Three-day cold snap expected to grip northern region today

 VietNamNet Bridge – The first cold spell of the year would blanket the northern region early Thursday morning, warned the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The 50 richest stock women in 2012

Nearly half of the members on the list of top 50 stock millionairesses have been managing big enterprises in the stock market.

US criticizes Google chairman's N. Korea visit

 The United States criticized a planned visit to North Korea by Google chairman Eric Schmidt, calling it ill-timed in the wake of Pyongyang's widely condemned rocket launch last month.

VN wins two silvers at World Physics Olympiad

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese students have got two silvers at the second World Physics Olympiad (WoPhO) held at the Hotel Aryaduta Lippo Village, Tangerang, Indonesia from December 28, 2012 to January 3rd, 2013.

Fresh start for Congress, but fiscal battles loom

 With nearly 100 new members, the US Congress convened fresh from the year-end "fiscal cliff" fiasco, as lawmakers cast a wary eye towards the tough budget battles ahead.

Commemorate soldiers who sacrificed to protect Spratlys Islands

Amid the spiritual sea and sky of the country, hundreds of soldiers stood in memory of the soldiers who rest in peace forever on the Truong Sa Archipelago (Spratly Islands) in the battle on March 14, 1988, on Gac Ma Island.

The paradox of $500 million scheme for culture

VietNamNet Bridge - Overcrowding in hospitals, classroom shortages persist in many areas, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The country needs millions or billions of US dollars to build these facilities.

Saigon’s 600sq.m Sony Center burned down

VietNamNet Bridge – On January 2, flames exploded violently from the Dai Tin Commercial JS Bank’s billboard then spread to the nearby Sony Center on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

Central Inspection Commission disciplines some officials

Director General and former Director General of the Vietnam Social Insurance had to serve a warning and were reprimanded, while former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development was asked to learn from experience.

Lawsuit asking for $55.5 million of gambling winnings unsolved

On January 2, the People's Court of District 1, HCM City continued the trial on the claim made by Ly Sam, a Vietnamese American, for $55.5 million of gambling winnings against HCM City-based Lien Dai Duong Company.

Vietnam to borrow money from foreign sources to settle bad debts?

Whether Vietnam can settle bad debts or not will decide how the Vietnam’s national economy performs in 2013. Meanwhile, it’s still unclear where the money to settle the bad debts comes from.

Tropical depression closes in on Truong Sa Archipelago

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned yesterday, Jan 3, of a tropical depression in the East Sea which may hit the waters and islands between the provinces of Da Nang and Kien Giang this morning.

Lambert ready to rock HCM City

 VietNamNet Bridge – Famous American rocker Adam Lambert will perform tonight, Jan 4, in HCM City with two other singers from South Korea and Portugal in a show that set to thrill his local fans.

Nationwide effort helps to stem traffic accidents

The Deputy PM has praised the country's efforts to deal with its traffic problems at a tele-conference between local and national authorities, praising provincial leaders for their efforts in making 2012 - the Year of Traffic Safety - a success.

Billions of dollars outflows to fund Vietnamese students’ studies overseas

Official statistics show that Vietnamese spend billions of dollars a year to fund overseas training courses for their children.

Seafood exporters call on to “break ethoxyquin barrier”

Vietnamese seafood companies think that it is necessary to use “legal instruments” to settle the ethoxyquin problem, saying that only when the problem is settled, will Vietnam be able to boost shrimp exports.

Crowds marvel at magicians

 VietNamNet Bridge – Late last week I read about an upcoming magic festival in the capital, promising a night of tricks, comedy and circus performances. Intrigued, and with a long holiday weekend to fill, I decided to go along.

Phone exports nearly double

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam's phone exports has achieved a record growth of 97.7 per cent over 2011 to reach US$12.6 billion, according to a source with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Waste discharges pollute VN's sea

 VietNamNet Bridge – Waste from the mainland may be at fault for 70 per cent of marine pollution, according to the Sea and Islands General Administration of Viet Nam.

Online voting system places civil servants under public microscope

People in Da Nang City will have the chance to give their views on their residential quarters' 2,700 civil servants working in public administrative agencies, through an online evaluation website launched on Jan. 2.

Pianist Dang Thai Son back to Hanoi

People’s artist Dang Thai Son will come back to the fatherland for a performance titled “all Beethoven’s piano concerto” under the baton of Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji at the Hanoi Opera House on January 15 and 18.

Climate Change: a priority for the Government of Vietnam

 VietNamNet – Over the past few years, the perception on climate change by the main policy makers and the leadership in Vietnam has shifted.

Trang An landscapes complex toward the Inscription on the World Heritage List

Located in the centre of the province of Ninh Binh, 80 km from the city of Hanoi to the south, Trang An is a complex of scenic landscapes and historical and cultural heritages boasting a system of adjoining limestone mountains and valleys

Norway faces possible H1N1 flu outbreak

 As more patients are tested positive for H1N1 virus infection in major Norwegian cities, doctors fear that Norway is facing a possible endemic outbreak of the disease also know as the swine flu.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 4/1

Industrial production index sees positive signs; Seaports are busy on first day of 2013; PetroVietnam pledges to continue East Sea oil extraction; Remittances to reach USD11 billion; C.T Group enters retail industry with first supermarket