Society

Vietnam’s top badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh was defeated 0-2 by Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat (world 9th player).

A total of 64.2 million computers across the country were infected with different types of viruses in 2011, said a software company.

Vietnamese universities will give applicants more choices in the next school year that starts in September as they are going to offer several new majors.

China's forex reserves, the biggest in the world, fell to $3.18 trillion in the last quarter of 2011, the central bank said, the first quarterly fall since 1998 during the Asian financial crisis.

The Vietnam Golden Heart Fund made its debut in Hanoi, calling for help to the poor, AO/dioxin victims and families of martyrs and invalids.

Peach growers in Nhat Tan Village, Hanoi, have had very good results but must sell at lower prices this year.

The country has not yet had enough conditions to lower the interest rate in the banking sector, said Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Van Binh.

The Vietnam Environment Administration launched the largest ever biodiversity conservation project to establish a biodiversity corridor in three central provinces.

"Harry Potter" cast a spell at the People's Choice awards on a night that also saw big wins for singer Katy Perry at the start of the Hollywood awards season.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has allowed local businesses to import 2,100 tonnes of gold, announced the General Department of Customs on January 12.

Ten Vietnamese crewmembers will be tried for allegedly violating Thailand’s territorial waters, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said.

Protection of citizens will continue to be one of the important tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2012, said MoFA spokesman at the ministry’s regular meeting.

The US condemned a video showing Marines urinating on dead insurgents in Afghanistan, but Taliban said peace efforts would continue.

University lecturers have recently voiced their concern that Vietnam’s education has been “staying alone” and it does not have the international connection.

14 Vietnamese women were detained in a raid by a Malaysian police team at an entertainment center in Taman AST for suspected prostitution.

TOSY Robotics, a robotics and high-tech toys manufacturer based in Vietnam, unveiled a portable speaker that doubles as a dancing robot at the CES, with the help of singing sensation Justin Bieber.

World powers are demanding journalists in Syria be protected following the death of a French reporter in a rocket attack hours after Syrian president vowed to defeat a "conspiracy" against his regime.

Saigon Children’s Charity is planning to organise special events in 2012 to raise funds for helping underprivileged children in Vietnam.

In 2012, Hanoi plans to win more than 1,840 medals, including 776 golds in domestic and foreign tournaments, according to its Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.