The top Republican in the US Senate warned President Barack Obama on Sunday that he is willing to use the debt ceiling as "leverage" to end the administration's "massive spending addiction".

Confirming that the Hanoi Party Committee considers one of its priorities in civil servant recruitment is preventing corruption, but Hanoi Party Secretary Pham Quang Nghi admitted that there are still “gaps.”

Rumors have been spread out that Air Mekong, a private airline, may have to stop flying because of the big debts it cannot pay to partners.

 The European Central Bank will usher in 2013 with steady interest rates at its first policy meeting this year to keep up the pressure on governments to solve the debt crisis, analysts predict.

 Air pollution in Tehran has left 4,460 people dead in a year, an Iranian health official said in reports Sunday, with another sounding the alarm over high dose of carcinogens in domestically-made petrol.

  Duma delegation visits Ninh Thuan power plant site; Party leader tours Lao Cai Province; Party leader visits Yen Bai

VietNamNet Bridge - "Compared to the old version, the draft Constitution for the comments of people has a new point: it does not specify the state economic sector as the mainstream," said National Assembly Vice Chairman - Uong Chu Luu.

The Stork Island in Hai Duong Province is now the home to 16,000 storks and some 5,000 night herons that have been living on the three floating strips of land of the An Duong lake, the place with the most diversified ecosystem in the north.

Conducting transfer pricing, evading tax, running away with unpaid debts – all of the behaviors of foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) have caused big headaches to the Vietnamese management agencies.

Warned that Vietnamese would give a cool reception, Chinese Tencent and Baidu social networks still have got a large community of users in Vietnam.

A lot of effective models of treating environment pollution with microbiology still have not been brought into life due to the lack of an appropriate investment mechanism.

The Prime Minister has given the nod to the plan on merging Western Bank into PetroVietnam Finance Corporation (PVFC). This proves to be the can’t-be-better way out for all the involved parties.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese smartphones are facing difficulties competing with an influx of budget smartphones from leading phone makers such as Samsung, Nokia and LG.

 VietNamNet Bridge – On the occasion of the New Year 2013, some veteran economic experts share with VIR their recommendations to solve burning economic issues.

VietNamNet Bridge – The bells hanging in front of the main hall of Truc Lam Monastery tinkle in the wind, dispelling our weariness. Located on Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) Hill near the city of Da Lat in the Central Highlands, 

Ministries to extend interval between fuel price changes; Only one-fourth of Hanoi firms pay income tax; Vinamarine to focus investment on key seaport projects; Vietnam to start FTA talks with Israel

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tax authorities have recently audited some foreign-invested enterprises suspected of evading taxes in Viet Nam through transfer pricing.

 VietNamNet Bridge – An enterprise applying for a casino license would be required to develop a fully integrated complex that complies with the casino operation master plan.

Strange-shaped fruits like wine-gourd shaped pomelos and watermelons, and square and gold-bullion shaped watermelons grown in the Mekong Delta are attracting attention of traders and individual consumers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – By 2015, the tourism industry needs about half a million more skilled workers, experts have warned.