Binh Duong has a dirty problem

Enterprises’ increasing environmental pollution is leaving southern Binh Duong province authorities in a bind.

Dollar prices equal on official and black markets

As anticipated, the dollar has become scarcer towards the end of the year.

Banking sector thriving, production sector facing big difficulties

The banking and telecommunications sectors are leading business fields in terms of the capability to create profit – this is the conclusion drawn from the V1000 ranking

Competition stiffer on anti-virus software market, customers benefit

2010 is a truly bustling year for the anti-virus software market in Vietnam.

Why do Vietnamese mathematicians like settling in the US?

There are a lot of Vietnamese talents, but they do not live in Vietnam. Half of the good Vietnamese mathematicians are settling in foreign countries, especially in the US.

Interest rates sky high, businesses feel anxious as Tet nears

It is now the high production season and businesses hurry to run their production lines to make products for Tet sale.

Electric cars ferry tourists around city’s Old Quarter

VietNamNet Bridge – Environmentally friendly battery-powered cars have begun offering tourists a new way to take in the sights in Ha Noi’s Old Quarter.

Revised law to better preserve minerals

VietNamNet Bridge – The management of the exploration and exploitation of natural resources should be strengthened to preserve valuable assets for younger generations.

Airline signs contract for training 60 pilots

VietNamNet Bridge – National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines signed last week a contract with the Viet Flight Training JSC (VFT) to train 60 pilots between 2010 and 2012.

Ministry to improve its human resources

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has set up a plan to develop its personnel resources for the 2011-15 period with a vision to 2020, at a total cost of VND10.6 trillion (US$550 million).

SOCIETY IN BRIEF 18/10

City hospital offers free lung testing; Hunger and poverty programme launched; Chinese national held for drug trafficking; Dengue fever spreads in central provinces

Thai Nguyen upgraded to first-tier city

VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has issued a decision to upgrade Thai Nguyen City to a first-tier city, affiliated to Thai Nguyen province, a milestone in its 48-year growth and development.

Teachers ‘not taught to impart life skills'

VietNamNet Bridge – Teachers in HCM City high schools are ill prepared to implement the policy of integrating life-skills teaching into school curricula, experts say.

Vocational schools avoided

VietNamNet Bridge – High-school students in HCM City remain reluctant to join vocational schools because a promised change in regulations that will allow them to continue their studies in universities has yet to be made.

Singapore art students plan city exhibition

VietNamNet Bridge – Seventeen Vietnamese and Singaporean students studying in Singapore’s contemporary arts school LASALLE College will display their works at the Fine Arts College in HCM City this weekend.

Red carpet opening

VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam International Film Festival officially opened yesterday, Oct 17, in Ha Noi.

Japanese comic monologist to perform

VietNamNet Bridge – Rakugo master Utazo Katsura will treat Ha Noi audiences to a traditional Japanese form of entertainment in performances on October 19-20.

SPORTS IN BRIEF 18/10

Quyen signs with Song Lam Nghe An; Thien targets higher ranking; Viet Nam beat India 3-1 in friendly

Asian spice may extend lifespan of humans: study

Curcumin, a spice that is common in Indian curries and other Asian dishes, might extend the lifespan of humans because it is full of anti-oxidants and other good chemicals, a new study reveals.

First Int’l Film Festival opens in Hanoi

VietNamNet Bridge - 70 films from 23 countries and territorries will be shown during the first International Film Festival opening in Hanoi on October 17 morning.

Vietnamese film at Pusan Film Fest gets high reviews

Vietnam’s Floating Lives screened at the 15th Pusan International Film Festival is described by The Hollywood Reporter as a sensuous and timeless film on love, loss and yearning.

Life sentence proposed to former transport official

HCM City People’s Procuracy on Saturday proposed the life sentence to Huynh Ngoc Si, former deputy director of the HCMC Transport Department.

Nine Vietnamese fishermen safe at Paracel

VietNamNet Bridge - Nine Vietnamese fishermen, provided with food and drinks by China, were safe and healthy on Phu Lam (Woody) island of the Paracel archipelago in East Sea, according to Vietnamese Embassy in China Saturday.

More lives claimed by flood in Central Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge - Rain-triggered floods have killed 12 people, with three others still missing in the central provinces as of October 17.

Life’s slow rhythm in Thi Tuong Lagoon

VietNamNet Bridge – Thi Tuong Lagoon, which spans the two districts of Cai Nuoc and Tran Van Thoi in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, offers a slice of quiet rural life to tourists.