VIETNAM TODAY

Vietnam, UNICEF join to combat child violence

Vietnam and the United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) are jointly working in a study on drivers of violence against children with a view to helping develop evidence-based policies for better child care and protection.

Chaos after the People's Court building tilts

The HCM City People's Court three-storey building suddenly tilted on December 20, scaring employees and causing a traffic jam.

Christmas video mocking capsized beer truck incident goes viral

A light-hearted clip featuring people looting Santa's gifts after he falls mocks the behaviour of those involved in the recent incident of a capsized beer truck being looted.

Hanoi welcomes 2.5 millionth foreign visitor

Hanoi welcomed its 2.5 millionth foreign tourist on December 20, fulfilling its set target two years ahead of schedule.

Farm produce’s future export prospects

Vietnam’s agricultural products exported in 2013 have increased by 1.5% to USD25.25 billion, defying a fall in global market demand.

Vietnam jumps 14 places on FIFA ranking

Vietnam's national men's football team jumped fourteen places on FIFA's newest ranking table, finishing at 144th.

New York bans e-cigarettes in public places

New York City has voted to extend its strict smoking ban to e-cigarettes, barring them from bars, restaurants, parks, beaches and other public places.

Public shame may be added deterrent to traffic violators

A draft regulation by the Ministry of Public Security suggested that the names of traffic safety violators should be made public through media outlets as an added deterrent.

More funding to medial insurance for the poor

The Ministry of Finance decided to allocate an additional VND300 billion (USD14.2 million) to medical insurance for the poor in 2013.

Social workers need professional training

Less than 10% of social workers are adequately trained, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs across 41 cities and provinces.

India government seeks to reverse gay ban ruling

India's government on Friday filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking it to review a ruling which upheld the constitutionality of a colonial-era law criminalising gay sex.

Town unable to pay removal company swamped in trash

Waste is piling up in the town of An Duong, Haiphong, because local authorities are unable to pay the waste management company for their services.

Vendor attacked by security guards awarded VND7.8-million

A street vendor in HCM City, who was attacked by several ward security guards, has received a VND7.8-million (USD3,710) compensation.

Dragon Bridge wins US Diamond Award in 2014 EEA

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York announced that central Danang’s Dragon Bridge has won the Diamond Award in the 2014 Engineering Excellence Awards.

English teachers bad at listening and speaking

Refresher courses cannot help English teachers improve their listening and speaking skills. The lack of qualified teachers may lead to the failure of the national English teaching programme.

Clampdown on private kindergartens after abuse incident

Hanoi authorities have been seeking measures to tighten control over private kindergartens after the most recent child abuse case at Phuong Anh Kindergarten, HCM City.

Hanoi hosts Vietnam Fashion Fair 2013

As many as 200 Vietnamese enterprises have joined Vietnam Fashion Fair 2013 which being held at the Giang Vo Exhibition Centre in Hanoi from December 19-25.

HCM City needs better disaster responses

Local experts have urged HCM City authorities to better coordinate activities on climate-change adaptation as the city is one of 10 in the world that is most vulnerable to such changes.