British Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday began a four-day state visit to Ireland, becoming the first British monarch to set foot in the republic.

VietNamNet Bridge – Through flute sounds, young girls coming to the love market can realize boy’s love for them. However, the Sapa love market is losing its identity because many people come here not to seek love but money.

Farmers profit from agro exports; Coffee exporters must unite; Dragon fruit co-op on the verge of disintegration; Over-production drives down steel prices; New law on deposit insurance possible  

The decision to keep stricter control over the ships serving travelers at Ha Long Bay has made ships’ owners suffer: they have been prohibited to leave stations.  

Google plans to sell its first bond offering on Monday, a planned 3-billion-U.S.-dollar sale to pay back short-term borrowings, U.S. media reported.

Egypt's Assistant Justice Minister for Illicit Gains Authority (IGA) Assem el-Gohari on Tuesday ordered the release of Suzanne Thabet, wife of former president Hosni Mubarak, official MENA news agency said.

VietNamNet Bridge - Software piracy in Vietnam remains prevalent, and is specially high among individuals’ computers although the rate looks a bit lower among corporate users, speakers said at a press briefing in HCM City yesterday. 

Contrary to all predictions, banks’ finance reports still show satisfactory business results for the first quarter of 2011.

Though FPT, the Corporation for Financing and Promoting Technology, has decided to give up the deal of purchasing EVN Telecom’s stakes, it still cherishes the hope of jumping into the telecom sector.

VietNamNet Bridge – Members of VNPhoto have introduced a photo book entitled “Saigon is Beautiful”, with selected pictures of Saigon.

Lior Shambadal to wield baton in Hanoi; ASEAN traditional music festival promotes understanding; Vietnam to host Int’l Documentary Film Festival 2011; Family movie days at BHD     

VietNamNet Bridge – The legendary turtle has shown signs of unsuitability to the life in the artificial tank. The Hanoi Department of Science and Technology is seeking way to put her back into the lake as soon as possible.  

VietNamNet Bridge – Vuong Thi Vy, 16, has won the first world young boxing championship for Vietnam. This result proves that considering boxing among ten key sports for investment is a sound policy of Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge – Around 40 tons of meat which is not quarantined is consumed in HCM City a day, said the HCM City Veterinary Bureau.  

Stuffing as much knowledge as possible in children’s heads, hoping the children will become prodigies is the thing that many Vietnamese parents are trying to do.

VietNamNet Bridge – More than a half of the seven telecom companies which asked for the permission to try LTE (4G) technology have not “thrown their troops into battle”.

Resort villas have been mushrooming everywhere, from the north to the south with a lot of projects being under construction. This proves to be the new profitable market segment of Vietnam’s real estate market.

Angelina Jolie arrives for the premiere of the film "The Tree of Life" in competition at the 64th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 16, 2011.

A  Malaysian tourist last Friday reported to a popular taxi company in Ho Chi Minh City she was overcharged for a short ride by a company taxi driver, but later it turned out she had took the unlicensed taxi that imitated that company’s brand.

VietNamNet Bridge – Seven seaports will experimentally apply electronic customs declarations effective June 9 under a new decision by the Prime Minister.