Eradicating infectious diseases; Ninh Binh unveils master plan; Blood donation festival for cancer patients; Traffic still chaotic but ‘improving'

Nearly 30 cai luong (reformed opera) plays exploring modern social topics will be showcased at this year's National Cai Luong Professional Stage Festival, which started on Saturday, Oct 20, at Bien Hoa City in the southern province of Dong Nai.

  The national squad will face Turkmenistan in the opening match of 2012 VFF Cup on October 24 in Ho Chi Minh City.

 Unfolding claims of sexual abuse against late BBC star Jimmy Savile have plunged Britain's national broadcaster into its biggest crisis for 50 years, a senior reporter has warned.

An exhibition exploring the rich history and culture of Singapore is now open to the public at the Vietnamese Women's Museum as a fruit of a collaboration with the Singapore Philatelic Museum offering a unique perspective of the famous city.  

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese chess GM Le Quang Liem was placed second after a draw with Philippine rival Wesley So in his last match of the US Spice Cup Festival on October 22.

Three people were dead and four others wounded in a mass shooting Sunday at a spa in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, police said. The gunman died of a self- inflicted gunshot wound. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam's first overhead route for cars opened for traffic on October 21. This highway is expected to shorten 50 percent of the travel time from the west to the south of Hanoi and to reduce traffic congestion in the city.

 Spain seems condemned to pay for its own banking rescue after Germany flatly refused to let the eurozone's future bank supervisor do so, analysts say.

Dong Xuan Phong, former official of the Anti-Smuggling Team of the Hai Phong City Customs Bureau, has been identified to conceal and help Duong Chi Dung, former director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, to escape.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Malaysia triumph at Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper's International Under-21 Football Championships yesterday, Oct 21, at Pleiku Stadium in Gia Lai Province.

Analysts believe that the biggest advantage of small businesses is the small operation scale which allows them to change flexibly to get adapted to the new circumstances.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam wushu team yesterday, Oct 21, left for China to take part in the World Sanshou Cup.

 VietNamNet Bridge – International scholars have presented evidence at a recent workshop in Paris, rejecting China’s sovereignty claim in the East Sea, especially its U-shaped line.

The National Assembly convenes in Hanoi today, October 22, for the fourth session of the 13th tenure, with many revised laws on the agenda, including those on anti-corruption, tax management and personal income tax.

 PM meets voters at HCM City National University; PM meets voters at HCM City National University; Algeria, Vietnam mark diplomatic ties; Vietnam, Laos political academies boost cooperation

Environmentalists have expressed their concern about the fates of natural reserves, saying that the reserves have not been preserved for the purpose of biodiversity conservation.

Seven out of 10 officials in the medical sector, when asked about the qualification of newly graduated physicians, said the education quality has been decreasing.

In early October 2012, the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment a 3-member South East Asian rice alliance. Vietnam is not a member of the alliance.

According to statistics from the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center, since 2009, at least 14 wild elephants died, including four adult elephants which were killed for their tusks and tail hairs, and 10 died of unknown causes.