Politics

-- Vietnam will continue facilitating Russian companies’ deployment of joint oil and gas projects within its continental shelf as the former country pays special attention to cooperation with Russia in the energy industry, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Wednesday during a meeting with visiting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Hanoi.

-- State President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung congratulated Wednesday (Vietnam time) Barack Obama on his re-election as President of the United States. The two leaders said in a message that they are pleased with the important progress in Vietnam-U.S. relations during Barack Obama’s first term.

-- Le Hong Anh, Politburo Member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee’s Secretariat, hosted Wednesday a reception for Jose Ramon Balaguer, Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Central Committee in Hanoi. The host highly valued the CPC delegation’s visit to Vietnam and their attendance at the first theoretical workshop between the two Parties held earlier this week.

Society

-- Five top officials of a Vinashin plant in the central province of Ha Tinh have been arrested for allegedly violating state regulations on economic management, according to local police.

-- A household was found Tuesday illegally raising two tiger cubs at home in the central province of Nghe An, according to local police.

Business

-- Vietnam and Russia eye US$7 billion bilateral trade by 2015, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Wednesday during a news conference held in the wake of a meeting with visiting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Hanoi.

-- Vietnam is set to export 7.7 metric tons of rice and thus overthrow India to be the world’s number-one rice exporter this year, according to the Vietnam Food Association.

-- Polystyrene, an aromatic polymer, and mineral oils make up the dubious pills and liquid recently found in many Chinese bras, local authorities said. A number of Chinese bras available in the local markets were previously found to contain an unidentified type of pill and an unknown liquid that are itchy to consumers.

-- Over 2,200 businesses were dissolved from the beginning of the year till October 31 in Ho Chi Minh City, a 28 percent rise year on year, the municipal Department of Planning and Investment said.

Lifestyle

-- An English play adapted from the French novella Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry will hit the stage in Ho Chi Minh City. The expat group Dragonfly will perform it on November 8, 10, 15, and 17.

-- The Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright said it will sue eight hotels, an event planning company, and a music website if they continue their violations of the intellectual property rights of those songwriters represented by the center.

Sports

-- A soccer club consisting of Vietnamese celebrities was introduced in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

-- The Olympic Council of Asia is scheduled to announce the host country of the 2019 Asian Games during its meeting on Thursday (Vietnam time) in Macau. Surabaya (Indonesia), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Hanoi (Vietnam) are the three candidates of the Games.

Education

-- Private schools in Vietnam are grappling with extremely low numbers, with many even closing down for that reason.