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.

Beautiful moments of spring

 VietNamNet Bridge - The beautiful scenery, the people of Vietnam recorded by photographers during the Lunar New Year 2014 are on display in HCM City.

China asked to probe damages to Vietnamese vessels

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has asked China to seriously investigate the recent acts of chasing and damaging two Vietnamese fishing vessels in Vietnam’s waters by several Chinese ships.

US$500 million for atomic energy research centre

 VietNamNet Bridge – Russia and Vietnam will jointly build an atomic energy research centre under a US$500 million project funded by the Russian government.

Tours to Bangkok resume despite sporadic protests

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese travel firms have resumed tours to Thailand and provided many special offers to tourists though scattered protests are still seen in Bangkok.

Photos: Eating soil in Vinh Phuc

 VietNamNet Bridge – Soil can be eaten raw but to make it tasty, Vinh Phuc’s people have to process it in quite a meticulous process.

Ministries urged to take actions to prevent Chinese businessmen-cheaters

 VietNamNet Bridge - The local authorities and competent agencies stay irresponsible, while farmers are too greedy for gains. This explains why Chinese still can collect farm produce in Vietnam and trick Vietnamese.

Danang in top ten of must-see destinations in Asia

 Danang City has been listed among the top ten most outstanding new emerging destinations in Asia in 2014, according to Agoda.com, the renowned hotel booking website of Asia.

Sports News Headlines 21/3

 Ly Hoang Nam beats Chinese No1 player; Thanh Hoa release striker Quan; Ha Long tournament gets recognition; Teen sets new swimming record; European tour: U19 Vietnam 2 – 4 U19 Birmingham

School travel pics elicit bridge pledge

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has quickly responded to photos of children being hauled to school across a swollen river in plastic bags.

World Cup footballer wins V-League top player of the month

 VietNamNet Bridge – Slovenian midfielder Nastja Ceh won the title best football player of the month in the V-League 2014 for the second consecutive time.

Coal mine blamed for landslides

 VietNamNet Bridge – A number of landslides have shaken An Nghia Commune in the northern province of Hoa Binh's Lac Son District this month, likely due to a nearby coal mine.

Rapid breaths 'protect early babies'

 Superfast ventilation - equivalent to 600 breaths per minute - is the best way to protect extremely premature babies' lungs, a study has concluded.

Hard luck for Vietnamese celebrities

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many Vietnamese celebrities have recently incurred large debts or fallen on hard times due to financial difficulties.