Insect food in Hanoi

VietNamNet Bridge – There is a restaurant in Khuong Thuong village, Hanoi, where all cuisines are processed from insects.

Libya says NATO raids kill 718 civilians

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said NATO air raids on Libya had killed as many as 718 civilians and wounded 4,067, Al-Jazeera TV reported Tuesday.

Children get priority from Party, State, says President

VietNamNet Bridge – Children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, always received the highest priority and attention from the Party and the State, affirmed President Nguyen Minh Triet

Cracks spotted in new road in HCM City

VietNamNet Bridge – Several cracks have been spotted along the newly constructed Dong-Tay (East-West) Avenue in HCM City, according to Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper.

Telcoms join “great war” of giving bonuses and free calls

Unlike previous years, mobile networks have not mentioned the plans to reduce call charges. Instead, they have joined the great war of giving bonuses to the subscribers who buy new cards and exempting inner-network call charges.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 1/6

President hands award to Ba Dinh District; More markers erected along border with Laos; Uncle Ho's historic departure from Sai Gon remembered

Mladic extradited to face war crimes charges

Serbian Justice Minister Snezana Malovic said here on Tuesday that the process to extradite Ratko Mladic to the UN war crimes tribunal has started, and that Mladic is already on a plane to The Hague.

What will be the exchange rate like by the year end?

The US dollar prices have been stabilized and decreasing over the last month. Most experts, both foreign and Vietnamese, believe that the dong/dollar exchange rate will be stabilized towards the end of the year, though they still can see risks.

Active video gaming could help battle against child obesity: New Zealand study

Active video gaming using interactive wireless technologies can help obese children shed weight, a New Zealand study found.

Italy pledges huge aid to Libyan opposition, opens consulate

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini opened a consulate in the Libyan opposition base of Benghazi and vowed to provide "huge" amounts of financial assistance to the National Transitional Council (NTC) which is running out cash.

President Karzai calls on NATO to halt airstrikes on Afghan houses

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday criticized the NATO-led forces over alleged killing of civilians and strongly called for a ban of aerial raids on Afghan houses.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 1/6

Chinese travel firms eye Da Nang as destination; Imports from Cambodia score zero tax rate; Viettel opens modern regional data centre; Rice prices fall in Mekong Delta; Vietnam bonds decline as inflation accelerates to 29-month high   

Energy drinks unfit for children: U.S. medical group

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warned on Monday that children should keep away from energy drinks which may be dangerous for minors.

Functional food over-advertised in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – Functional food is getting familiar in Vietnam and they are over-advertised as “panacea”.

Information about “dirty gold” put difficulties to traders

Goldsmith companies have complained that their business has been going down due to the government’s policy on tightening the gold market. Meanwhile, the information about “dirty gold” (wolfram-made gold) has dealt another blow to them.

Vietnamese village introduced at world baking competition

VietNamNet Bridge – Using wheat flour and salt, Vietnamese bakers made “My village” with bamboo, coconut trees and houses on stilts as their submission at the Louis Lesaffre Cup’s Asian selection round in Guangzhou, China.

Continuing fierce battles erupt in Yemen's capital, breaking truce deal

A series of huge explosions and heavy gunshots between government forces and armed tribes loyal to opposition leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar erupted on Tuesday, breaking down a cease-fire deal earlier in the week between both sides,

State management agencies disagree on pork import

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has proposed to import 100,000 tons of pork, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) believes that there’s no need to import meat.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 31/5

Food poisoning killed eight this year; KOICA helps build facilities for colleges; Market ready for children’s day; One more child dies of hand-foot-mouth disease; Diverse activities mark Int’l Children’s Day  

Binh Minh ship – another CGX case in East Sea?

VietNamNet Bridge – The Binh Minh 02 ship’s case is somehow similar to the CGX case which happened in 2000 in the Atlantic Ocean offshore of Guyana and Suriname. But is it similar?

Eurocham not happy with new regulations on liquor import

Eurocham, in its letters to the Minister of Finance and Minister of Industry and Trade wrote that application of new restrictions on the import of 100 consumer goods is the violation of the regulations in international trade but Vietnam denied this.

The “cancer villages”, factories and the environment

VietNamNet Bridge – While Vietnamese healthcare officials have denied the information about “cancer villages” as reported on local newspapers recently, a Vietnamese scientist now working in Australia has opposite opinions.

Ben Tre court holds first hearing for anti-State saboteurs

The People’s Court of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre Monday opened the first instance trial of seven people accused of “working to overthrow the people’s administration” under Clause 2, Article 79 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.

Int'l lenders assess Portuguese economy

A team of IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission inspectors arrived here Monday to assess the Portuguese economy, the first evaluation of its kind since the country agreed to receive international bailout loans.

Strange “nooses” in Hanoi streets

VietNamNet Bridge – Several accidents caused by these “nooses” have been reported, but Hanoians neglect dangers from the these buns of electric and telecom cables.