VIETNAM TODAY

Two bird's nest-shaped restaurants have been launched at the newly-opened Mooc Water Springs tourism area in Quang Binh Province's Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One million books will be given to children from rural, mountainous and remote areas of the country as part of a progamme launched by the Kim Dong Publishing House.

A fire raged through a psychiatric hospital outside Moscow early Friday, killing 38 people, including two nurses, emergency officials said.

A regulation in an amended draft of the land law requires stricter control over areas used for rice cultivation.

Voters in HCM City's District 4 expressed their opinions about the country's economic restructuring in a meeting with President Truong Tan Sang yesterday.

Many banks and listed companies have announced plans to cut bonuses and salary for top executives this year if they fail to reach their business targets.

ASEAN will hold negotiations with China on East Sea issues, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh has affirmed.

China announced Thursday that it had signed a letter of intent with France for the purchase of 60 Airbus planes - a transaction worth an estimated $7.7 billion.

Vietnam’s first optical earth observation satellite is scheduled to go into orbit on May 4 from a launch pad in Kourou, Guiana, France.

Capital planning for mammoth Hanoi-Can Tho expressway upgrading and expansion project is put under the microscope in anticipation of a National Assembly review for bond financing.

Authorities in the southern coastal city of Vung Tau have set up hotlines for tourists to tackle possible overcharging.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially recognised the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Soldier Feast and Commemoration Festival as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Intel-the world leading information technology group launched a programme in Hanoi to offer computers with an effort to improve the IT appliance in their daily lives.

Pop star My Tam was named Singer of the Year in the Cong Hien (Devotion) Music Awards, which took place in HCM City's Hoa Binh Theatre last night.

Economists and authorities of Binh Dinh Province have supported the implementation of a USD27-billion oil refinery project despite strong opposition from PetroVietnam.

With Cyprus facing an even deeper slump on the back of a draconian EU-IMF bailout, thousands of Asian housemaids, nannies and caregivers on the small Mediterranean island fear for their jobs and futures.

The Nam Na River in Lai Chau Province has been under threat of destruction because of hydro-power projects.

A seminar on Vietnam-France relationship was held in Hue city on April 25 to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Development planning for the Mekong Delta was discussed at an international workshop in Hanoi on April 24, hosted by the Vietnam – Netherlands Friendship and Cooperation Association and the Water Resources University.