TRAVEL IN BRIEF 14/10

 Cruise ships to link Ba Ria, Can Gio; Hoi An to offer free Wi-Fi internet; Ha Noi to host Diwali festival; Viet Nam holds Culture Day in Ukraine

Mekong Delta floods push death toll to 43

VietNamNet Bridge – Ongoing flooding in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region has killed at least 43 people, reported the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control yesterday, Oct 13.

VN to wrap up dengue drug tests

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam, which is testing a dengue fever vaccine produced by Swiss company Sanofi, is expected to approve it soon since it has successfully undergone the second phase of testing on humans.

NA prepares for second session

The National Assembly is expected to put forward 11 resolutions during its nearly month-long second session which opens later this month, where Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is scheduled to present the Government's report

SPORTS IN BRIEF 14/10

Viet Nam's martial artists win silver, bronze at world event; Chess masters Liem, Son to receive sponsorships; National squad set for official SEA Games blast-off

Four Danish invested projects approved

VietNamNet Bridge – The Prime Minister has approved four projects valued at US$3.32 million in non-refundable investment from the Government of Denmark.

Peanut allergies may be cured in future

People allergic to peanuts may find relief in a new research by American scientists, according to Huffington Post Monday.

Binh Duong to face Brazilians in final

VietNamNet Bridge – Becamex Binh Duong edged past Sai Gon Xuan Thanh (SGXT) 1-0 in an all-Vietnamese semi-final to reach the final of the 2011 Binh Duong Television international football tournament.

Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong visits Guangdong province

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited Guangdong province on October 13 as part of his current official visit to China.

Social welfare policies to target poorest, most vulnerable people

VietNamNet Bridge – Truong Thi Mai, chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs, spoke to Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) about humanitarian activities for vulnerable people. 

Actions speak louder than words

Talking with The Saigon Times Daily, Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group unveiled how he has managed to earn recognition and strong development for his business group.

How is Vietnam’s Internet speed: 374 Kbps, 1.7 Mbps or 9.79 Mbps?

VietNamNet Bridge – The reports on the Internet speed of the countries in the world show different figures and rankings.

High quality training classes at universities booming

Universities are rushing to open high quality training classes, promising to offer best conditions for the classes and collecting higher tuitions from the students.

Survey found smaller enterprises cause bigger environment pollution

The 500,000 operational small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cause a huge volume of waste every day; and how to settle the pollution is really a big headache for policy makers.

More than 10 tons of gold sold to stabilize market

It is estimated that more than 10 tons of gold have been sold in an effort to stabilize the market and ease the “gold fever”. As the supply is profuse, the market has become less boisterous.

Ginger may diminish risk of colon cancer

A new study finds that ginger may decrease the risk of colon cancer through diminishing the inflammation in the gut, according to media reports Thursday.

Businesses struggle to boost sales on low season

The low sale season lasts from April to October. During that time, the purchasing power is much lower than at any other time of the year. However, the 2011’s low season seems to be the worst.

U.S. in direct contact with Iran over murder plot

The United States has had "direct contact" with Iran over the alleged involvement of the Iranian government in a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Thursday.

Baghdad twin bombings kill 18, wound 43

Two roadside bombs ripped off near a popular cafe in Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Sadr city late on Thursday, killing 18 people and wounding 43 others, a local police source said.

Barroso calls for comprehensive solution to euro crisis

The European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday called for comprehensive solutions to current crisis.

63 injured in Bali's strong quake

The number of wounded people after the shallow powerful quake of 6.8 magnitude in Bali tourist resort on Thursday has increased to at least 63, nine of whom seriously suffer broken bones and other serious wound, official said.

China, ASEAN agree on cultural ministerial meeting

Chinese and ASEAN officials on Oct. 10 agreed to a schedule for ministerial meetings and announced the first official meeting will be held in Singapore in 2012.

Million USD bankruptcies shake Hanoi’s suburbs

VietNamNet Bridge – Several bankruptcies with tens of millions of USD have occurred in Hanoi’s suburbs recently, striking many families and causing disorder in many locations.

Plane carrying 32 people crashes in PNG

A plane carrying 32 people has crashed in Papua New Guinea (PNG), killing some of those on board, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Thursday.

Scientists decode Black Death's genome

Scientists have decoded the genome of Black Death which caused one of the worst plagues in human history.