No state funding for skateboarding team

VietNamNet Bridge – The national skateboarding team will have to cover all expenses at the upcoming SEA Games.

Sand dunes in Quang Binh province

The sand dunes in the central province of Quang Binh often remind people of blazing sun, hot, dry westerly wind from Laos to Central Vietnam and flying sand. However, they also create wonderful landscapes. 

Many FIEs report losses, avoid tax

Taking advantage of the shortcomings in the state management, a lot of foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) have been found as continuously reporting losses to avoid the corporate income tax.

IT NEWS

Vietnamobile launches ‘Maxi Talk' promotion; McAfee introduces new PC security line; PM awards Hi-Tek Multimedia boss certificate; Hitachi wants to develop outsourcing in VN; Beeline again warned over promotion package

Foreign tourists soar by 80% in October

Foreign visitor numbers surged by 80.9 per cent in October compared with the previous month, totalling 518,477, the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism said.

HCM City permits advertisements on buses

VietNamNet Bridge – After nearly ten years banning this form of advertisement, HCM City authorities have allowed advertisements to appear on buses to take advantage of a huge income.

National Assembly deputies want to reduce confidential documents

VietNamNet Bridge – Vice Chair of the National Assembly’s (NA) Committee for Justice Le Thi Nga said the NA should allow broader participation of citizens and the media in supervisory activities.

Paragliding team to fly in SEA Games

A HCM City paragliding team have been chosen to compete at the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia next week, the National Sports Administration said.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 2/11

VFF congratulates Buddhist Sangha on 30th anniversary; Da Lat man’s 90-kg tumor bleeding from crack; Da Lat man’s 90-kg tumor bleeding from crack; Many doctors forced to seek other jobs  

More and more private helicopters arriving in Vietnam

Vietnamese businessmen have become the big clients to aircraft manufacturers. Four helicopters ordered by the businessmen were delivered last week, while six more are coming.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 1/11

National strategy maps out eradication of malaria by 2030; Allergic rhinitis affects population; Journalists turn to social media; 14% of urban population lives in rented houses

NATO ends seven-month mission in Libya

NATO on Monday officially declared the end of military campaign in Libya, sealing of its seven-month mission in Libya.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 1/11

Friendship with Venezuela to be promoted at all levels; INTERPOL General Assembly opens in Hanoi; VUFO promotes people-to-people exchange with China; Vietnam active in ASEAN-EP relations    

‘We'll be ASEAN bridge' VN tells Kazakh leader

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang said yesterday he would help Kazakhstan increase ties with ASEAN countries, adding that Viet Nam was ready to act as a bridge.

Vietnam-Japan issue joint statement

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda have signed a joint statement on the implementation of action within the framework of the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia.

HCM City to face floods like Bangkok if current development maintained

VietNamNet Bridge – Dr. Ho Long Phi, vice chief of HCM City Flood Control Program, forecasts that the flood tragedy in Bangkok may happen in HCM City if Vietnam’s largest city keeps developing in the current way.

Investment policies change, investors fear they would lose incentives

A lot of foreign invested projects have got stuck just because the foreign investors still have not got agreements with local authorities about the investment incentives.

Vietnam’s first Asian record recognized

VietNamNet Bridge – The Asia Book of Records’ general director has presented the Asian record certificate to a stone-made dragon statue created by a Vietnamese craftsman.

National Assembly analyzes problems of wage policy

VietNamNet Bridge – At the two-day session on economic-social issues last week, National Assembly deputies talked about matters associated with the current wage policy and hoped that the 10-year wage reform plan would make changes.

Three out of ten workers are ill-nourished

VietNamNet Bridge – This is the result of a two-year survey at enterprises in industrial zones in HCM City.

180 Vietnamese reporters to cover SEA Games

VietNamNet Bridge – Nearly 180 reporters will go to Indonesia to cover the 26th Southeast Asian Games. Some of them flew to Indonesia on October 30 and 31.

ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 1/11

Vietnam-Japan Rock Festival 2011 to open in Hanoi; Jarek Smietana quartet to perform in Vietnam; Asia Book of Records honours dragon statue; Vietnamese brothers dazzle at China circus contest; Nutcracker to warm up HCMC for Christmas  

Tour de Vietnam

I had done my research before signing up for a four day, three night cycling tour in Lao Cai province with Lotussia Travel. My friends thought I was mad cycling around one of the most mountainous parts of northern Vietnam!

Bangkok near chaos, with flood mobs and drinking water shortage

As authorities have been building flood barriers to prevent inner Thailand's capital from deluge, some residents outside flood barriers started to express their anger and tried to damage the floodgate.

Tertiary education centres must be better managed

The country should boost management over the establishment of new tertiary education centres in an effort to ensure quality services in the sector, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.