Legal Advice: Vietnam opens more logistics service sectors to foreign investors

Vietnam’s government has been facilitating foreign investment in almost all types of logistics services excluding inspection services, certificate granting for conveyances, transport auxiliary services...

Art & Entertainment News Headlines 26/4

 Ancient ceramic sculptures on display in Hanoi; Fine arts festival 2014 cultivates creativity among youths; Quang Ninh exhibition spotlights fishing culture; Flower festival to brighten up port city

Social News Headlines 26/4

 Police break up trans-national drug trafficking ring; Minister warns against recurrent measles outbreak; Poverty rate drops to new low of 7.8%; Post offices open on Truong Sa Island; WB signs agreements to modernise Vietnam’s poorest areas

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 26/4

 Vietcombank sells VND1 trillion in non-performing loans in 2014; US$4.5 bil quarterly trade surplus with US; Japanese firms seek investment opportunities in Hau Giang; Import-export trade volume rises 14%; April inflation rises modestly

Airbus components to be manufactured in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge – On Wednesday, Airbus announced its first production package of aircraft components in Vietnam, through Nikkiso Vietnam.

Red-headed cranes return to Tram Chim National Park

 VietNamNet Bridge – Thirty red-headed cranes have returned to the Tram Chim National Park in the southern province of Dong Thap to “settle down” there, thanks to efforts to conserve the biodiversity.

Arrest after Bali plane hijack alert in Indonesia

 A passenger who caused a hijack scare on a flight from Australia to Indonesia has been arrested at Bali airport, officials say.

Foreign teacher hangs self in locked room

 VietNamNet Bridge - The police of Thu Duc District, HCM City, are conducting investigations into the cause of death of an Italian man, who lived in an apartment at the Sunview building in Tam Phu Ward.

Body of Vietnamese woman on SEWOL ferry found

On Wednesday evening, Korean rescue workers found the body of Mrs. Phan Ngoc Thanh, a passenger on the SEWOL, the ferry that sank off the western coast of South Korea last week. Thanh, a Vietnamese woman, was married to a Korean man.

$150 for one-hour helicopter tour to explore Phong Nha Cave

 VietNamNet Bridge – Helicopter tours are now being offered at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh. The fare for each one hour of flying is VND3 million ($150).

Beauty queen serves as a cautionary tale for deception

 VietNamNet Bridge - On Wednesday, Vinpearl JSC, the organizer of the Miss Vietnam World 2010 pageant, officially decided on the form of penalty to be imposed on Miss Luu Thi Diem Huong for providing false information on her marriage status.

No penalty for Vietnam’s withdrawal as host of 18th Asian Games

 VietNamNet Bridge – On Wednesday evening, the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) approved Vietnam’s withdrawal from hosting the 2019 Asian Games. The committee will urgently seek another host, with a target of deciding by September this year.

Tourists misunderstand our entrance fee, says Hoi An official

Hoi An is doing its utmost to quell the public furor over the recent enforcement of entrance fees for the ancient town. Hoi An town’s Party Secretary Nguyen Su argues that some tourists misunderstand the purpose of the town’s entrance fee.

Political News Headlines 25/4

 PM welcomes Brunei envoy; Steering committee for int’l integration set up; Defence Minister meets Chinese wartime supporters; Deputy defence minister bids farewell to Myanmar attaché

Viet Nam, WB sign $390m pacts to fight poverty

VietNamNet Bridge – The State Bank of Viet Nam and the World Bank yesterday signed credit agreements worth US$390 million for three projects to develop community infrastructure, improve agriculture and livelihoods in the country's poorest areas,

“Liberated” MobiFone set to challenge rivals

 VietNamNet Bridge – The local mobile market will become more competitive with the independent operation of MobiFone, which will shortly be detached from its current owner the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group.

Renowned singers to mark Dien Bien Phu Victory

 VietNamNet Bridge – Twenty voices of three generations of Vietnamese revolutionary music performers will take to the stage tomorrow (April 26) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory.

Dong Nai’s man - the best pepper grower in the world

 VietNamNet Bridge – Although he cultivates pepper on only 2.8 hectares, with an average output of 8-12 tons per hectare, Mr. Tran Huu Thang has been awarded the title "The world's best pepper grower" by the World Pepper Association.

Tai Tu Music Festival to kick off

VietNamNet Bridge – Cultural activities to welcome local and international visitors in Bac Lieu Province began yesterday in preparation for the first National Tai Tu Music Festival's opening ceremony tonight at Cultural Square in Bac Lieu City.

Viet Nam draw into ‘group of death' for AFC U19 Champs

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has drawn into the group of death for the Asian Football Confederation U19 Championships following an announcement yesterday (April 24) in Yangon, Myanmar.

Road transport getting more expensive, railway and waterway inconvenient

 VietNamNet Bridge – As road transport grows more costly, businesses are wringing their hands because of the lack of alternatives. The movement of goods by railways and waterways, they say, still offer no viable competition to land transport.

Police rescue 14-year old girl kidnapped by gang

 VietNamNet Bridge – A 14-year-old girl kidnapped for a ransom of VND1 billion (US$47,500) was safely rescued on Wednesday by police in the southern city of Can Tho.

NA deputies seek greater clarity around new identification cards

VietNamNet Bridge – Lawmakers yesterday stressed the need for further elaboration of principles related to managing information relating to the new citizens' identity card so as to ensure privacy and protection of the holders' rights and benefits.

The village with 30 old French villas

 VietNamNet Bridge - Despite the stain of time, the 70-80 year old houses in the village of Nha Xa, Duy Tien District, Ha Nam Proince, are still prominent among the new buildings.

Bank M&As encouraged by SBV, discouraged by experts

 VietNamNet Bridge – While the State Bank of Vietnam believes that the merger of small and weak banks into larger and stronger ones will help speed up the bank restructuring process, experts don’t think this is a perfect solution.