Environment

Flood waters swept through vast areas of northeastern Australia in a disaster one official said was of "biblical proportions".

Italy is set to ban plastic bags from shops and supermarkets across the country on January 1.

Vietnam is hurriedly building its institutional framework for projects to cope with climate change, as the country is seen to be among the worst hit by global warming.

The East Sea has turned rough and gloomy, threatening shipping during the next 6 to7 days, the national weather bureau has said.

Medicinal wines have remained a favourite drink for many Vietnamese men despite serious warnings of potential risks from doctors and herbalists.

Ho Chi Minh City needs more than VND20 trillion (US$1.05 billion) by 2015 to cope with the impacts of climatic change, but authorities have yet to draft action plans.

A recent photograph taken by a scientist of a red-eared slider clinging to a giant turtle’s carapace has scientists screaming blue murder.

Tet bonus problems are contributing to strikes in scores of foreign-backed enterprises in southern provinces.

Families living on boats along city waterways run the gauntlet of random police raids as they eke out a meager living.

Vietnam’s world heritage Ha Long Bay ranks sixth among the world’s top ten destinations for sailing cruises by National Geographic book Journeys of a Lifetime.

China plans to invest 30 billion dollars on water conservation projects in 2011 to reduce the impact of natural disasters on grain production, state media said Saturday.

Agent Orange victim Nguyen Thi Ly is struggling with the toxic chemical in her body but dreams of a normal life.

Don village was dubbed the “elephant kingdom” in the Central Highlands for its tradition of taming wild elephants and also worshipping them.

Scores of villagers on a remote Japanese island chain in the Pacific scrambled for higher ground after a major 7.4-magnitude offshore quake sparked a tsunami alert.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Wildlife At Risk organisation announced the discovery of 12 new species of freshwater fish in Vietnam.

The Asian Development Bank is supporting conservation efforts in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in a community-driven initiative.

The conference on environment, climate change and role of legislative bodies in policy making was held in Hanoi.

Vietnam tourism authorities have decided to adopt a 10-year plan to try and attract rich tourists to its sparkling white beaches.

A new international accord on global warming has heartened environmentalists, but casting a shadow is the political shift in the US where legislative climate efforts died in 2010.