PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - July 15
HANOI, July 15 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
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FINANCIAL NEWS:
VIETNAM NEWS
-- The State Bank of Vietnam has tightened the criteria for foreign exchange agents to ensure they still meet the needs of the foreign community and tourists while at the same time detering currency speculation.
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HANOI MOI
-- Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has asked state utility group Vietnam Electricity to stop investing in projects outside the energy sector.
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SAIGON GIAI PHONG
-- The value of cash circulated in Vietnam's economy at the end of June dropped 7.13 percent from the end of 2007 following monetary tightening measures, central bank figures show.
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TUOI TRE
-- The State Bank of Vietnam allowed Asia Commercial Bank ACB.HN to raise its registered capital to 5.8 trillion dong ($352 million) from 2.6 trillion dong ($159 million).
-- Partly private VIB Bank said its gross earnings in the first half reached 323 billion dong ($19.5 million), or 45.1 percent of the annual target, while its total assets reached 35.8 trillion dong ($2.2 billion).
-- The State Securities Commission assigned the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange .VNI and the Hanoi Securities Trading Center .HASTCI to appraise share sale results by listed companies before granting any approval of additional listing.
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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM
-- The state, which holds 30 percent in Bach Tuyet Cotton Corporation BBT.HM, has rejected a plan to issue 8.16 million new shares to raise the company's registered capital. BBT shares are scheduled to resume trading on July 16 after being suspended as the company reported losses in two consecutive years.
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ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:
VIETNAM NEWS
-- The Police Ministry has recommended death penalty to be abolished for 12 crimes, including smuggling, trading fake goods and hijacking. Vietnam sentenced 95 people to death last year, down from from 116 in 2006. The country cut the crimes subject to death penalty to 29 in 1999 from 44 previously.
-- Vietnam's exports of fuel and mineral-based products including crude oil and coal are expected to rise 37 percent this year to $13 billion thanks to rising prices, the Industry and Trade Ministry said.
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NHAN DAN
-- Vietnam will organise a tea festival in Hanoi on July 19-20 to introduce domestic products and promote consumption of the beverage, the Vietnam Tea Association said.
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QUAN DOI NHAN DAN
-- Torrential rains on Sunday killed one man in the northern mountainous province of Son La and destroyed roads and homes in its Muong La district.
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SAIGON GIAI PHONG
-- The Vietnam Rubber Group said it would send experts to Nigeria in early August to study the possibility of growing rubber trees, rice and cassava in the African country.
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