UN creates basis for marine cooperation, says Vietnamese diplomat

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982 is considered the basis for national, regional and global cooperation in the marine sector, says Vietnamese Ambassador Bui The Giang.

Pop star makes ‘hattrick’ at Blue Wave 2011

VietNamNet Bridge – Singer My Tam won three prizes, including Female Singer of the Year, at the Lan Song Xanh (Blue Wave) Awards 2011, of the HCM City People’s Voice Radio on December 5.

Wrestlers gear up for world's biggest stage

VietNamNet Bridge – Top Vietnamese wrestler Nguyen Thi Lua will tussle with Asian counterparts at the 2012 Olympic-Asian Wrestling Qualification event in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from March 28 to April 1.

Vietnam to build $10mil theater for Miss Earth 2012

VietNamNet Bridge – The groundbreaking ceremony of the San Ho (Coral) Theatre, at the cost of over $10 million, will be held in Phan Rang city, Ninh Thuan province on December 10.

Iconic turtle resurfaces, raising worry of pollution

VietNamNet Bridge – After being healed, the Hoan Kiem Lake’s legendary turtle has risen to the surface many times. On December 5, the turtle resurfaced twice.

German conductor to lead HCM City orchestra

VietNamNet Bridge – German conductor Christian Schumann of the Munich-based Bavarian State Opera will perform at the HCM City Opera House this week, accompanied by the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO).

Vietnam’s most model missile tested

VietNamNet Bridge – The most modern missile of the Vietnam army – S-300 - appeared in the maneuver of the Vietnam Air and Air Defense forces, which finished on December 5.

Six Vietnamese win CSO ASEAN Awards

VietNamNet Bridge – Among the ten chief security officers (CSOs) selected as the most outstanding at their position in South East Asia are six Vietnamese CSOs.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 7/12

New plan targets labour safety; Six indicted for trafficking girls to China; HCM City inspectors out dealers for selling poor-quality petrol; Chinese national detained for stealing ATM data

ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 7/12

Future Shorts Festival back with short film screenings; Hanoi to host attractive New Year programs; Vintage Vespa on show in Hanoi; Relic’s restoration raises debate; Eight artists on show at Bui in Hanoi; Hanoi to host contemporary exhibition  

Greek parliament passes austerity budget

The Greek parliament approved on early Wednesday the country's 2012 budget designed to tackle a severe debt crisis, amid fresh anti-austerity protests that briefly turned violent on Tuesday.

Ninh Binh set sights on big signings

VietNamNet Bridge – Big spenders Ninh Binh are hoping to sign footballing superstars including Rivaldo and Guti ahead of the upcoming season.

NA Chairman attends VN-EP inter-parliamentary dialogue

VietNamNet Bridge – A high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) led by its Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung attended the ninth Vietnam NA-European Parliament (EP) inter-parliamentary meeting in Brussels on Dec. 5.

Excellent students exempt from university entrance exams

The Ministry of Education and Training has announced new regulations exempting 12th grade students who receive prizes for excellence in national contests from sitting for entrance exams in universities and colleges.

Top ten 2011 musical highlights announced

The top ten musical events of 2011 were announced by the Vietnam Musicians’ Association and the Vietnam Journalists’ Association at a press conference in Hanoi on December 5.

HCM City has three dog contests this weekend

The Vietnam Kennel Association (VKA) will host two national contests and an international contest for dogs this weekend in HCMC.

Dalat Univ to train personnel for nuclear power plants

The Ministry of Education and Training has finished a working trip with Dalat University to discuss human resource training for Vietnam’s first nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan Province.

Chinese scramble for materials, Vietnamese struggle to find ways-out

A lot of new products have been created after Vietnamese businesses understand that they should not continue competing with Chinese businessmen in collecting materials, but they should find new ways out for themselves.

Book offers new angles on Ha Long Bay

VietNamNet Bridge – A new photo book that takes a panoramic view of Ha Long Bay was launched by photojournalist Do Khanh Giang last month.

BIDV sets IPO share price at $0.88

BIDV, Vietnam's second-largest lender by assets, said on Tuesday it has set the starting price for its initial public offering at 18,500 dong ($0.88) a share, lower than those of several major listed banks.

Economic restructuring is top 2012 priority: PM

Vietnam’s priority next year will be the aggressive implementation of its plan to restructure the national economy, while placing secondary importance on high economic growth, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told international donors.

Party chief meets top Cambodian leaders

VietNamNet Bridge – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong separately met with top leaders of Cambodia in Phnom Penh on December 6, during his current three-day visit to Cambodia.

Stable economy tops PM's list of priorities

VietNamNet Bridge – Economic restructuring, market stabilising, administration reform and ensuring social welfare would be top priorities of the Vietnamese Government for the coming years.

Economic sanctions on Syria double-edged sword

The economic sanctions imposed by the Arab League (AL) on Syria are viewed by many observers as attempts to step up pressure on the Syrian government, but fears increase that the impacts would harm interests of other countries

Green observation stations for parks

VietNamNet Bridge – The southern province of Dong Nai will set up 350 environmental observation stations in local industrial parks and along the main stretch of the Dong Nai River by 2015.