Below are some of the main stories published today, February 22, in the Vietnamese press. Politics -- At the sitting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee opened yesterday, many members of the committee have proposed delaying a vote of confidence slated for May for those holding positions of power elected or approved by the NA or People’s Councils. They said that before conducting such a vote, it is necessary to review and amend Resolution 35 issued in 2012 on conducting a vote of confidence. The pause in conducting a confidence vote will give lawmakers time to consider and suggest necessary amendments to the resolution, they said.Society -- The Animal Quarantine Station in Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City in conjunction with a traffic police team seized 1.3 tons of quail meat carried in a truck without documents on Friday. The truck’s driver said he was transporting the meat from Dong Nai Proince to Ben Tre Province. This is the second time that the same truck has committed the same offense. -- Police from the Ministry of Public Security on Friday arrested Tran Quoc Tuan, 45, head of the Vung Tau city Department of Natural Resources and Environment for “intentionally violating State regulations on economic management regulations, causing serious consequences.” Tuan has submitted a wrong proposal to the city People’s Committee to change the purpose of use of land in relation to a large project, causing a loss of VND20 billion (US$960,000). Police also arrested three others who are leaders of two real estate companies in Vung Tau. -- The prevalence of obesity among children in Ho Chi Minh City has reached alarming rates, the city Nutrition Center reported. Of the total number of preschoolers in the city, 48 percent are overweight and 10.5 percent are obese. Meanwhile, the malnutrition rate among these preschoolers is 4.3 percent. -- Following Ho Chi Minh City, central Da Nang City is making preparations for building a new urban administration model, with a view to creati a better administrative apparatus that will help boost the city's socio-economic development. According to the new model, Da Nang will have two levels of administration: the municipal and grassroots governments, instead of three levels as present. That means the district administration level will be no longer applied. Also under the new model, the city will establish two new districts.Business -- The price of gasoline has increased by VND300 per liter since 8 pm on February 21, according to a decision of the Ministry of Finance. At the same time, the prices of diesel and kerosene and mazut oil have also increased by VND240, VND230 and VND 200 per liter respectively. Such hikes were made as the world’s prices of gasoline and oil have increased since February 10, the ministry explained. -- Many commercial banks have reduced their interest rates on deposit accounts as they have been facing a slowdown in lending activities. On Friday, Eximbank lowered the interest rates on one-month, two-month and three-month deposits to 6.5, 6.6 and 6.8 percent per year. This is the second interest cut that Eximbank had made within three days. Similarly, Techcombank also reduced the rate on one-month deposits to 6.55 percent per year. The same situation has been seen at many other banks including DongA Bank.Lifestyle -- The Embassy of India in Vietnam and the Ministry of Culture of India in coordination with Vuietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will conduct a “Festival of India” in Vietnam from March 5 to 15, 2014, to promote the friendship and cultural linkages between the two countries, the embassy said in a press conference in Hanoi Friday. The Festival will be held in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.
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Cold front to bring rain to northern Vietnam, disperses extreme heat
The weak cold spell is moving south and will combine with a wind convergence to first cover the northeastern part of the region in the early hours of Wednesday
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Dead fish blanket lake in Vietnam’s Dong Nai Province
A prolonged heatwave appeared to be the cause of mass fish deaths in Song May Lake
1 day agoHeatwave results in Vietnam’s new record power consumption
Power consumption nationwide hit 993 million kilowatt-hours
1 day agoHo Chi Minh City's coffee scene: Social hub or remote office?
While coffee shops generally do not enforce strict rules against talking, breaking the silence is often perceived as impolite by other patrons
18 hours agoBreakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — May 1
Good morning from Vietnam!
23 hours agoBoiler explosion leaves 6 dead, including one Chinese, in Vietnam
The tragedy occurred at 8:10 am at Sunrise Wood Trading Production Company in Thien Tan Commune under Vinh Cuu District
14 hours agoHighlights
Retired Vietnamese runner concludes remarkable 1,800km run from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
This marks his second cross-country journey
Photos
Artist paints murals on house to raise awareness of COVID-19 prevention in Hanoi
He drew the virus, vaccine, and earth on the exterior walls of a house
Latest news
Retired Vietnamese runner concludes remarkable 1,800km run from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
This marks his second cross-country journey
‘Green’ office in Vietnam’s Quang Binh seen as heat-proof model amid extreme heat
The building was initially planned to be the same as other construction works, but a ‘green’ change was made to it in 2022
Thai dance group named champion in int’l dance competition in Vietnam's Da Lat
Planet Lock from Thailand became the champion in the international board showcase category
Nha Trang seeks to alleviate saline intrusion into rivers
Saltwater has intruded into the Cai and Quan Truong Rivers, leading to the concentration of chlorides in some of their sections soaring
Southern China road collapse kills at least 19
The incident is the latest in a string of deadly disasters to hit Guangdong in recent weeks
Dollar near five-month highs ahead of Fed policy decision
The dollar gained over 0.5 percent on Tuesday on all six currencies that make up the dollar index
Tourists enamored with camping, feeding fish on Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island
Since the start of the holiday on Saturday last week, crowds of tourists have flocked to Phu Quoc City
Many hybrid vehicles set to debut in Vietnam this year
From May onward, the Vietnamese car market will welcome multiple new hybrid car models, with prices averaging VND1 billion (US$39,000)
Boiler explosion leaves 6 dead, including one Chinese, in Vietnam
The tragedy occurred at 8:10 am at Sunrise Wood Trading Production Company in Thien Tan Commune under Vinh Cuu District
Another Vietnamese badminton player qualifies for 2024 Olympics
Vietnam now has ten athletes set to compete at the Paris Games