Many SOEs in HCM City fare poorly; SMEs, farmers vulnerable to FTAs; Pharmaceutical violators under fire; Vietnam software outsourcing sector grows strongly, in world’s top 10; Aeon to have new mall in Binh Duong

 VietNamNet Bridge – Whirlwinds and hailstorms may occur in the southern provinces and the Central Highlands in the last days of April and early May, says the Central Hydro-meteorological Forecast Center.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Japanese police say that an underground money transfer network from Japan to Vietnam may have existed for the past three years, with a scale of nearly $5 million.

 President praises Chinese support; German parliamentarians visit Vietnam; PM Dung demands all means to eliminate measles outbreaks

 VietNamNet Bridge – Though Microsoft ended its support for Windows XP on April 8, Vietnamese banks are making no move to tighten security by upgrading their ATMs to Windows 7.

 Social networking giant Facebook has reported profits of $642m (£383m) during the first quarter of 2014, beating analyst expectations.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A musical work celebrating victory in Dien Bien Phu battle by composer Nguyen Thien Dao will premier in a concert at Ha Noi Opera House on May 7 and 8.

 Death toll in South Korea's ferry sinking disaster continued to rise to 171 on Thursday, but those recovered from the sunken ferry grew at a relatively slower pace as search operations were hampered by the unexpectedly swift currents.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Images of Viet Nam captured in photos, newspapers and films will go on display at an exhibition in France that starts this Saturday.

 Making the jump from high school to university isn’t just about moving to a new educational institution - it’s about taking the next step in your life, and working out the way in which you want to contribute to the world.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A revolutionary-music singing contest has attracted a large number of young people in HCM City, where romantic songs rule the roost, taking some by surprise.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s agreement to provide 800,000 tons of rice to the Philippines will help raise the domestic price of the product, which should allow farmers to make higher profits, and help regain the Chinese market.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Visitors to Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai can now enjoy the beauty of the land from a different perspective, thanks to a new service run by local residents.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Midfielder Nguyen Ngoc Duy scored twice to lock in a glorious victory for hosts Ha Noi T&T during a match against Arema Indonesia in Ha Noi yesterday afternoon, April 23.

 VietNamNet Bridge – At a Hanoi conference this week evaluating the ongoing outbreak of measles, experts said that they have seen many strange things in the epidemic this year.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A Vietnam delegation led by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Hoang Tuan Anh, yesterday met with officials of the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) to withdraw from hosting the 18th Asian Games.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee yesterday (April 23) urged for better quality draft laws to match the revised Constitution before they are presented to the National Assembly (NA).

As soon as TripAdvisor, a popular travel forum, posted information that the Hoi An town government had decided to impose an entrance fee of VND120,000 (about $6) for tourists to step into the ancient town, many foreigners reacted immediately.

VietNamNet Bridge – Accused of irresponsibility in causing losses worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars, Mr. Tran Trong Phuc, former general director of the Bao Viet Insurance Group, is being prosecuted.

 VietNamNet Bridge – While the year 2013 witnessed the “landing” of many investors from Japan, Thailand and the US, 2014 is the year of Singaporean investors, experts say.