VFF confused in choosing new coach for national squad

The sponsoring contract between AVG Group and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) was invalid when coach Henrique Calisto left Vietnam. VFF is now confused in choosing a new coach since it has not had a new sponsor.

Domestic rice price high, export rice price low

While Vietnamese consumers have to buy rice at high prices, foreign countries now can buy rice from Vietnam cheaply.

Travel agencies launch new tours for coming holidays

VietNamNet Bridge – Travel companies have rolled out several new tours during the upcoming Liberation Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1) holidays.

Vietnam athletics official, German advisor lock horns

Vietnam’s top track-and-field official and a consultant sent by the German Athletics Federation are not seeing eye to eye about athletes’ training and competition regimes ahead of next year’s London Olympics.

Expansion of food safety drive urged

VietNamNet Bridge – City and provincial leaders have been urged to expand food-safety and hygiene model programmes in HCM City, Ha Noi and Central Highlands Dak Lak Province

Seeking solutions to save Ca Mau Cape

It is compared to “Vietnam’s prow” which is reaching to the sea, but the Ca Mau cape is being eroded seriously. Ca Mau authorities and relevant agencies are seeking urgent solutions to save this land.

Vietnam successfully pilots Vinasat-1

VietNamNet Bridge – It is now not early to say that Vietnam has been successfully launching and controlling Vinasat 1, the first Vietnam’s telecom satellite which was launched into the space three years ago, on April 19, 2008.

PM okays $5 billion to develop Kon Tum

VietNamNet Bridge – About VND104 trillion (US$5 billion) has been set aside for socio-economic development in the Central Highland province of Kon Tum.

CIEM warns Vietnamese export enterprises’ competitiveness low

Eighteen production sectors have been admitted to the “billion dollar club”, i.e, the club of sectors which have the annual export turnover of one billion dollar and more. However, the success proves to be unsustainable.

Minh cruises at Chengdu tourney

VietNamNet Bridge – Badminton ace Nguyen Tien Minh beat Keigo Sonoda of Japan, 21-17, 21-13 in the third round of the Badminton Asia Championships in China's Chengdu City yesterday, April 21.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 22/4

Delegation attends parliament meeting; Vietnam, US step into multifaceted future; Army chief meets Lao Major General; Hai Duong cooperate with Lao capital in fighting crime

Two journalists killed in Misrata: report

Two western journalists were killed in Libya as heavy fighting continued over night in the city of Misrata, al-Jazeera channel reported on Thursday.

Vietnamese youth’s average height to reach 1.65m in 10 years

VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese Government has approved the strategy on raising the comprehensive development of physical strength, brainpower and morals of Vietnamese.

Pope’s diplomatic representative visits Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, non-resident pontifical representative to Vietnam, paid a courtesy visit to leaders of the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi on April 21.

Bank rate for dollar rises above black market

VietNamNet Bridge - The official exchange rate for the US dollar rose above the black market rate yesterday for the first time, following recent moves by the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) to fix the forex market.

U.S. introduces armed Predator drones in Libya

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said President Barack Obama has approved the use of armed Predator drones in the military mission in Libya, and the unmanned aerial vehicles can provide unique capabilities

SPORTS IN BRIEF 22/4

Quan to battle Cambodian Bun; Kung-fu Kayode gets ban, fine; VN women draw tough group; HCM City, Army top at tennis

US veteran tells new war story

VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese translation of an American War veteran's book titled Bare Feet, Iron Will: Stories from the Other Side of Viet Nam's Battlefields was released in HCM City yesterday, April 21.

Ha Long, Nha Trang prepare to host cultural festivals

VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Long city in Quang Ninh and Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa will celebrate two major festivals in May and June.

Self-help books strike chord with readers

VietNamNet Bridge – With young readers increasingly looking for self-improvement books, HCM City publishers are happy to oblige.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 22/4

  700 villas in Hanoi left unfinished; Low quality medicines removed from shelves; KOICA supports human resource training in Quang Tri; Moves for VN to open office in Russia            

Childhood music lessons may provide lifelong boost in brain functioning: study

Those childhood music lessons could pay off decades later -- even for those who no longer play an instrument -- by keeping the mind sharper as people age,

Apple reports record quarterly earnings

Apple Inc. on Wednesday reported record second fiscal quarter results that blow out analysts' expectations, citing strong demands for its products.

Cristiano's late goal gives Copa del Rey to Madrid

A Cristiano Ronaldo's header 12 minutes into extra time gave Real Madrid a 1-0 win over FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

Printing press struggles to survive paper price increase wave

A new difficult period for traditional printing press has been anticipated, since the newsprint price has been increasing sharply.