VietNamNet Bridge – On February 9, the front pages of Lao daily newspapers carried portraits and a biography of Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, highlighting his official visit to Laos.

The number of Americans initially applying for unemployment aid last week dropped to nearly a four-year low, a sign for recovery in the labor market, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday.

New data released on Wednesday showed that excluding Apple, the mobile computing industry has remained flat for the past five years.

VietNamNet Bridge – On February 9, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung chaired the 45th session of the Central Council for Emulation and Reward, reviewing its work in 2011 and devising key tasks for 2012.

Vietnamese consumer confidence stands at 99 points for the fourth quarter of 2011, an increase of three points against the previous quarter.

The Ministry of Finance has issued a new circular stipulating a road fee for the HCM City – Trung Luong Highway in which the maximum charge for a container truck may reach VND320,000 (US$15).

The unsatisfactory result FDI in the first quarter of 2011should be seen as an early warning about the urgency of the new measures to more effectively attract FDI in 2012.

Amazon announced a license agreement deal with global media company Viacom on Wednesday, bracing up further to compete in the booming streaming video market.

Students complain that their daily activities have been disordered because of the changes in the working and learning hours. They lack time for having meals, sleeping and resting.

VietNamNet Bridge – Blood reserves at the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion is not enough for one-day treatment. Therefore, a blood donation festival will be held on the occasion of the Valentine Day (February 14).

Forestry, fishery exports to hit $40b by 2020; Trade deficit hits $100m in January; Analysts savour seafood shares; Difficult to lower short-term lending rates of interest; Difficult to lower short-term lending rates of interest 

VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Professional Football (VPF), which runs the two professional football leagues of Vietnam, has proposed to name the national championship as V-Super League but the proposal is not approved.

VietNamNet Bridge - After a week of the adjustment, Hanoi authorities have received a lot of negative feedbacks about the impacts of this adjustment on the school students.

Thailand fell behind Vietnam in rice exports in January when it only shipped nearly 387,750 tonnes, about 13,000 tonnes less than Vietnam, according to its English newspaper The Nation.

VietNamNet Bridge - Petr G. Shchedrovitsky, advisor of the General Director of Russia’s state-owned Rosatom atomic energy group, said that the design of reactor of the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant satisfies the highest safety standards.

VietNamNet Bridge - The Aquaculture Union Branch of Tien Lang district has asked the PM to request a punishment on seven more staff of Tien Lang district and Vinh Quang commune.

Health experts warned on Wednesday that Norway is facing an outbreak of influenza A, which is caused by a new strain of virus known as H3N2.

VietNamNet Bridge – The 10th Vietnamese Poetry Day 2012 attracted thousands of visitors, including many foreigners.

Seafood exports to the EU have been slowing down due to the public debt crisis in the region. However, the US and South American markets have “rescued” Vietnam’s tra fish.

VietNamNet Bridge – The movie that stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, who is nominated as the Best Actress at Oscar 2012, will not be screened at Vietnamese cinemas as of March 2, as schedule.