VIETNAM TODAY

Thai police charge two eight-year-old girls who tore down pink lists

Two 8-year-old girls in Thailand have been charged for violating campaigning rules ahead of a contentious referendum next month after tearing voter lists off a wall because they liked the pink paper they were printed on, police said on Sunday.

Vietnam ranks 5th in Happy Planet Index

Vietnam has ranked fifth out of 140 countries and territories and second in the Asia Pacific region in the Happy Planet Index (HPI) 2016.

Saving the Highlands from drought

Intensifying the protection of forests in the Central Highlands from encroachment by hydro power plants, illegal deforestation and unplanned agricultural development would be the key to preserving water in this drought hit region.

HCM City fines 130 travel agents and hotels for violations

Tourism inspectors in HCM City have fined more than 130 travel and hospitality firms a total of VNĐ2 billion (US$89,300) for various violations, according to the city Department of Tourism.

Vietnam delays $3b int’l bond plan

Việt Nam has postponed a US$3-billion international bond issuance plan due to unfavourable conditions in the global finance and monetary market, the finance ministry said.

Int’l workshop to highlight legal matters related to PCA’s rulings

More than 200 delegates are expected to discuss legal issues relating to the rulings of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at an international workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on July 23.

Vietnam Airlines earns $71.6m profit

Vietnam Airlines Joint Stock Company (Vietnam Airlines) has said it earned more than VNĐ36 trillion (US$1.6 billion) in estimated revenue and VNĐ1.6 trillion ($71.6 million) in pre-tax profit in 2016’s first half.

Irrigation in Mekong basin threatens VN’s delta

The south of Việt Nam is highly vulnerable to more drought and salinisation in the future when its fellow countries in the lower Mekong river basin are in the process of diverting the river water to serve their expanding

Hanoi Int’l Film Festival registration opens

The Vietnam Cinema Department has announced that online registration is now open for media, industry and students wishing to participate in the fourth edition of the Hanoi International Film Festival (Haniff).

Netherlands aids waste treatment project in Binh Duong

The Dutch Government will give financial support to the implementation, operation and maintenance of the water drainage and wastewater treatment project in the southern province of Binh Duong as stipulated in an agreement signed on July 22.

People flock to higher education programmes

Even though the needs for higher education has sharply surged after some cities and provinces in the Mekong Delta revealed incentives for degrees holders, the management and education quality of such courses are still being debated.

Blind mother seeks help for ill son

A blind woman from Thai Nguyen Province is calling for financial support to help treat her son who is suffering from retinal cancer.

Japanese medical university opened in Vietnam

The Tokyo Human Health Sciences University Vietnam has officially opened in Hung Yen Province.

Italy hosts first Down's Syndrome 'Olympics'

The roar from the stands in Florence could not have been louder if it had been stars Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the track.

Reporters attacked at Formosa waste landfill

A group of Vietnamese reporters were attacked when they came to a company in Phu Tho Province where 145 tonnes of Formosa’s hazardous waste is being treated.

Hanoi: CPI in July rises slightly

The consumer price index (CPI) in Hanoi continued to go up in July, the seventh consecutive month of growth, the municipal Statistics Office (GSO) reported.

WB applauds super commitee idea

The World Bank has applauded Vietnam’s idea of setting up a “super committee” to supervise assets owned by State-owned enterprises (SOEs), which are estimated at around $227 billion.

ASEAN senior officials discuss preparations of 49th AMM

Senior officials from ASEAN member countries met in Vientiane, Laos on July 22 to discuss the preparation of the agenda and documents for the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-49) which is slated for July 23-26.

'Lone' Munich shooter kills nine, commits suicide

German police said Saturday a gunman who went on a shooting rampage at a busy mall in Munich likely acted alone, and then committed suicide after killing nine people in cold blood.