Historic diplomatic letter to Japan found

 VietNamNet Bridge – A highly significant and historic diplomatic letter from Viet Nam to Japan written in 1591 is now on exhibition in Japan together with eight other old letters.

State help needed to access digital content market

 VietNamNet Bridge – The domestic digital content market, estimated to be worth billions of dollars, may be out of reach of domestic enterprises if they don't receive State support.

Tien Giang: The dead buried amid residential area

 VietNamNet Bridge – There are whispers and comments of people in the town of Cai Be in Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province, about an “influential” who was buried amid the residential area.

Legislators cut enterprise income tax

 VietNamNet Bridge – Law makers yesterday, April 16, backed the Government's proposal to reduce the current general level of enterprise income tax to 22 per cent in an effort to boost investment in Vietnamese businesses.

VN backs efforts to reform global governance system

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam supports efforts on reforming the global governance system, Vice Chairman of the National Financial Supervisory Commission of Vietnam Ha Huy Tuan has said.

Government Office disputes media reports on selling of unhealthy chickens

VietNamNet Bridge – The Government Office on Monday, April 15, disputed recent media reports about unhealthy chickens originating from China being sold in large quantities at a conference in Ha Noi.

Warhead explodes killing children

VietNamNet Bridge – Two children have died and six others injured when a warhead exploded yesterday afternoon in Thuan An Commune, Dak My District in Central Highland Province of Dak Nong.

PM approves plan on environmental protection in craft villages

 VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given the green light to a master plan on environmental protection in craft villages from now until 2030.

Big ports in the south sinking deeply

All the three ports SP-PSA, TCCT and SITV have reported the sharp falls in the yield which is much lower than the designed capacity.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 17/4

Committees in charge of housing projects set up; Over EUR1.2 million for reproductive health care of working women; City to improve medical stations; Australian Questacon show to stimulate sci-tech interests

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 17/4

  President Sang thanks Kansai firms for support; Vietnam, Japan boost defence cooperation; Cuba’s Giron victory marked in Hanoi; Agencies helped with budget assessments

Central region adopts strict drought measures

Hard-engineering solutions have been adopted on a large scale to deal with the on-going intensive drought that has beleaguered the central coastal provinces, particularly those in the basin of Vu Gia-Thu Bon rivers.

Gulliver's Travel restored on stage

 VietNamNet Bridge – The British TNT Theatre will present a stage production based on children story Gullivers Travel to a Vietnamese audience next month.

Littering fines as high as VND1 million to be enforced

 VietNamNet Bridge – People who leave litter on streets or in urban drainage systems may be fined between VND500,000 (USD23.8) and VND1 million (USD47.6),

Despite difficulties, foreign auto manufacturers still squeeze into Vietnam

While keeping complaining about the small scale of the Vietnamese market and the changeable policies, foreign automobile manufacturers still have been flocking to Vietnam.

Miss Jewelry 2013 pageant to be launched

 VietNamNet Bridge – The qualifying round for the Miss Jewelry 2013 pageant will take place from May 19 to June 21. 

Teachers earn big money in exam season

Extra classes are the main source of income for many teachers. In exam season, a teacher has 4-6 extra teaching shifts a day.

Ministry rejects proposal to merge Vinaphone, MobiFone

The Ministry of Information and Communications has rejected a proposal by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group for the merger of their two mobile network companies, Vinaphone and MobiFone.

Binh Phuoc officials compensate VND25bil for causing state budget loss

VietNamNet Bridge – Up to 17 officials of Binh Phuoc Province will have to repay more than VND25 billion (USD1.2 million) after they illegally sold rubber plantation land.

Seeking second Vietnamese to fly into space

VietNamNet Bridge – A “seeking second Vietnamese to fly into space” programme was launched in Hanoi on April 15 by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Unilever Vietnam and Axe Brand.

Four Vietnamese young talents honored by int'l “technological circle”

VietNamNet Bridge - They are boys and girls who are only at the age of twenty, but their talent has been appreciated by famous technology groups in the world.

Tourism sector in Mekong Delta short of skilled personnel

VietNamNet Bridge – Le Van Hung, acting director of the Southern office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said on April 12 that the Mekong Delta is one of seven key regions

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 17/4

Rice market awaits news on Filipino buyers; Property trading to be put under tighter control; HSBC Vietnam unveils profit for the first time; HCM City says to choke off slow-moving projects

SOE restructuring still far from finish line

VietNamNet Bridge – Restructuring of State-owned enterprises (SOE) is moving at a snail’s pace and it will take many more years until the process is completed,

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 16/4

  Pilot plan to lift food safety; Ha Noi approves bird flu prevention plan; Vietnam in the face of growing gender imbalance; Journalists attend world conference in RoK