Scientist admits natural calamities getting more unpredictable

 VietNamNet Bridge – The number of typhoons landing in Vietnam tends to be increasing, while it is more difficult to forecast natural calamities, says a senior expert.

Decidedly reclaiming VND350 billion, petroleum importers determined to “fight”

 VietNamNet Bridge – Though having paid the tax arrears of VND350 billion as requested by the Ministry of Finance, the seven petroleum distributors still keep claiming innocent.

Victims of injustice

 VietNamNet Bridge – He was innocent, but the 52-year-old Nguyen Thanh Chan was jailed for life for the murder ten years ago of a woman he never committed.

Artists reluctant over work permits

 VietNamNet Bridge – Several domestic artists have voiced their doubts about the necessity and effectiveness of work permits for artists.

NA approves new government office chief

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong will begin an official visit to India on November 19.

EU looks to sign FTA with VN by late 2014

The European Union (EU) hopes to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with Viet Nam as early as by late 2014, said European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani.

Spain busts jet ski hashish smuggling ring

 Spanish police have detained 12 people, including a British national, suspected of belonging to a gang that used jet skis to smuggle hashish from Morocco into Spain, authorities said Wednesday.

Digital pays dividends for ad firms

 VietNamNet Bridge - Mr. Tarun Dhawan-Managing Director from Riverorchid Notch shares opinions about the development of digital advertising in Viet Nam and the region.

Ministry justifies 3G price increase

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Information and Communications last week explained its recent proposal to allow an increase in 3G mobile internet fees by telecom companies Viettel, MobiFone and VinaPhone.

Number of Vietnamese students in US on the rise

 VietNamNet Bridge – The number of Vietnamese students in the US in the 2012-2013 academic year increased by 3.4 percent year-on-year, to 16,098,

Ba Mun Island - green pearl in Bai Tu Long Bay

VietNamNet Bridge – Located in Bai Tu Long Bay in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, Ba Mun Island is one of the largest and most beautiful clusters of isles with the greatest abundance of flora in Bai Tu Long National Park.

Hanoi's biggest discotheque suspended

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Nexttop Discotheque in the Grand Plaza Hotel, the largest night club in the capital has been suspended for making disorder and insecurity, advertising alcohol and organizing offensive performances.

Officials question wisdom of outsourcing strategy

 VietNamNet Bridge – The wisdom of Vietnamese enterprises outsourcing production to other countries in order to earn higher profits, taking advantage of local consumers' preference for imported products, is being questioned by experts and officials.

New trend in Vietnam: domestic products bear foreign brands

 VietNamNet Bridge – It is a growing tendency that Vietnamese enterprises order foreign companies to make products and then import the products as the exclusive distributors on the domestic market.

HCM City receives flood of remittances

 VietNamNet Bridge – Inward remittances via HCM City banks topped US$3.7 billion in the first 10 months of the year, and are expected to reach $4.8 billion this year,

Vaccine not to blame for infant death in Quang Tri

Central Quang Tri Province on Monday announced that the death of a three-year-old kid, who died on Sunday after receiving a Quinvaxem vaccine, was not caused by the vaccination.

Dutch fishmonger will show talents in town

Taking part in the Holland Village 2013 held from November 22 to December 1 in September 23 Park downtown will be Dutch fish expert Gerrit Morren.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 14/11

Traders overstock foods due to typhoon Haiyan; HCM City impatient with resettlement housing projects; Expert: Home loan rate of 3% impossible; POS transactions increase

Gold keeps dropping on Fed tapering speculation

 Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dropped Monday to the lowest since Oct. 15, on speculation that the Federal Reserve may soon move to scale down its bond purchase.

Death toll in Philippines from typhoon Haiyan climbs to 1,833

 Death toll in the Philippines from typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) jumped to 1,833 with initial cost of damage increasing to 761.4 million pesos (17.4 million U.S. dollars), a senior government official said on Wednesday morning.

PM Dung recommends new Government spokesman

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has nominated the Vice Chair of the Central Committee for Propaganda and Information – Mr. Nguyen Van Nen as the new Chair of the Government Office and the Government spokesman.

Ministry stands firm on showbiz work permits

 VietNamNet Bridge – Leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism emphasised that it is necessary to apply work permit rules to singers and models in the country.

Traditional artists set for US tour

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese and US artists will perform the traditional music of Viet Nam at eight Universities in the Northeastern US on November 14-23,

Former bank head faces death for fraud

 VietNamNet Bridge – The People's Court of HCM City on Tuesday, Nov 11, proposed the death sentence for former banking chief executive Vu Quoc Hao, who has been charged with embezzling VND531 billion worth of State property.

NA adopts 5.8 percent GDP growth target for 2014

 VietNamNet Bridge – National Assembly deputies have approved a resolution on the 2014 socio-economic development plan, which targets a 5.8 percent GDP growth and a 10 percent increase in export turnover.