HCM City TV singing contest gets first round under way

VietNamNet Bridge – Six men and women each will contest the month-long final of HCM City Television's annual Ngoi Sao Tieng Hat Truyen Hinh (Singing Star on TV) singing contest which begins today.

Chinese cheap mobile phones flood VN market

Though subject to a Ministry of Industry and Trade’s restriction on luxury imports aimed at curbing trade deficit, mobile phones, mostly cheap and fake products from China, have made inroads into the local market in different ways.

Interest rate decreases make dollar deposits less attractive

The low dollar deposit interest rates, the stable dong/dollar exchange rate and the lower demand for dollar loans have all prevented dollars from flowing into banks.

Highlands, southern region urged to better protect forests

VietNamNet Bridge – Authorities in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and Southeastern regions need to tighten measures to reduce deforestation and strictly punish offenders,

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 26/10

HCM City recommits to helping needy kids; 2 Chinese caught in Hanoi selling fake gold; Viet Nam-Russia university to be created; Scrap shop owner hypnotized, stolen $160

Merkel insists ECB's independence in curbing crisis

The European Union (EU) governments should not decide for the European Central Bank (ECB) on its role in tackling eurozone debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday.

Traffic, drowning cause deaths

VietNamNet Bridge – Traffic accidents and drowning are two of the leading causes of accidental deaths in Viet Nam, according to health experts at the second National Scientific Conference on Injury Prevention in Ha Noi yesterday.

VN supports Palestine’s UN full membership

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam supports the will of the State of Palestine and people to acquire full membership of the United Nations, said the Vietnamese representative to the UN.

MOIT’s attempt to impose strict requirements on coffee exporters raises worries

A lot of existing coffee exporters may not be allowed to export coffee any more, if the proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on considering coffee export as a conditional business gets approved.

Bomb disposal squad in peacetime

VietNamNet Bridge – There are nameless people who are quietly facing death to bring peace for others.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 26/10

President makes state visit to Philippines; PM to travel to Japan; President sends condolences on death of Saudi crown prince; Prime Minister conveys sympathy to Turkish leader after quake

18 households sue State-owned power group

VietNamNet Bridge – The People’s Court of Nam Tra My District in the central province of Quang Nam on October 24 received the petition of 18 families in hamlet 6, Tra Don commune against the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group.

Viet Nam joins anti-corruption talks

VietNamNet Bridge – Delegates from the signatory parties of the UN Convention Against Corruption, civil society organisations and representatives of the private sector gathered in Marrakech on Monday for the fourth session

Race of solar-energy fueled vehicles

VietNamNet Bridge – Forty-two teams showed off toy vehicles which use solar power at a competition in HCM City on October 24.

Women win bronze in Laos

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam won the bronze medal in the Southeast Asian Football Federation Women's Championship yesterday, Oct 25, in Vientiane, Laos.

Domestic businesses run after profit, increasing imports, killing local production

Though the government has many times announced that it is following a policy on encouraging local production, Vietnam still runs after profits by increasing imports, thus killing the local production.

Employers have reasons to set limitations in recruitment

While a lot of educators have voiced their dissatisfaction about the Nam Dinh provincial authorities not to employ the graduates of non-state owned schools, others believe that this is a reasonable decision.

Record breaker Xavi gives Barcelona 1-0 win in Malaga

Barcelona's Spain international midfielder Xavi Hernandez celebrated his 392nd league appearance for the club with the only goal of the game as his side defeated Granada 1-0 away from home in the El Carmines Stadium.

Ethnic singer's first album to rock fans

VietNamNet Bridge – H'Zina Bya, a hugely popular singer among the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) youth, will release her first album – a blend of highlands music and rock music – in HCM City this week.

Viet Nam joins Asia Stage Alliance

VietNamNet Bridge – The Asia Stage Alliance, established during the 12th Asia Arts Festival held in Chongqing, China, was joined by 15 countries and territories including Viet Nam.

Firms urge higher overtime limit

VietNamNet Bridge – Enterprises are urging a higher maximum overtime limit in the draft of the amended Labour Code to be debated by the National Assembly next month.

Striker Tung moves to Hai Phong

VietNamNet Bridge – Thanh Hoa striker Hoang Dinh Tung has signed a three-year contract with V-League side Vicem Hai Phong for a reputed salary of VND40 million (US$1,900) a month.

10 provinces have got a plan to cope with climate change

To date, only 10 out of 63 provinces and cities have completed the drawing up of the action plans to cope with the climate change, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Media urged to boost disease prevention effort

VietNamNet Bridge – Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien called on the mass media to strengthen communication activities on the hand-foot-mouth (HFM) disease at a press conference yesterday, Oct 25.

Vietnamese people struggle for booking air tickets for Tet flights

The traditional Tet holiday will come only in three months, but air tickets for Tet flights are nearly running out.