Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) needs at least five years to divest its capital investment in non-core businesses, deputy general director Phan Hoang Duc has said.

Divesting from non-core businesses should not be taken on an extensive scale, but aim at state-owned enterprises (SOEs) active in areas in which the state holds a monopoly.

VietNamNet Bridge – Two years after the introduction of Government Decree 88, HCM City has not managed to meet its targeted amount of collection fees for environmental hygiene and protection.

The stable economic growth of 7 percent every year and the average income per capita at 3810 dollars by 2015, will all help increase the level of automobile “coverage” in Vietnam to 26 cars per 1000 people by 2015.

Provinces have competed with each others to attract foreign investment, so they have offered over-incentive policies to foreign investors. After all, investors support provinces or vice versa? questioned the Minister of Planning and Investment.

VietNamNet Bridge – The book market in northern Vietnam, especially Hanoi, has been out of control for a long time. The authorities have made raids and seized tons of pirated books.

New Zealand animal experts will begin releasing seabirds Tuesday almost seven weeks after a massive oil leak from a grounded cargo ship triggered a wildlife rescue operation.

At least seven people were killed and several others injured in a fire which broke out in two compartments of an express train in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand in the wee hours Tuesday, said police.

The UN envoy Jamal bin Omar said Tuesday in Sanaa that the Yemeni ruling party and the opposition have reached a compromise on Gulf-broked initiative and its implementation mechanism, and are discussing the details

CPI rises in Hanoi and HCMC; Russian firm ready for gas exploitation; Steering Committee for Restructuring State-owned Enterprises established; U.S. investors look at Danang Airport; Japan eyes relocating plants to Vietnam    

Vietnam completed competitions at the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia on November 22 with 96 gold, 90 silver and 101 bronze medals, ranking third after Indonesia and Thailand. 

VietNamNet Bridge – Dariu Foundation, a Switzerland-based NGO, yesterday, Nov 22, held an inauguration ceremony in HCM City to launch its second mobile school.

Vietnam Electricity would withdraw all of its investments from non-electricity businesses in the next one to two years, said Pham Le Thanh, the group's general director, at a press conference held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade last Saturday.

Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces called for urgent talks with political forces late Monday, state TV reported.

Wall Street started a holiday- shortened week with little to cheer. Heavily weighed by intensified debt woes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, investors fled to safe-haven assets, triggering severe sell-off in equity market.

VietNamNet Bridge – Three days after a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Hanoi has amended its work-hour plan. The change will be applied as of January 1, 2012 in 12 districts.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Binh Duong Club for Environment (C4E), a group of university students, is determined to spread the word to secondary-school students about the need for environmental protection and sustainability.

One day before his appeal trial was scheduled to open on Tuesday, Nov 22, former deputy chief managing editor of the Tien Phong newspaper Phan Ha Binh withdrew his appeal against the 7-year verdict handed down on him.

The U.S. congressional "super- committee" announced on Monday that the 12-member panel had failed to reach a deal to slash 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars over the next decade.

VietNamNet Bridge – Another unfair case occurred yesterday, November 21, for Vietnam at the ongoing Southeast Asian Games 2011 in Indonesia.