MOF fails to collect tax arrears on 40 imported vehicles

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has reportedly failed to collect the tax on the 40 vehicles imported by an enterprise in Phu Tho province. The decision to collect tax arrears has been rejected by the court.

Poor infrastructure impedes Vietnam’s tourism

VietNamNet Bridge - While other ASEAN countries have a flourishing tourism industry and are succeeding in luring visitors from other countries, Vietnam is ignoring the vital needs required to develop in this field. 

TRAVEL IN BRIEF 19/8

Saigontourist offers tours to caves; HCM City to pilot maritime tourism; Binh Thuan prepares for festival; Bird's-eye tourism takes flight

ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 19/8

Documentary looks at Ben Tre coconuts; Czech contestant won't represent Viet Nam; Fifth Ha Giang Sports and Cultural Festival opens; HCM City plans beautiful walkway route; Tchaikovsky Night’ heads to capital

Race for building up app stores heating up

Mobile network operators, mobile phone manufacturers and independent mobile phone programmers all have jumped into the mobile app market, which is believed to become very lucrative thanks to the sharp increases in the number of smart phones.

Hundreds of dancers to compete at HCM City Dancing Festival

Dancers from many art schools and art troupes will gather up in HCM City to compete in the competition to seek new dancing talents from August 19 to 22.

HCM City water supply plants entreating help of local authorities

VietNamNet Bridge – The destroying of watershed forests plus the uncontrollable waste water discharge, has made the clean water supply sources for millions of dwellers seriously polluted.

Designers house launches fashion show spectacular

VietNamNet Bridge –The Viet Nam Designers House in HCM City will hold its biggest fashion show My Style tonight, Aug 19, to celebrate the first anniversary of the "fashion space for Vietnamese designers".

Kidneys “run” through border

Vietnamese law bans the trade of internal organs. The need for internal organs, particularly kidneys, is huge--so many people cross the border to sell kidneys in China.

Lacking students, non-state general schools floundering

A lot of non-state grammar schools in HCM City have been operating at a moderate level or have stopped operation because they cannot enroll enough students.

Fears for irrecoverable debts nagging banks

Collecting debts has been highlighted as one of the most important tasks for banks for now. They have every reason to fear that many debts could be irrecoverable.

24 Afghan civilians killed in 2 blasts in Herat province

A total of 24 civilians were killed and 11 others injured in two powerful bomb blasts minutes apart on Thursday morning in Obe district in western Afghan province of Herat, Interior Ministry said.

U.S. jobless claims up 9,000 last week

The number of U.S. people initially applying for unemployment aid last week rose back after falling below 400,000 a week earlier, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday.

Outside factor for setting up new order in the East Sea

The US’s recent moves – sending its super-aircraft carriers to the East Sea, joining military exercises with the Philippines – and the presence of Chinese largest patrol ship in the East Sea show the escalation in military activities in this region.

U.S. FDA approves new drug for skin cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday approved Zelboraf (vemurafenib) to treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) or unresectable melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Nikkei falls to 5-month closing lower on U.S. recession fears, strong yen

Tokyo stocks declined sharply Thursday, with the key Nikkei stock index slumping 1.25 percent to a 5-month closing low on mounting concerns about a global economic downturn and compounded by a persistently strong yen

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 19/8

US-Vietnam trade hits US$10 billion; VN to have 118 golf courses; Yamaha Motor to expand Ha Noi-based factory; Auto parts importers evade tax; Products recalled from U.S. hit record high; Processors fret about new food safety rules 

Tilting power poles a threat to road safety

VietNamNet Bridge – While the two-year-old project to bury some of Ha Noi's mess of overhead wires underground has already benefited a few residents, the failure to tidy up the chaos throughout the rest of the city has not gone unnoticed.

Microsoft Office 365 suffers first major outage

Microsoft's cloud-based software Microsoft Office 365 on Wednesday experienced its first major outage since its introduction in late June.

Study shows Moon younger than previous estimates

Latest research shows that the Moon could be younger than previous estimates. The findings were published online Wednesday in the Nature journal.

VietNamNet launches song and poetry contest on the sea

VietNamNet newspaper, the Vietnam Writers’ Association and the Vietnam Musicians’ Association on August 16, jointly launched a song and poetry competition entitled “This is Vietnam’s sea”.

Lack of funds slows State projects

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport is trying to speed up delayed traffic projects of all types, including Da Nang International Airport.

High inflation burdening parents on the schools season

The products used in the education sector have been cited as the ones which see the highest price increases, by 24.14 percent. It is now the time for parents to move heaven and earth to arrange money for their children’s new academic year.

Messi, the hero again

Leo Messi was again the hero for FC Barcelona as he scored two goals to take his side to a 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the return leg of the Spanish Supercup.

Perspectives of Chinese national security community 2

A starting point for appraising Chinese attitudes to security CBMs is 'China's National Defense in 2010', the Chinese defence white paper released in early 2011, itself touted as an act of improved transparency...