Unemployment hangs over HCM City

VietNamNet Bridge – High lending rates and surging prices for production input materials had led to a rising unemployment rate in HCM City this month, according to the City's Association of Enterprises.

Hundreds of people clean Vung Tau beach

VietNamNet Bridge – Up to 500 volunteers from HCM City and Vung Tau city cleaned up Thuy Van beach in Vung Tau on September 11. This is the most crowded beach in the city.

Club chair criticizes VFF, wants to set up new league

VietNamNet Bridge – At the ceremony to review V-League 2011, Chairman of Hanoi ACB FC Nguyen Duc Kien, strongly criticized the corrupt refereeing and cover-up of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 13/9

HCM City hosts Lower Mekong Initiative Disaster Management workshop; 4 more die in central region floods; Taiwan firm gives workers vile Mid-Autumn cakes; Vietnamese arrested for immigration racket

Lackluster stock market makes securities companies remain unsalable

Bad business performance has forced many securities companies to sell stakes to foreigners over the last four years. However, it is getting more and more difficult to find buyers nowadays.

Cinema Agency’s top officials resign after scandal

The chief and vice chief of the Vietnam Cinema Agency have submitted their resignations to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, following strong protests from the movie industry about the alleged embezzlement of $2 million.

Vietnam has first female Deputy Foreign Minister

VietNamNet Bridge – Mrs. Nguyen Phuong Nga, chief of the Information and Press Department cum spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been appointed as Deputy Foreign Minister.

Telcos ignore pleas to ease mobile push

One year after the Ministry of Inform-ation and Communications issued a policy based on tightening promotion activities, domestic mobile phone service suppliers are duelling to attract farmers, students and fishermen from remote areas.

Anti-corruption official has to explain his son’s ‘odd’ wedding invitation

VietNamNet Bridge – The vice chief of the Steering Board for Anti-corruption of Can Tho City has to explain to the local Inspection Committee why his name and position was on the cover of his son’s wedding invitation.

VND interest rates down, but US dollar loans remain attractive

The dong lending interest rates have been decreasing after the central bank showed its determination to slash interest rates, while the dollar tends to increase slightly. However, dollar loans remain more attractive in the eyes of businesses.

Floods inundate Mekong provinces

VietNamNet Bridge – Local officials of the upper-stream provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta have been ordered to intensify inspections of dykes and sluice gates to protect people and crops from floods.

Producers concerned about snowballing stockpiles

Local manufacturing enterprises are struggling to liquidate their output as inventories of various kinds of industrial products are piling up quickly, while consumption and investment has dipped due to tough economic conditions.

Nikkei tumbles to end at lowest level since 2009

The Nikkei index tumbled by more than two percent Monday to end at its lowest level since April 2009, weighed down by renewed worries about European debt problems and the global economy.

Kenya police put death toll from pipeline explosion at 75

Kenyan authorities have confirmed that at least 75 people were burned to death while 118 others who were seriously injured have been hospitalized after a fuel pipeline burst into flames in Nairobi's fuel depot.

Libya's interim chief says not to accept "extremist ideology"

A new Libya will become a country with law, government institution and welfare, and Islamism will be the main source of the country's legislation, Chairman of Libya's National Transitional Council Mustafa Abdel Jalil said

Vietnamese soprano to join int'l cast for Verdi performance

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese soprano Ha Pham Thang Long will perform in a presentation of the Requiem by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi at the Ha Noi Opera house this week.

Nghinh Ong festival in Can Gio District

The festival Nghinh Ong is organized annually in HCMC’s Can Gio District and this year the social and cultural event kicked off in the coastal town of Can Thanh on Friday with a Vietnamese goods fair.

Import car market frozen ‘cause of low demand’

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has applied some measures to “untie” car imports, but the car market remains gloomy. Auto dealers now focus on selling the cars they imported before, while they dare not place new import orders.

PM embarks on two-day visit to Indonesia

VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung left Ha Noi today, Sep 13, for an official two-day visit to Indonesia at the invitation of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Counterfeit pesticides threaten food safety

VietNamNet Bridge – Producers of illegal and counterfeit pesticides, users, and society should realise that these products are severely affecting farmers, the environment, and food safety, experts said.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 13/9

Lao officials join Party organisation course; Vietnam attaches importance to strengthening ties with China; Vietnam, Irish parliaments seek stronger links; Cao Dai followers celebrate sect’s grand ritual

Nation faces power cuts till end of year

Power shortages are expected to hit the remaining months of the year, according to the general director of Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN), Pham Le Thanh.

Calls to break up tyre-repair nail gangs

VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Goods Transport Association wants the police to break up the gangs scattering nails and other sharp objects on roads ostensibly to earn money from fixing punctured tyres.

Coach promises to fight for every game

Head coach Falko Goetz said that he could not promise top results at the Southeast Asia Games when the U23 team gathers in HCM City's Thanh Long Sports Centre to prepare for the HCM City International Football Tournament.

AIDS awareness hits school syllabus

VietNamNet Bridge –The Ministry of Education and Training is drafting a national plan that aims to integrate the topic of HIV/AIDS prevention across several school subjects between 2011-15.