China scrambles for scrap metals with Vietnamese producers

VietNamNet Bridge – Consumer goods producers have voiced their concern about the material shortage, because they cannot compete with Chinese businessmen in collecting scrap metals.

Britain holds referendum on voting system

British voters went to the polls on Thursday to decide whether they want to replace the first-past-the-post system with an alternative vote.

Death toll in Japan's restaurant chain food poisoning reaches 4

The death toll in a string of food poisoning cases at a Japanese barbecue restaurant chain has risen to four after a woman died Thursday, local media reported.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 6/5

Income from securities could get tax waiver; Vietnam’s footwear exports up 26.4 pct; Solo helicopter tours for Da Nang;  Dau Tieng reservoir to be replenished soon; Environment fund says soft loans await enterprises

9-kilo coconuts

A pair of coconuts weighing nearly nine kilo each is on display at an exhibition in the southern province of Soc Trang.

Interview: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation working to bring together partnerships to help Africa's poor

Bill & Melina Gates Foundation is focusing on bringing together various partnerships in its efforts to empower the poorest people in the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa,

Seeking foreign strategic partners no longer in fashion

Seeking foreign strategic partners has not been listed as one of the important issues that bank management boards want to consult to shareholders at this year’s shareholders meetings.

Saigon in old photos

VietNamNet introduces the collection of old photos of Saigon in the 1860-1909 period, owned by architect Doan Bac and his father, teacher Doan Thinh.

Sapa in top ten tourist sites for pedestrians in the world

The reputed travel magazine Lonely Planet has recommended ten best tourist sites for walkers, including Sapa town in Vietnam’s northern mountain province of Lao Cai.  

Da Nang: Over 97 percent choose pink lotus as national flower

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently opened an exhibition of flowers and held a referendum on choosing the national flower in the central city of Da Nang. Over 97 percent of the votes supported the pink lotus.

40,000 Vietnamese die of tobacco a year

Around 40,000 people in Vietnam die because of smoking annually, equivalent to the death cases caused by HIV/AIDS until March 2008, an expert said at a seminar in late April in Hanoi.

First win for Tien Minh at Malaysia Grand Prix

Vietnam’s top badminton player, Nguyen Tien Minh defeated Indian player, Anand Pawar, 2-1 at the first round of the Grand Prix Gold Tournament, which opened in Malaysia on May 4.

Government agencies seriously lacking security experts

Vietnam has been warned that it will not succeed in building up an e-government and become an information technology power if it cannot settle the current deficiency of information security experts.  

State Bank hesitant in purchasing dollars

The State Bank has been warned that if restraining the exchange rate at low levels for too long, this may lead to bad consequences, including the liquidity weakening and higher trade gap.  

Events from May 5-10

Film Screening “A Little Lieutenant”; New Program for Polish Violin Concert; Screening of Adrift; Photography Book “Spring Visits”

Mysterious fissures force Di Linh residents to flee homes

VietNamNet Bridge – Many cracks have mysteriously developed and widened on the ground over the past week in Lam Dong Province's Di Linh Town, sending its residents into panic and prompting district authorities to consider

Degrading teacher’s qualification causes headache

Educators have rung the alarm bell over the quality of teachers, stressing that the qualification degrading should be seen a big worry for Vietnam’s education.

IMF warns Latin America of "overheated" economy, high inflation

Latin American countries face an economic "overheating" with high consumer inflation, the International Monetary Found (IMF) said on Wednesday.

Vietnam to see meteor shower tonight

Vietnamese will have a chance to see meteor shower Eta Aquarids from the famous Halley’s comet in the evening of May 5, and early morning of May 6, according to NASA.  

Ha Noi approves land right auction for 62 new projects

VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi expects to make 2.450 trillion VND (US$120 million ) from auctioning off 373 ha of land rights for the development of 62 new projects during the course of this year.

Vietnam Air gets Gov’t guarantee for fleet expansion

The Prime Minister has approved a guarantee for Vietnam Airlines’ deals to lease and purchase eight Airbus A321-200 planes to support this State-owned corporation’s ambitious flight expansion at home and internationally.

U.S. asthma rates continue to rise: CDC

People diagnosed with asthma in the United States grew by 4.3 million between 2001 and 2009, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Painting auction for kids with cleft palate

Sixteen paintings will be auctioned in “Night of Smiles 2011” in HCM City on May 21, to raise fund for cleft palate children.

New coaches for volleyball national teams

The men’s and women’s national volleyball teams of Vietnam have new foreign coaches today, who accept a two-month trial period before reaching official deals later.

Distinctive timber houses drawcard in Bac Can Province

Visitors walking to Yen Lac Town in the northern province of Bac Can's Na Ri District will discover scores of unusual old houses made of timber from the nghien tree, an endangered native of Viet Nam and China.