Press Highlights Feb. 19

Hanoi (VNA) -
Current Events

· State President Nguyen Minh Triet receives the
General Director of the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Complex, Prof. Dr. Khristo
Takhchidi (All dailies, p1).

· Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung chairs a cabinet
meeting, urging for the completion of demand stimulus policies for implementation
in February (All dailies, p1).

· Vietnam condemns terrorist acts against
civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (Nhan dan, p8).

· Vietnam , Laos cooperate in national defence (Nhan
dan, p8).

Socio-economic Affairs

· France funds the construction of the Kim Long
primary school in Hue city (Saigon Giai phong, p1).

· Surgical operations performed on poor children with
inborn heart diseases in central Quang Tri province (Saigon Giai phong, p1).

· Import tariff adjusted to keep retail petroleum prices
unchanged (Saigon Giai phong, p1).

· Concealing information is a violation of the law
(Saigon Giai phong, p4). Government chief inspector Tran Van Truyen talks about
the draft anti-corruption strategy though 2020.

· Sausages contaminated with dioxin-alike chemicals yet
to be found on the market (Saigon Giai phong, p2).

· Vietnamese characters in modern architecture revived
(Saigon Giai phong, p7).

· Applications for house purchase in Vietnam should
be considered carefully (Saigon Giai phong, p7). The National Assembly's
Economics Committee discusses amendments to regulations regarding housing and
land.

· Central Da Nang city allocates 11 billion VND to
support unemployed workers (Saigon Giai phong, p6).

· A TV channel for movies and tourism planned (Saigon
Giai phong, p8).

· Prices are on the rise: Challenges to the government's
efforts to stimulate demands (Lao dong, p1).

· Ho Chi Minh City fails to enumerate foreign
labourers (Lao dong, p4). The number of unlicensed foreign labourers in the city
is increasing, from unskilled workers to managers at major businesses.

· Newly appointed World Bank Country Director in Vietnam
Victoria Kwakwa: The World Bank pledges to increase assistance to Vietnam
(Lao dong, p6).

· Support for poor labourers who want to work abroad: 100
billion VND will be doled out each year (Lao dong, Employment page). An interview
with Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thanh Hoa.


· Domestic garment market: A lot of opportunities, but a
shortage of investment (Hanoi Moi, p4).

· More than 1 million USD to improve the capacity of
volunteers (Hanoi Moi, p6).

· Hanoi to make public administrative procedures on
the internet (Hanoi Moi, p7).

· Vietnam is an ideal investment destination (Quan
doi Nhan dan, p8). The assessment is made by executives of the Dubai-based Global
Investment House.


· A Vietnamese student honoured for excellent study
achievements in Australia 's New South Wales (Tuoi tre [Youth], No. 41, p8).
Nguyen Huy Long, who is studying at the Ashfield high school, has been awarded as
the foreign student with the most outstanding study achievements in 2008 by New
South Wales ' Ministry of Education and Training.

· Listed companies suffer losses at worrying level? (Tuoi
tre, No. 41, p8). Financial reports for the fourth quarter of 2008 show that many
listed firms suffered huge losses, while 11 shares listed at the Ho Chi Minh
Stock Exchange were put under close supervision due to unprofitability, further
pushing share prices down.

· Any exist for real estate investment? (Thoi bao Kinh te
Viet Nam [Vietnam Economic Times], No. 42, p12. According to the property
research company VietRees, real estate trading in Ho Chi Minh City has seen
unanimated activities although prices have reduced slightly compared to the
previous months.

· Automobile market: It's time to invest and reform (Dien
dan Doanh nghiep [Business Forum], No. 15, p9). Despite a decline in the
automobile market, a number of experts said it is now the best time for
businesses to make both reform and investment.

· Losses resulting from financial investment by
businesses: Will a similar scenario be repeated in 2009? (Dau tu [Investment],
No. 21, p6).

· Interest rate subsidy: Small-sized enterprises find it
hard to get access (Dau tu, No. 21, p7).

· Da Nang city's plan to expand to the south: A
piece of cake for real estate investors (Dau tu, No. 21, p13).

International Affairs

· US Government kick-starts the economic stimulus plan
(Nhan dan, p8).

· Europe in the face of energy crisis risk (Nhan dan,
p4).

· Justice is being enforced (Quan doi Nhan dan, p8).
Comments on the trial of the Khmer Rouge leader, Kaing Guek Eav, also known as
Duch.

· Japan : "Undercurrents" in the cabinet (Hanoi Moi,
p8).

· US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits
Indonesia : Gaining support from the Muslim community to fight extremists
(Saigon Giai phong, p8).

· Does the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
have nuclear plants? (Saigon Giai phong, p8).-Enditem