SOCIETY IN BRIEF 9/2

More A/H1N1 infections reported;  20,000 people visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; 2,000 peace doves for Da Nang; Criminal ringleader stabbed to death in Can Tho; Student shoots dead man for blocking view 

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/2

January FDI plunges to $187.6 mln; Fund plans to sell government stake in 170 firms; Turkish Airlines begins HCMC-Bangkok flights; Flower exporters eye greater share of Asian market; Petro Vietnam to stabilize fertilizer market 

GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 9/2

Vietnam expresses concern over Egypt’s situation;  Vietnam to create best conditions for RoK businesses; Vietnam calls for peace negotiation over temple dispute; Military Zone No 7 High Command meets

Six Politburo members assigned to Secretariat

Newly-elected General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, on behalf of the Politburo, signed Decision No. 01-QDNS/TW on assigning six Politburo members to their respective posts in the Secretariat of the 11th Party Central Committee as follows:

Hoang Thien progresses at world junior tennis event

Vietnamese tennis player Nguyen Hoang Thien, 16, made encouraging performances at the 2011 Tennis Central 18 & U ITF Summer Championships in New Zealand after he defeated two rivals to clinch a spot to the 1/16 round.

Vietnamese empowered to design Japanese cars

VietNamNet Bridge - The work of around 1,000 Vietnamese engineers at Nissan Techno Vietnam Co (NTV), the Hanoi-based subsidiary of the Japanese carmaker Nissan, bore sweet fruits to the company, US$23 million in earnings in 2009.

Nearly one third of EU internet users catch computer virus

Nearly one third of internet users in the European Union (EU) caught a computer virus last year, according to figures released by the EU's statistics office Eurostat on Monday.

President Ho inspires Tet planting

VietNamNet Bridge – Party General Secretary and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and Ha Noi authorities planted trees in the capital's Hoa Binh (Peace) Park on Sunday – the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

Government urged to help boost support industries

VietNamNet Bridge - A senior official at the Ministry of Industry and Trade says that support industries need more help from the Government.

Food prices begin to decline following Tet

VietNamNet Bridge – With purchases falling significantly at HCM City's traditional markets after the Tet festival, the prices of many essential foods, including fruits, vegetables, chicken and pork have also dropped correspondingly

More A/H1N1 infections reported

VietNamNet Bridge – 96 people have contracted A/H1N1 influenza since early this year, including one fatal case, said Dr Tran Thanh Duong, Deputy Chief of the Health Ministry’s Preventative Medicine and Environment Department, on February 8.

Bus stations grapple with post-holiday passenger rush

VietNamNet Bridge – The annual mass-movement of people to and from HCM City after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday is imitating the pre-festival rush at bus stations in particular.

Nation sets gender equality target

VietNamNet Bridge – The national strategy for gender equality by 2020 will specify indicators and measures to improve female human resources and narrow the gender gap in the education and training, science and technology and politics sectors,

Guest workers face hard life in Malaysia

VietNamNet Bridge – For nearly 100 Vietnamese women workers of the Maxter Glove Co in Klang City in the central Malaysian state of Selanggor, home is not a cozy and comfortable place to hang out; . . .

Volunteer work helps open students' eyes in HCM City

VietNamNet Bridge – A first-year student at the HCM City University of Social Science and Humanity spends his time working on the phone trying to get donations.

UN chief calls for "orderly and peaceful transition" in Egypt

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Tuesday called for "an orderly and peaceful transition" in Egypt and voiced his hope that "genuine dialogue between the leaders and the people will lead to the beginning of such a process."

Attorneys dispute federal findings about Toyota acceleration problem

The U.S. Department of Transportation's report that sudden-acceleration issues had nothing to do with electronic throttle-control systems in Toyota's vehicles has met with rebuff from attorneys involved in lawsuits against the company.

Moderate physical exercises reduce cancer risk: WHO

Moderate physical exercises can help reduce the risk of cancers such as breast cancer and colon cancer, the World Health Organization said on the World Cancer Day Friday.

Vietnamese businessmen's expection from the Year of the Cat

VietNamNet Bridge – While optimistic about 2011, Vietnamese businessmen do not expect breakthroughs in the year of the Cat.

Provinces receive wildfire alert as drought takes hold

VietNamNet Bridge – Eight provinces have been warned that conditions in their localities were ripe for forest fires.

World heritage photo competition begins

VietNamNet Bridge – Amateur and professional photographers will display their best imeages in a competition entitled Vietnamese World Heritages to be held in July.

Festivals honour rice, heroes and pilgrims

VietNamNet Bridge – A three-day festival commemorating mythical Vietnamese hero Saint Giong began in Ha Noi yesterday, Feb 8.

Businesses hurt as Vietnam cuts incentives

VietNamNet Bridge - Businesses, both domestic and foreign, are complaining about their losses following the sudden scrapping of many investment incentives after Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization.

Fireworks, festivals ring in new year

VietNamNet Bridge – Splendid displays of fireworks and traditional festivities animated the country during the first week of February to welcome Tet (Lunar New Year), which falls under the zodiac sign of the Cat.

Taiwanese investor willing to give back “sensitive” forest land

Taiwanese group InnovGreen told VietNamNet that it is willing to hand over the forest land  in areas that are sensitive in terms of security and defense and move to other locations to continue its forest planting projects in Vietnam.