Thai Binh: Neglecting storm forecast, TV station director suspended

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vu Anh Thao, Director of the Radio - Television Station of Thai Binh Province, has been suspended from work for 15 days to review his responsibility in diffusing information about the storm Bebinca.

EU deal clinched on subsidy cut for big farms

 European officials meeting in Luxembourg have struck a deal to cut subsidies for big business farms and boost young farmers as part of a major overhaul of the EU's much criticised Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) due to start next year.

Another shrub frog species discovered in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge - Scientists of Vietnam and Germany have announced their discovery of a new species of shrub frog in Cao Bang province in northern Vietnam.

Vietnam has highest phishing rate in the world

In the latest survey conducted by Kaspersky Lab, in 2012, 37.3 million Internet users worldwide became victims of phishing. Vietnam is among the countries with the highest number of phishing victims.

Many officials fail in scale upgrading examination

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that in the recent personnel scale upgrade examination for public servants, about 30 percent of the participants failed, most of them are officials.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 26/6

 NA leader meets with Vietnamese diplomats; Vietnamese, Lao armies cement ties; People's Army leader visits France; VN, RoK maritime police hold fire fighting exercise

Vietnam, Indonesia to lift ties to strategic partnership

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese and Indonesian leaders are due to lift bilateral relations to a strategic partnership level during President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to Indonesia from June 27-28, ushering in new cooperation opportunities

U.S. new home sales up 2.1 percent in May

The sales volume of new single-family houses in the United States rose in May to the highest level in about five years, evidence of the recovering property market, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

Unable to go bankrupt, businesses turn to crimes

 VietNamNet Bridge – A lot of businesses which cannot declare bankruptcy, have become the “zombies” which operate under disguised marks, cheat partners and evade tax.

Viet Nam drawn in Group A at regional football contest

VietNamNet Bridge – Defending champions Viet Nam are in Group A together with arch rivals Thailand for the ASEAN Women's Football Championships which will be held from September 9-22 in Mandalay City, Myanmar.

VN, Thailand move closer together

VietNamNet Bridge – Visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Bangkok yesterday focusing on promoting bilateral relations

Dong Nai to pull rug on polluting projects

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many firms in southern Dong Nai Province found to be releasing toxic waste into the environment will have their permits withdrawn by the end of the year.

The shirt gets tighter for fashion manufacturers

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese fashion brands have got worn out in the rivalry with the word’s famous brands -- to scramble the cake worth $3 billion.

How to punish businesses that don't treat waste water?

Of the 429 enterprises, industrial zones and export processing zones nationwide examined in 2012, 157 were found as violating the environment laws, for which they were imposed the fine of VND32.7 billion.

Nha Trang Sea is picturesque from above

 VietNamNet Bridge – The sea of Nha Trang is as beautiful as a picture seen from above. One that is once here will be unable to forget the poetic beauty that nature has bestowed to this coastal city.

FIEs no longer required to re-register operations

The National Assembly last week passed a one-page bill amending Article 170 of the Enterprise Law in a way that saves some 3,000 foreign-invested enterprises that have missed the deadline to renew their investment certificates.

Weak in liquidity, banks trigger new interest rate race

 VietNamNet Bridge – There are embryonic signs of a new interest rate race among commercial banks, which have been trying to raise the deposit interest rates to improve their liquidity

Climate change threatens many "safe species": study

Most species of birds, amphibians and corals at greatest risk from climate change are not currently considered threatened with extinction and may be left out of conservation actions, according to a study released Monday.

Weakened squad set for Asia quest

 VietNamNet Bridge – Two star athletes are out of the Vietnamese team bound for the Asian Athletics Championships in India early next month.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 26/6

 Vinamilk invests heavily in dairy farming; Rice price drop forecast to spur trading; Seafood exports likely to reach US$6.5 bil.; Bkav on Gartner's ‘cool vendor' list; Brokerages merge to avoid bankruptcy

Retail woes pose investor headache

 VietNamNet Bridge – Struggling retailers forced to close down or cede their business to others in Ha Noi shopping centres have caused difficulties for the investors.

Potato smugglers caught red-handed

VietNamNet Bridge – Authorities in Da Lat City, Central Highland Lam Dong Province, have launched inspections in local markets after hundreds of substandard potatoes imported from China were found last weekend.

Vietnamese photographer snaps up prize

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese photographer Tran Viet Van has received an Honorable Mention in the professional Fine Art category at the seventh annual Prix de la Photographie in Paris.

Work stops at hydro-plant after massive dam breach

VietNamNet Bridge – The State Department for Construction Quality Assessment under the Ministry of Construction has asked Gia Lai Province's People's Committee to re-assess the design of the Ia Krel 2 dam

Two Vietnamese models to compete in Asia Super Model Contest

 VietNamNet Bridge – Phan Hoang Thu and Nguyen Dieu Linh will represent Vietnam at the 2013 Asia Super Model Contest in Nanning, China from July 1-15.