Track-and-field athletes disqualified for London Olympics

Vietnamese track-and-field athletes have been disqualified for the 2012 London Olympics despite winning one silver and one bronze at the Asian Indoor Athletics Champs in China from February 16-19.

Stronger teams head home with wins in league play

VietNamNet Bridge – All big spending teams enjoyed victory in the sixth round of the national premier league over the weekend.

Gas price skyrockets, urbanites use honeycomb coal

As gas price has been increasing continuously, housewives have shifted to use honeycomb coal stoves which smoke apartment buildings out everyday.

A/H5N1 virus mutates against vaccines

VietNamNet Bridge – The avian flu virus has genetically changed into new, highly toxic viruses that spread easily and resist vaccines while Vietnam has no vaccines to prevent these new kinds of flu in humans.

Mountain landslide kills two, national highway stuck

VietNamNet Bridge – A mountain suddenly broke, killing a young couple and making congestion on National Highway 6 in Mai Chau district, the northern province of Hoa Binh.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 20/2

Overseas Vietnamese aid disabled at home; Swiss-funded community project a success; Graduate bikes around city to find job; Nam Dinh enters new project phase

Italian drama wins Golden Bear for best film

Italian semi-documentary film essay "Caesar Must Die" (Italy) by senior Italian sibling directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, won the Golden Bear for the Best Film, at the awarding ceremony of 62nd Berlinale.

GMS policy-makers discuss growth amid water, energy and food challenges

VietNamNet Bridge – Policy-makers from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) began discussions today, Feb 20, on the challenges and opportunities for balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability in Bangkok.

SPORTS NEWS

Int’l women’s volleyball tournament opens; Vietnamese football aims to enter Asian top 10 by 2030; Female Vietnamese wrestler wins Asia silver medal; Young Vietnamese boxers to train in UK    

Educational games landing campaign expected

Game manufacturers now can see big business opportunities after the government expressed its support to the development of purely Vietnamese games and educational games.

President awards country’s top scientists

VietNamNet Bridge – President Truong Tan Sang awarded Ho Chi Minh and State prizes to the minds behind 32 ground breaking scientific projects in 2010 at a ceremony in Hanoi on Feb. 18.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 20/2

President tours Thanh Hoa Province; Boosting Vietnam-Cuba ties; Vietnam attends executive leadership program in US; NA Vice Chairwoman receives Thai MPs

35 seamen return to safety in Danang and Quy Nhon

VietNamNet Bridge – After a harrowing experience, the ship DNa 0732 ship, owned by Dang Van Vu, docked successfully at 9.30pm on February 18.  

Sun beats down on glut of resorts

Resorts have only appeared on the local market in recent years, but supply is rapidly increasing. Following  a slowdown last year, the situation looks difficult for the sector in 2012.

Vietnam theatre aims for foreign audiences

The Hanoi Cai Luong Theatre will launch a new show featuring Vietnamese traditional art entertaining foreigners with English interpretation through headphones.

"Vietnam’s Sea in my heart": Whole hearted love for nation

1015 poems and 417 musical works have been sent to the contest “Vietnam’s Sea in my heart” co-organized by VietNamNet, the Vietnam Musicians’ Association and the Writers’ Association.

The “communicating vessels” principle doesn’t exist on gold market

The dollar price keeps decreasing and the demand is weak, while the international market keeps calm. Therefore, one would not be able to understand why the domestic price is still higher by far than the world’s market.

HCM City keeps close check on service businesses

VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City People's Committee has told localities to strengthen inspections of service businesses in an effort to reduce prostitution and other social evils.

A busy year for M&A activities

2011 marked a busy year for corporate M&A (mergers and acquisitions) activities with a total value estimated at US$2.67 billion, 1.5 times higher than the previous year.

Iran stops oil exports to British, French companies

Iran has stopped oil exports to British and French companies, months before the European Union's embargo on Iran's oil takes effect, Iran's oil ministry said Sunday.

Downstreaming on Gam River

You have to be brave enough to drift along from east to west then north to south to really appreciate the beauty of the Gam River.

EVN in the reign of Dao Van Hung: the reputable and disreputable events

Since 2007, the Electricity of Vietnam, which was on the watch of President Dao Van Hung, many times stirred up the public with its events, ideas and actions.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 20/2

Hanoi ready to help businesses through difficulties; White collars entering unemployment lines; Central bank offers money exchange for market fire victims; Foreign retailers sell Vietnamese goods abroad; Property market needs solid legal footing

U.S. pop superstar Whitney Houston's funeral held in Newark, New Jersey

U.S. pop superstar Whitney Houston' s funeral service was held on Saturday at her hometown's New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, where her life journey started and where she sang with the choir as a child.

Despite loss, Vietnam continues building more airports

Airport develop enterprises still keep spending money to build small airports, even though the small airports have low capacity, because they still can make profit in the whole network.