Barcelona one point off Spanish title after derby win

FC Barcelona will be crowned champions of the Spanish La Liga if they are able to draw away to Levante on Wednesday night after beating local rivals Espanyol 2-0 in the Camp Nou Stadium on Sunday.

ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 9/5

UNESCO considers two heritage sites in Viet Nam; Australian-Vietnamese concert marks State visit; Viet Nam, South Korea unite at festival

Party leader meets voters

VietNamNet Bridge – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong joined other candidates for the 13th National Assembly to meet voters in the Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts of Ha Noi on Saturday as part of their election campaigns.

Multi-ethnic Canadians invited to register as stem cell donors at Mother's Day-themed event

Young Canadians with all ethnic backgrounds were encouraged to register as potential life-saving stem cell donors at a recruiting campaign at a shopping mall in Greater Vancouver on Saturday, the ones who first gave them life.

Women celebrate country's beauty

VietNamNet Bridge – Thirty-three women painters in the city are exhibiting more than 130 works that celebrate the beauty of the country at the city's Fine Arts Museum.

Year's first tropical storm gathers force in East Sea

VietNamNet Bridge – The first major tropical storm of this year named ‘AERE' , today has strengthened on the eastern Philippine coastal area, causing rough seas and strong winds in north-eastern region of the East Sea,

Black market for US dollar on the wane

VietNamNet Bridge - The US dollar exchange rate in banks has risen higher than in the free market, prompting people and enterprises to trade with banks rather than the black market.  

Disabled artisans shine in Hue teahouse project

VietNamNet Bridge – A US non-profit organisation that has a shop selling eco-friendly products made by disabled artisans in Hue has opened a tea room there.

Laos temporarily suspends Xayaburi Dam

On the sideline of the 18th ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, Laos PM Thoongsing Thammavong informed his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung of Laos’ decision to temporarily suspend the Xayaburi hydropower project.

Folk quartet to rock HCM City

VietNamNet Bridge – The multinational Camkytiwa folk quartet will present to HCM City music lovers a collection of Asian folk and traditional music on Saturday.

Inflation could increase over 2 per cent in May

 VietNamNet Bridge - The Consumer Price Index was likely to continue to rise over the next few months but at a slower rate, said General Statistics Office deputy general director Tran Thi Hang yesterday.

Russia commemorates martyrs on eve of Victory Day

On the eve of Russia's Victory Day, Russian leaders laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in downtown Moscow on Sunday.

Temporary coaches appointed for national football squads

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has assigned Navibank Saigon’s coach Mai Duc Chung, as the temporary coach of the national men’s football team. 

Quakes ruled out in highland fissure scare

The mysterious cracks in the ground, discovered in Di Linh Town, in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, are likely caused by active fault lines, but are no cause for concern of a possible earthquake, seismic experts have said.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 9/5

Seminar on late President Ho Chi Minh held in France; Vietnam assists American tornado victims; Deputy PM cracks whip over Highway 3 delays; Breaking a drug ring by post

Tourist boat sinks in Ha Long Bay

VietNamNet Bridge - A tour boat numbered QN 2070 with 28 French nationals, one Vietnamese tour guide and 12 sailors on board sank in Ha Long Bay at 3:00 pm May 8.

Japan's troubled nuke plant operator opens doors of No. 1 reactor building

The operator of the troubled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant opened the doors of the No. 1 reactor building on Sunday after obtaining the approval from the Japanese government's nuclear safety agency.

Vietnam contributes to building ASEAN Community

VietNamNet Bridge – The 18th ASEAN Summit concluded yesterday, May 8, with the release of the Chair's Statement on ASEAN Community-Building, the implementation of ASEAN Charter and other issues.

190 detained in sectarian clashes to face military trial

Egypt's Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) said on Sunday in a statement that 190 people detained in Muslims and Coptics clashes overnight in Cairo will face military trial.

Famous hair designer and “Story of Hair”

Tuan Ha Lan, who won the “Golden Scissors” Award for the best hair designer in Vietnam in 2008, performed his talent at a hair show named “Story of Hair”, in Hanoi on May 4.

Vietnam seeks more world heritage status

VietNamNet Bridge - Two heritages of Vietnam along with 40 natural and cultural properties in 40 countries will be considered by UNESCO for the inscription on the World Heritage List.

23 suicide attackers killed, 4 detained in Afghan Kandahar province

Security forces had killed 23 suicide attackers and detained four others in retaliation against Taliban insurgents in southern Kandahar province on Saturday, Interior Ministry spokesman Zamarai Bashari said Sunday.

Tien Minh ousted from Malaysia Grand Prix

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s leading badminton player, Nguyen Tien Minh (the world’s No.8) could not enter the final of the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold Tournament 2011, after being defeated 1-2 by Bao Chunlan in the semi-final on May 7.

Google Android tops smartphone platform market in U.S.: research

Latest research released Friday shows that Google Android has become the No.1 smartphone platform in the United States in the first quarter as more smartphone manufacturers have adopted the operating system.

ADB concludes Hanoi meeting

VietNamNet Bridge - ADB has wrapped up the 44th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors in Hanoi, Vietnam and announced that the 2012 meeting would take place in Manila, Philippines.