SOE equitization: the second opportunity has come

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam once missed the opportunity in 2006-2007 to push up the state owned enterprise (SOE) equitization process and develop its finance market. Will it be able to grab the new coming opportunity?

Private-sector firms dominate domestic business rankings

 VietNamNet Bridge – Five hundred enterprises have been listed as having had the fastest growth in Viet Nam in 2013.

Coca-Cola shares hit by profit fall

 Shares of beverage giant Coca-Cola saw their biggest fall in two years after its profit fell due to slowing sales in the US and Europe.

EU joins fight to stop illegal logging

VietNamNet Bridge – Three projects funded by the European Union to help Viet Nam and neighbouring countries combat illegal logging were launched in Ha Noi yesterday, Feb 18.

Duong Lam Village leads the way with conservation model

VietNamNet Bridge – The chief of UNESCO Viet Nam, Katherine Muller-Martin, yesterday (Feb 18) paid tribute to residents of Duong Lam Village for a local conservation project restoring historic buildings.

Sports News Headlines 19/2

Midfielder Ta suspended for on-field violence; Samsung sending four Vietnamese kids to Chelsea summer camp; Student taekwondo tourney concludes in Thai Nguyen; Bao, Dung claim chess titles; HN to host children's chess comp

Top ten business sectors paying most for online advertising in Vietnam named

 VietNamNet Bridge - Telecommunications, automobile - transportation, information and communications, food, cosmetics ... are the industries that pay most for online advertising in Vietnam in the third quarter 2013.

Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury debt hits record in December

Foreign buyers continued to increase their holdings of U.S. Treasury securities for a fifth straight month in December, even though the two largest holders of U.S. public debt trimmed their shares, U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday. 

Royal seals affirm VN sovereignty

 VietNamNet Bridge – World recognition is being sought for a vast archive of administrative documents, many of them signed by the Nguyen kings from 1802 to 1945. Some of them record Viet Nam's ownership of islands in the East Sea.

Egypt taking 'ultimatum against tourists' seriously

 Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi has said Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula are becoming a threat to foreign tourists, state TV reports.

Two women's volleyball teams to be dissolved

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietsov Petro women’s volleyball club was officially dissolved yesterday, February, after a scandal related to the hand-over of this team to Saigon-Pacific Beer.

People block Quang Ngai’s highway because of pollution

 VietNamNet Bridge - After more than three hours being blocked by local residents, traffic congestion on Highway 24 in the central province of Quang Ngai was several kilometers long.

Moody's: NPL ratio in Vietnam at least 15 percent

 VietNamNet Bridge – Moody’s maintains the "negative" outlook on Vietnam's banking system. It also said that the non-performing loan ratio is much higher than the official figure of 4 percent reported by the State Bank of Vietnam in October 2013.

8-year-old boy survives 100 bee stings

 VietNamNet Bridge – Doctors of the Da Nang Obstetrics - Pediatric Hospital has saved a boy from the central province of Quang Ngai with over 100 stings from hornets.

Cruise ship on fire in Ha Long Bay

 VietNamNet Bridge – At 10.30am on February 18, a cruise ship of the Bai Tu Long Hung Nguyen Company Limited was on fire during its test trip near the Ti Top Island in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province.

Snowfall again in Sapa

 VietNamNet Bridge – Snow began falling from the Hoang Lien peak to O Quy Ho Pass and spilling down to the town of Sapa today morning, February 19. Snow on O Quy Ho Pass is thickest at about 5-7cm.

Ba Be on the list of 16 world's most beautiful lakes

 VietNamNet Bridge - Ba Be Lake in Bac Kan Province has entered MSN’s list of 16 most beautiful lakes in the world.

Malaysian Formula One eyes Vietnamese tourists

 VietNamNet Bridge – Malaysia expects at least 1,000 Vietnamese fans to attend its annual single-seater auto race by world-class racers in Kuala Lumpur from March 28-30.

When teachers scold, curse and beat students

 VietNamNet Bridge – Educators and parents now feel worried as more and more video clips show the rude behaviors committed by teachers towards students.

Vietnam’s catfish “choking” because of import barriers

 VietNamNet Bridge – The rapid-fire bad news has come recently, leading to the pessimistic forecasts about the future of the Vietnam’s catfish industry.

Political News Headlines 19/2

 Politburo member receives French party delegation; Viet Nam speaks out over latest terror attacks in Iraq; Indonesian Assembly Speaker to visit Vietnam

VN boosts ties with Australia, Kyrgyzstan

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has always appreciated its ties with Australia and wants to boost this partnership for better results, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Ha Noi yesterday, Feb 18.

Draft law allowing police to collect fines causes concern

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Public Security’s draft regulation proposes that traffic police collect fines from traffic violations has caused public uproar over its high probability of fostering endemic corruption.

Party to report on mega corruption

VietNamNet Bridge – The Party Central Committee's Commission for Home Affairs has vowed to strengthen efforts to report on the nation's 20 most significant corruption cases this month.

Five highlights of V-League Eximbank Round 5

 VietNamNet Bridge – A storm of goals recorded; Thanh Hoa firmly on top; Becamex Binh Duong snatch first win are three of five main highlights of the V-League Eximbank 2014 Round 5.