Beijing embraces second snowfall within three days

Snow fell again in Beijing Saturday night, three days after the city had its first snow this winter. Snow continued falling on Sunday morning but was forecasted to stop in the daytime.

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 14/2

North-central region’s largest oil storage opens; Vietnam to open new embassy, consulates general; Vietnamese, Lao parties bolster ties; Prime Minister oversees discussion on home affairs

NA Standing Committee to review 2007-11 tenure reports

VietNamNet Bridge – The 38th session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee will take place from today until February 19, concentrating on preparing a review report on the NA's 2007-11 period.

Gov't to focus on curbing inflation

VietNamNet Bridge – Government policies to curb inflation are on the right track, according to Planning and Investment Minister Vo Hong Phuc in an interview with the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Minister calls on farmers to cut greenhouse gas emissions

VietNamNet Bridge – The farm sector has to take pro-active measures to ease the rate of climate change, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Cao Duc Phat has said.

Valentine's Day offers bouquet of options

VietNamNet Bridge – Businesses are gearing up for Valentine's Day which falls on Monday. The demand for flowers and gifts to express love will be higher than usual, says the managing director of The Gioi Hoa Tuoi (Flower World), Nguyen Thi Thuy Vu.

Love duets tune up

VietNamNet Bridge – A love duet singing festival kicks off today, Feb 14, in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

Sixties rockers take up old Sai Gon Hotel residency

VietNamNet Bridge – The Peanut is back. The band of four brothers that began rocking Sai Gon audiences more than four decades years ago has reached an agreement to perform every evening at the Palace Sai Gon Hotel under their first name.

Hanoi’s invaluable dance performed at village festival

VietNamNet Bridge – On the tenth day of the first lunar month, “Con di danh bong”, a folk dance of hundreds of years old, is performed at the festival of Trieu Khuc village in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi.

Pharmaceutical firms expand business in Vietnam

Vietnam is emerging as one of the fastest growing economies in the Asia – Pacific region. Like in other emerging markets, the financial burden of falling ill in Vietnam is becoming larger as incomes increase and lifestyles change.

VN must reduce interest rates

VietNamNet Bridge – Financial expert Bui Kien Thanh told the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that one of the key tasks in managing the country's macro economy was to lower the lending interest rate.

Hoan Kiem to be cleansed of Exotic turtles in March

VietNamNet Bridge – The Hanoi Department of Science and Technology will kill red-ear turtles in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake in March to protect the legendary turtle.

New-year rituals cause traffic jams

VietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of people stood on the pavement and the road to attend the early-year rituals at Phuc Khanh, one of the most famous pagodas in Hanoi.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 14/2

Paper maker targets higher earnings; Cement producers face market glut; Services sector lifts exports; Northern provinces set for bumper harvest; Breeding industry given 8% target; Vietnam’s inflation likely to surpass 10 percent

Should nine-year-olds go exploring?

VietNamNet Bridge - The fact that a nine-year-old Vietnamese boy went to the South Pole with his father while some others at his age never go too far from their homes, has raised a debate among parents.

Ministry of Home Affairs urged to make effective administration

VietNamNet Bridge - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to make an effective administration at a meeting to implement the ministry’s task for 2011 in Hanoi on February 12.

Rail upgrade begins

VietNamNet Bridge - The Viet Nam Railway Corporation started work to strengthen railway infrastructure on the North-South route in central Ha Tinh Province yesterday following instructions from Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Traditional festival of Dao people

VietNamNet Bridge – Dao people in Ta Phin, Sa Pa district, Lao Cai province on February 10 organized the early year singing festival to pray for health, love and good harvest.

VN to stock 1 mln tons of rice to maintain prices

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has ordered its members to buy 1 million tons of rice from farmers and stock the amount for three months to keep up the price for the grain.

600 young people to be recruited as commune officials

VietNamNet Bridge – University graduates of less than 30 years old will have an opportunity to become vice chairs of 600 communes in Vietnam, under a US$10.25 million project which has been approved by the prime minister.

Banks expect to post strong profit growth

VietNamNet Bridge - Commercial banks posted solid earnings in 2010 with an average growth in profit of over 20 per cent, most of which came from lending and foreign exchange trading.

Football star returns after ten-month treatment

VietNamNet Bridge – Le Cong Vinh has completely recovered from his knee injury and will re-join the V-League from the third round, in the game between Hanoi T&T and SHB Da Nang next week.

Vietnam yet to hand out cash awards to Asiad winners

VietNamNet Bridge - Until February 10, some Vietnamese athletes bagging medals at the ASIAD 16 in China in November last year have yet received any cash awards promised previously by the government.

31-year love story of Vietnamese man and Korean woman

VietNamNet Bridge – A Vietnamese man and a North Korean woman finally got married and it was the happy ending of a 31-year love story.

Danang tourists’ first port of call

VietNamNet Bridge - Danang will become more attractive to tourists and individual investors seeking second homes in the central region.