – An 11th grader in Hanoi has been expelled from a high school because he is not a permanent resident of the capital city.

Vinatex set to go public in H1

VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam National Garment & Textile Group is set to go public in the first half of this year as part of its restructuring scheme,

Violent clashes continue in Ukraine, death toll rises

 Ukraine witnessed the deadliest day on Thursday in almost three months of anti-government demonstrations, as more people were killed after violent street clashes between protesters and riot police erupted anew

NA debates impact of waste imports

 VietNamNet Bridge – Lawmakers yesterday (Feb 20) debated the issue of waste imports while discussing the revised Environment Law at the 25th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

Authorities reject upgrade plan for Long Bien Bridge

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport and authorities in Ha Noi have agreed not to adopt a plan to rebuild the historic Long Bien Bridge, which has caused controversy among the public in recent days.

RoK to train Vietnam’s nuclear power personnel

VietNamNet Bridge – From May 2014, the Hanyang University of the Republic of Korea will send its top experts to Vietnam to train Vietnamese nuclear power personnel, starting at Da Lat University in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

Eurozone business growth slowed in February, PMI study suggests

 Business growth in the eurozone eased this month but the bloc's economy continued to expand at a "robust pace", a closely watched survey suggests.

44 new rice varieties released in Asia and Africa last year

 VietNamNet Bridge - In 2013, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and its partners released 44 new and improved rice varieties, continuing the decades-long mission of using rice science to reduce hunger.

Local authorities “cache” chemicals underground, people give up farming

 VietNamNet Bridge – Local people in Binh Hoa Commune of Giao Thuy district in Nam Dinh province have got panicked after realizing that the local authorities decided to bury pesticide in the rice fields.

Nielsen: Vietnamese are the most economical in Southeast Asia

 VietNamNet Bridge - According to a global survey report on consumer confidence by Nielsen, Vietnam is the most economical country in Southeast Asia.

Vietnamese fast food globalization dream turns far away

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese once hoped to establish Vietnamese-style fast food chains powerful enough to compete with McDonald’s or KFC. However, the dream seems to be too fabulous.

Off-road trip to Pu Luong tests backpackers' motorbike skills

VietNamNet Bridge – During my adventures across the country, I had been amazed by the twisting roads in the north and impressed by the driving skills of local residents on their Honda Win motorbikes.  

Regulation aims to speed up equitisation process in SOEs

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Government is set to allow shares of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) to be sold at below book value in order to hasten their equitisation.

Mekong Delta: Poor selling kidneys to pay off debt

 VietNamNet Bridge – In the last two years, many poor people in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho have sold their kidneys. They typically receive VND100-150 million ($5,000-7,000) for the organ.

U.S. researchers report progress in leukemia treatment

 U.S. researchers on Wednesday reported "more encouraging news" about an experimental therapy against a deadly form of leukemia, called B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

All bus and truck drivers have to pass a drug test

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Transportation of Hai Phong City has rejected 217 bus and truck drivers who fail to meet health conditions, many of them had a positive drug test.

Quang Nam vows to protect the crabs on Cham Isle

 VietNamNet Bridge – “Cua da” as called by local people, or Gecarcoidea lalandii, a specialty of Cu Lao Cham (Cham Isle) is in the danger of extinction because the dishes made of the crabs prove to be too attractive to travelers.