Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has drawn public attention by suggesting that medical and pharmaceutical schools should admit students based on their high school finals and university entrance exam results, including tests in literature.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has suggested the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) define sustainable development as an important content of collaboration in coping with global challenges, with people playing a central role.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vinalines, the country’s largest shipping firm, has asked the Hanoi People’s Court to annul the judgment of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC).

On the occasion of PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Europe, VietNamNet talks with researchers Bruno Hellendorff and Felix Heiduk, about the role of EU in settling the East Sea disputes and the possibility of cooperation between EU and ASEAN.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Local government in the central city of Da Nang is calling for companies to invest in a resort project exclusively for elderly Japanese,

 VietNamNet Bridge – Phu Quy Island off mainland Binh Thuan Province is a must-visit destination to tourists thanks to its rich culture and beautiful scenes of mountains and beaches.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Even after a long stay in captivity, wild animals transferred to a wildlife rescue station in Cu Chi District in HCM City still occasionally feel anxious and nervous.

 Australian scientists have made the alarming discovery that sea levels have risen more in the past century than at any other comparable period in the past 6,000 years.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The recent increase in investment flows from Thai enterprises has shown that Viet Nam is vital for Thailand's economy, especially after the ASEAN Economic Community comes into effect in 2015.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Businesses that evade paying social insurance premiums for workers should be punished more harshly, the deputy general-director of Viet Nam Social Insurance, Do Van Sinh, said at a meeting on Wednesday.

 The 60th Meeting and Conference of the Eastern Region Organisation for Public Administration (EROPA) will be held in Ha Noi from October 19 to 24.

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam should train more young people in underwater archaeology research, said Mark Staniforth from La Trobe University of Australia at the International Symposium on Underwater Archaeology in Viet Nam and Southeast Asia,

Q3 growth rises faster than expected, says ANZ; Vung Ang 3 Thermal Power Plant to be constructed; Int’l textile industry exhibition to open in HCMC; VN to import coal in bid to meet demand; Nippon Paint opens third plant in Viet Nam

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam and China are expected to reach a new agreement on their common fight against illegal drugs at their fourth bilateral meeting on drug control which began here yesterday.

VietNamNet Bridge - The ratio of public debt reported by the Government to the National Assembly is "almost" 64% of GDP, according to NA Vice President Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. 

 VietNamNet Bridge - A mass wedding for 100 couples was held in HCM City on October 15.

 More than 500 antiques uncovered from underwater archeological excavations are on display at an exhibition that opened at Quang Ngai provincial Museum on October 13.

 Google is to begin rolling out version 5.0 of its Android operating system, codenamed Lollipop, on Friday.

The global explosion of new technologies, especially in ICT, points the way to the next big leap for regional connectivity: an Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway.  

 VietNamNet Bridge – High-end food chains are choosing shopping center food courts to set up shops and, while other popular shops are moving away from streetfront locations.

VietNamNet Bridge - A professor from the HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities will deliver a presentation on Ao dai - the traditional gown of Vietnam - at the University of Findlay in Ohio in the US next week.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Military Telecom Corporation (Viettel) has launched mobile services under the brand name Bitel in the South American country of Peru.

VietNamNet Bridge - The aviation authorities of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia have preliminarily agreed to open a direct Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route through the airspace of Laos and Cambodia.

As local consumers express their concern over the quality of imported apples and pears, particularly Chinese products, the Ministry of Agriculture has decided to implement all possible measures to monitor the quality of the fruits.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) has invested in 17 overseas projects, mainly in the field of oil and gas exploration, an official has said.