EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 10-20 (daily updated)

Updated information about cultural events in big cities of Vietnam.

Local footballers fly to Jakarta for charity match

 Three outstanding Vietnamese footballer’s Cong Vinh, Van Quyet and DinhLuat have been selected to play with a group of Asian stars in a friendly match against the Indonesian squad on May 11.

Vietnam’s position remains unchanged in FIFA rankings

 VietNamNet Bridge – According to the latest FIFA rankings for May 2014, Vietnam has retained its No.1 position in Southeast Asia and 116th in the world.

Upcoming ASEAN Summit to examine East Sea tensions

 VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the 24th ASEAN Summit in Myanmar on May 10-11, amid escalating East Sea tensions which are expected to be hotly contested and dominate debate at the meeting.

Air Mekong may resume flights

 VietNamNet Bridge – The private air carrier Air Mekong may return to the market in 2015.

Thailand urged to stop unfriendly acts to Vietnamese tourists

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department has asked Thailand to stop unfriendly acts made by officials towards Vietnamese citizens, who are being forced to prove their financial means before entering the country.

China’s provocation in Vietnam’s waters hit media headlines

VietNamNet Bridge – China’s deployment of an oil rig in Vietnam’s waters is a hazardous escalation that creates an extremely dangerous scenario to the region, the Straits Times, Singapore’s leading daily, quoted the country’s analysts as saying

VFF Vice Chairman to head football managing team at 2014 Asian Games

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation Tran Quoc Tuan has been appointed as head of the management team of men’s and women’s football at the upcoming 17th Asian Games in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

800 designs to be showcased at Vietnam Fall-Winter Fashion Week

 VietNamNet Bridge –Vietnam Fall-Winter Fashion Week 2014 will take place in Hanoi from May 11 to 14, with the participation of 17 designers who will introduce 800 designs.

The first same-sex wedding in Tien Giang

 VietNamNet Bridge - Nearly 200 well-wishers attended the wedding of two men in the city of My Tho on Wednesday. This is the first same-sex wedding in My Tho.

Settling disputes peacefully in accordance with international law

VietNamNet Bridge – The parties concerned need to exercise restraint and resolve disputes in safe and appropriate way, said US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel at a press conference in Hanoi on May 8.

New caves discovered in Phong Nha - Ke Bang

 VietNamNet Bridge - Explorers from Britain have discovered 39 more caves with a total length of 17km in the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh.

Tra Vinh province: protective forest ravaged for firewood

 VietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of cork trees in the Con Nang Protective Forest in the Cau Ngang District of Tra Vinh Province have been felled for firewood.

Buddhists flock to Vietnam’s largest temple for Vesak

 VietNamNet Bridge - Tens of thousands of Buddhists from across the country have flocked to Bai Dinh, the largest temple in Vietnam, to attend the opening celebration of Vesak 2014, the international Buddhist event that takes place from May 7 to 11.

Over-exploitation depletes, pollutes Ca Mau water

 VietNamNet Bridge – Massive exploitation of groundwater and thousands of unused bore wells are threatening to deplete and pollute this water source in Ca Mau Province.

Earnings from rice exports not enough to buy animal feed

 VietNamNet Bridge – Despite being an agricultural economy, Vietnam cannot produce animal feed. It has to spend $4 billion a year on animal feed imports, a figure far higher than its earnings from rice exports.

National football team gets a Japanese coach

 VietNamNet Bridge – Without revealing the name of the new coach of the men’s football squad, the General Secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Mr. Le Hoai Anh, has confirmed that the VFF has completed negotiations with a Japanese coach.

US opposes use of force in the East Sea

 The US protests against actions that affect freedom, security and maritime safety, as well as the use of force or threat to use force.

Boat trip on the Chay River

 The Chay River runs through many mountainous provinces in the North. It not only provides alluvium soil to the fields, but also creates diversified cultural colours.

Teachers no longer venerated, their power taken away

 VietNamNet Bridge – General school teachers say they are tired of their profession because they are under too much pressure.

Vietnam takes big losses over tobacco smuggling

 VietNamNet Bridge - Each year, some 600-700 million cigarette packs are smuggled into Vietnam, causing losses of nearly $190 million to the state treasury, says Mr. Do Thanh Lam, Deputy Director of the Market Management Agency.

Bird flu epidemic may return to Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Animal Health Agency has said that from the beginning of the year, bird flu has appeared in 90 communes and districts of 33 provinces and cities in Vietnam. Of over 200,000 infected poultry, half of them are dead.

Rock Concert: Battleship comes to HCM City

 Five bands will take part in the Rock Concert: Battleship at the Hoa Lu Stadium on May 10 in HCM City.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/5

 Vietnam to face cement shortage; Rice exports off target in April; New Eximbank leaders named; VAT refunds okayed for farm produce importers; PVN to reduce PV GAS stake; Vietnam building doctrine of growth

Social News Headlines 9/5

 Two transnational drug trafficking rings busted; Police seize plant growth stimulants; Whirlwind sweeps through Lam Dong; UN Vesak Day opens in Ninh Binh; HCM City eyes local solution to water woes