River pollution kills 36 tons of fishes

Pollution in the Dong Nai river has killed 36 tons of fishes in Thong Nhat Ward of southern Bien Hoa city, the farmers association said in a report sent to authorities Monday.

Importers benefit from US credit programmes

Two Export Credit Guarantee Programmes run by the US are expected to help Vietnamese importers gain access to capital at preferential interest rates.

Deaths confirmed as 6.3 magnitude quake hits Christchurch

A massive 6.3 earthquake hit New Zealand South Island's largest city of Christchurch for the second time in less than six months, causing multiple deaths and widespread destruction.

Youth sniff chemical glue like addicts

VietNamNet Bridge – Police of Quang Ngai Province and Da Nang city in central Vietnam have recently detected and apprehended some teens who sniff chemical glues as a drug.

Hanoi: Nearly 4600 people fined for not wearing helmets

VietNamNet Bridge – Police have fined nearly 4600 motorbike drivers for not wearing helmets in the past week, and seized more than 1000 motorbikes. Notably, 75 percent of violators are youngsters.

U.S. study predicts prolonged toxic algal outbreaks due to climate change

Climate change could prolong toxic algal outbreaks by 2040 or sooner, posing a health threat to humans, a new study suggests.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 22/2

Vietnam car sales jump 48 pct y/y in Jan: Industry; AirAsia X connects Vietnam with Paris; Tien Giang province withdraws misused beach; Vietnam raises refinance rate 200 bps to 11 pct; Budget carrier offers cheap tickets to Danang

Good news for FDI fortunes

VietNamNet Bridge - Foreign direct investment disbursement is expected to rise sharply this year as many foreign investors push big projects in Vietnam.

Fake Buddhist monks at Binh Duong’s pagoda

VietNamNet Bridge – The Chua Ba festival in the southern province of Binh Duong draws millions of visitors in the first lunar month. This is the business season for fake monks.

Exchange rate adjustment accelerates gold purchasing power

Explaining the continued gold price increases in mid February 2011, analysts say the gold price in the world has been escalating, while the demand in the domestic market increased sharply after the central bank devaluated the dong by 9.3%.

Economist urges to take measures to reduce the total demand in national economy

Tran Du Lich, former Head of the HCM City Economics Institute, emphasized that the priority for 2011 is reducing the total demand in the national economy in order in order to curb the inflation.

USAID Representative hails significant achievements of Project 30

VietNamNet Bridge - The National Public Administrative Reform Project (Project 30 in short) has gained three significant achievements, said USAID Representative Francis A.Donovan.

University relocation plan makes students bittersweet

A lot of students in Hanoi applaud the decision to relocate their universities to the suburb areas of the city, while others say they cannot understand why the schools need to move to other places.

Dollar price increase makes real estate developers and investors worry

VietNamNet Bridge – The dollar price increase has made real estate investors anxious and real estate developers worried sick. Meanwhile, the house prices are predicted to increase sharply in 2011.

Polluting trio named to spark quick action

VietNamNet Bridge - An ultimatum has been given to three environmental polluters at southern Tan Phu Trung Industrial Park.

‘Plastic’ rice is actually prized Indian variety

Some readers and an Indian chef have told Tuoi Tre that the variety of rice a reader suspected contained rubber because it seemed strangely elastic is actually basmati, a very popular variety in India and Pakistan.

Fierce battles at spring buffalo fighting festival

VietNamNet Bridge – In the warm weather, thousands of visitors flocked to the stadium in Hai Luu commune in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on February 19 to witness the finals of the buffalo fighting festival.

Dangers at road-railway junctions

The train is coming, but this motorbike neglects the signal lamp and tries to pass Thi Cau bridge (linking Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces). A traffic jam occurs up to two kilometers long because everyone tries to pass the bridge.

Domestic social networks to challenge Facebook

VietNamNet Bridge – Long before the Oscar-nominated film The Social Network, Facebook and other internet networks had already become as much an addiction as a habit for many younger Vietnamese, triggering a battle for market share

Thousands of youths donate blood

VietNamNet Bridge – The 4th blood donation festival named “Pink Spring” held by the Central Institute for Hematology and Blood Transfusion at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium on February 20 attracted several thousand young people.

Mobile service providers accused of unfair treatments to subscribers

Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone, the three biggest mobile service providers in Vietnam, have admitted to the tendency of post-paid subscribers becoming to pre-paid subscribers, though they declined to reveal the number of subscribers.

Transit room

VietNamNet Bridge – To cope with a severe shortage of parking lots, a total of 570 ha will be earmarked for developing bus stations, parking lots for buses, taxis and cars, goods-transit centres and customs clearance warehouses,

Cows pose health risk by grazing on waste

VietNamNet Bridge – Cows are being discouraged to graze on rubbish dumps in a number of provinces, because of the health risks involved.

HCM City discovers illegal use of industrial chemicals in food

VietNamNet Bridge – City officials are alarmed about food processors' excessive use of industrial chemicals to make products look fresh, clean or white.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 21/2

Provisions sent to stranded crew; Eight injured in a workplace accident; Thousands turn out for blood drive; US fines exporters of damaged computers; Logos, ads may appear on invoices