Tuoitrenews brief you on some news to be published today.

Society:

-- As of February 18, H5N1 bird flu has spread to 14 localities across Vietnam including: Dak Lak, Long An, Kon Tum, Tay Ninh, Ca Mau, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ngai, Nam Dinh, Phu Yen, Lao Cai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Nghe An, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh.

-- A video clip on YouTube shows that a young teacher at a highschool in the central province of Binh Dinh has been hit by his student after the teacher slapped two students including him so hard in the face.

-- Senior lieutenant general Pham Quy Ngoc - Vice Minister of the Public Security - died of liver cancer at 9:05pm on February 18 at a hospital in Hanoi at the age of 60.

-- An appeal court in Hanoi on Tuesday upheld a 30-month prison sentence against lawyer Le Quoc Quan on tax evasion charges.

-- A 2-year-old boy in the central highlands city of Da Lat, died on Tuesday after a cashew nut stuck in his throat, local doctors said.

Business:

-- Many commercial banks in Vietnam like ACB and Sacombank and Phuong Dong have slashed their deposit interest rates because of the current economic slowdown.

Politics:

-- Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan need to promptly sign mutual economic agreements to create a legal foundation for stepping up their trade-investment relations, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the proposal during a meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Abdyldaev Erlan Bekeshovich in Hanoi on February 18 (VNA).

-- Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, Le Hong Anh, received a delegation from the French Communist Party (PCF) led by Jean Charles Nefgre, Coordinator of the PCF’s Standing Committee, on February 18 in Hanoi (VNA). 

-- Vietnam always places importance on its ties with Australia and desires to boost their comprehensive partnership in a result-orientated manner, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at a reception for Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Hanoi on February 18 (VNA). 

Sports:

-- Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored with a stunning long-range strike as Paris St Germain sauntered to a 4-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday which clearly demonstrated they are among the Champions League favorites (Reuters).

-- Goals by Lionel Messi and Dani Alves saw Barcelona take control of their Champions League last 16 tie against Manchester City with a 2-0 win in Tuesday's first leg (AFP).