GOVERNMENT IN BRIEF 24/1

Government Office urged to keep up the good work; State President affirms Catholics' contributions to nation; Deputy PM visits Germany; Vietnam attends North East Business Summit in Mumbai

PM opts for new system of flood control in Ha Noi

VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has decided to abolish the use of specialised zones which slow down and dissipate the energy of flood flows to the capital city and the Hong (Red) River Delta region.

Adjusting imports to ease reliance on China

It’s necessary to adjust the structure of imports from China in order to ease the trade deficit and march towards balancing trade with Vietnam’s largest trading partner

Flood embankment collapses after surge

VietNamNet Bridge – A 10-metre section of the Ong Dung canal's embankment in Thanh Xuan Commune, District 12, collapsed last Friday due to an unexpected tidal surge.

Government allocates $15.4mil for kindergarten education

VietNamNet Bridge – The Government has allocated VND300 billion (US$15.4 million) for the national programme on kindergarten education in 2011, according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

Downloads cast gloom over CD market

VietNamNet Bridge – Pirated CDs have been an expanding business in Viet Nam for many years now, but they have run into a redoubtable opponent – the Internet.

HCM City's children set for 10 new amusement parks

VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City People's Committee is giving priority to building 10 amusement parks and three cultural centres for children this year.

V-League season promises drama, greater professionalism

VietNamNet Bridge – The new season of the national football championship, V-League, begins this weekend. It is the first time all clubs are now operating as official businesses.

Minh reaches No 7 in BWF standings

VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Tien Minh was ranked seventh in the world in January according to the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Ha Noi T&T draw first blood

VietNamNet Bridge – Argentinean striker Gonzalo Marronkle scored a goal in the third minute of injury time to help Ha Noi T&T to their 2-1 local derby defeat of Hoa Phat Ha Noi 2-1 in the national football championship, V-League opener on Saturday.

Thousands of people welcome St. Don Bosco’s remains

The remains of St. Don Bosco, including the right arm and hand bones, were brought to Vietnam last week.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 24/1

First 4 Japanese projects of the year licenced in Da Nang; Vietnam to import 100,000 tones of meat in 2011; Labour exports look up for 2011; Easing up customs procedures; FPT tots up 2010 profits

Press agencies lend a hand to advertisers to tell lies?

Consumers complain that they “have to spend money on a quack doctor and only get worse” because they fell for dishonest advertisements.

Securities investors put high hopes on macroeconomic stability

VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese Government has announced that macroeconomic stability will be the top priority for 2011. Therefore, securities investors have one more reason to hope that the stock market will gain momentum in 2011.

SPORTS IN BRIEF 23/1

Anh Tuan's doping ban confirmed; Da Nang aim for top spot finish; Thien knocked out of Australian Open; Minh out after losing to world No 1; Int'l yacht festival to be held in VN

The rich pay billion VND for ornamental rocks

Wealthy people seek special and expensive things to display for Tet. Ancient peach trees, unique ceramic products and special ornamental trees are no longer special.

VNPT losing out to rival Viettel

VietNamNet Bridge - Viettel has surpassed VNPT on pre-tax profit in 2010 for the first time. Viettel reportedly earned pre-tax profits of VND15.5 trillion ($775 million) last year, while VNPT Group mustered VND11.2 trillion ($560 million).

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 23/1

Vietnamese businesses seek opportunities in US; Drugmaker told to cancel public offering; Vietnam invests in Cambodia power plant; Businesses stuck in red tape over unused invoice; Japan, Vietnam sign nuclear cooperation agreement

Spring in Hue’s embroidery paintings

VietNamNet Bridge – Typical flowers of spring, fire-work shows, yellow apricot branches, and more appear in embroidery paintings of artisans of the Hue ancient city in central Vietnam.

Why dollar interest rates keep rising?

VietNamNet Bridge – Dollar deposit interest rates keep increasing. Banks raise their offered interest rates regularly to retain depositors and attract new clients. However, no one knows why the dollar interest rates keep rising.

Wild animals stoop in chilly wind at Hanoi Zoo

VietNamNet Bridge – Burning fires, raising food rations, and using high-voltage lamps are several measures applied at the Hanoi Zoo to protect animals in the current cold, which began on January 2.

Fund exits enable new investments

Despite a perception by many in the market that Vietnam's private equity focused investment funds have difficulties achieving exits from their investments, a survey shows that over 150 private equity exits have been achieved since 2003.

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 22/1

Doctors pronounce burned journalist out of danger; Hoang Sa yearbook launched; Over 2,500 construction projects underway now; City asks primary schools to check pupils’ briefcase weight frequently; Girl raped, beaten and buried alive  

Urban families offer special Tet bonus to keep charwomen

VietNamNet Bridge – As the lunar New Year (Tet) approaches, Tet bonuses for domestic workers has become a topic of discussion among office employees.

Experts urge educators to attend more to quality training

Experts insisted on Wednesday that educational institutions in Vietnam reform their teaching and training methods to quench the thirst for high-quality manpower in the business community, especially foreign-invested enterprises.