Vietnamese spend money for fashionable style, not features of products

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese tend to buy the latest and more expensive products, not to utilize the advanced technologies of the products, but to show them to friends

Political Headlines January 10

 Deputy PM praises Vietnam-IAEA cooperation; Party commission to accelerate trial of serious corruption cases; Viet Nam, Algeria to boost co-operation

Ministry seeks reduced fees for overseas labourers

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) recently sent a letter to labour-export companies requesting a reduction of fees for Vietnamese workers before their departures to Taiwan.

Demand rises for seasonal workers

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many enterprises, restaurants and supermarkets in Ha Noi and HCM City need more seasonal workers as the Lunar New Year holidays are approaching.

India diplomat Devyani Khobragade indicted in US visa row

 An Indian diplomat whose arrest in the US sparked protests from India has been formally indicted by a US grand jury.

Ha Long tackles pollution by shifting floating villages

 VietNamNet Bridge – As many as 200 households living in floating villages in Ha Long Bay will be moved inland before Tet, according to Pham Hong Ha, Vice Chairman of Ha Long City People's Committee.

Vietnamese-run hotel wins top travel award

 VietNamNet Bridge – La Residence Hotel & Spa, run by Vietnamese staff, has been listed as one of the world’s 500 best hotels in 2014 – a prestigious honor in the travel industry.

VN battles poor competitiveness rating

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam faces an urgent need to become a more competitive global economy or risks being left behind, according to a statement from Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

Spring colors in paintings by eight artists

 VietNamNet Bridge – A painting exhibition introducing artworks on spiritual and cultural activities of Vietnamese during the lunar New Year by eight artists opened at the Tu Do Gallery, HCM City on January 5.

Social Headlines January 10

 Australia funds 11 small projects in Vietnam; Eight students to attend Global Young Scientists Summit; HCM City closes illegal parking lots; Drug precusor detained at airport; Metro line 3 deadline extended

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 10/1

 Vietnam becomes world’s No1 pepper exporter; Vietnam toasts trade surplus with Japan; Decree lifts foreign ownership cap; JBIC opens representative office in Hanoi; Foreign currency account opening regulated

Vietnam entrepreneur to test his submarine next week

 VietNamNet Bridge – A businessman from the northern province of Thai Binh has announced to test his submarine, named Truong Sa, next week. The submarine has been put into a big tank, to get ready for the test.

TV advertising still dominates local market

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese advertising market grew strongly in 2013, with television channels still dominating the market, although they are competing with one another fiercely to lure customers,

30 sports at 28th SEA Games announced

 VietNamNet Bridge – Singapore has announced 30 sports for competition at the 28th Southeast Asian Games scheduled for the summer of 2015.

Labour export to continue upward trend: official

 VietNamNet Bridge – With a highly skilled labour force, Vietnam is leading the markets of Japan and some European countries,

Vietnam's first cartoon-only cinema opens

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s first cartoon-only cinema opened on January 9 in a state-of-the-art facility located in the downtown of capital Hanoi.

The paper-making craft of Mong ethnic group

VietNamNet Bridge - For years, the Mong ethnic group has been known for the craft of making paper, which are not used for printing books or writing, but for spiritual and religious activities.

Honeybee shortage threatens crop pollination in Europe

 In more than half of European countries, there are not enough honeybees to pollinate crops, according to new research.

Increased hidden camcorder, bug imports raised big worries

 VietNamNet Bridge – Customs agencies have expressed their worries about the increasingly high imports of the devices which allow to record images, take pictures sneakily and eavesdrop.

Art & Entertainment Headlines January 9

 Finger-painting artist displays art works in Da Lat; Rockstorm to heat up capital; Magazine names VN's top men of 2013; Artists pay homage to feminine beauty; Art films on Ha Noi daily life to hit screens

Sports Headlines January 9

 Nam moves onto Coffee Bowl third round; Minh defeats Hong Kong rival at Korea Open; Striker Bryan comes to V-League's Ninh Binh; Duan pedals to second stage win of Ben Tre cycling tournament

Five outstanding events in banking sector in 2013

 VietNamNet Bridge – 2013 was really an eventful year for the banking sector which has been undergoing a restructuring process.

Ridding chemical weapons of Syria to meet June deadline

Citing complexity, security and weather, the head of the joint UN-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons mission charged with ridding the munitions from Syria said Wednesday though the operation has been delayed,

IAEA Director General visits Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in Vietnam on January 7 to discuss measures to promote cooperation in the field of atomic energy between two sides.

Expensive outbound Tet tours sell well

 VietNamNet Bridge – Travel firms in HCMC have reported a surge in demand for expensive tours to the U.S., South Korea, South Africa and Europe during the upcoming traditional Lunar New Year, or Tet, with many tour programs fully booked.