VIETNAM TODAY

Green One-UN House built in Hanoi

The Vietnamese Government and the UN reached a new milestone in advancing the UN reform efforts by signing an MOA for the construction of the Green One-UN House for all UN organizations in Vietnam.

Inefficient telecom firms to go bankrupt

The MoIC will allow a number of telecom companies which face difficulties to go bankrupt or withdraw from the telecom market.

Due attention paid to the poor

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has emphasised reducing poverty rates and protecting social welfare are top priorities.

State bank to offer USD1.9 billion in loans for house buyers

The SBV will provide between VND20-40 trillion for commercial banks to provide home loans at reasonable rates.

Inflation rate of 6.5% targeted

Vietnam should control inflation at 6-6.5% in 2013 according to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

UN envoy due in Russia for talks on Syria crisis

UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is due to fly to Russia’s capital Moscow on Saturday to hold talks with the country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on how to end the crisis in Syria.

Student project against discrimination of HIV infected people

A Child Healthcare Project has trained 60 students from 14 junior high schools to make 3D models to propagandize against discrimination of HIV/AIDS infected people.

Two major solutions for frozen real estate market

The government has drafted two solutions to deal with the slumping real estate market.

LA gunowners hand in weapons after US school shooting

Long lines formed as Los Angeles gun owners turned in weapons for up to $200 worth of groceries, in a gun buyback event brought forward after the Connecticut school shooting.

N.Z. quake city puts faith in cardboard cathedral

When Japanese architect Shigeru Ban designed a new cathedral in earthquake-devastated Christchurch, he chose the most unlikely of materials-cardboard-for the landmark project.

Vietnam welcomes nearly seven million foreign visitors

Vietnam has this year welcomed more than 6.84 million foreign visitors, a year-on-year rise of 9.5%, with arrivals from traditional markets remaining high.

Vietnamese parents tend to bring children to school before school age

More and more Vietnamese parents believe that their children need to go to school soon before the school age, so as to have the best conditions to develop into child prodigies.

Vietnam and Laos vow to strengthen ties

Over the last two years, Vietnamese enterprises invested USD3.8 billion into 222 projects in Laos, making Vietnam the third largest investor in that country.

Food Administration sets new regulation on baby formula

Vietnam Food Administration has announced its new regulation on formula for babies less than 12 months and from six to 36 months of age, which will take effect from June 1, 2013.

Israel PM met Jordan king in Amman over Syria: media

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman recently to discuss violence in Syria and the country's chemical weapons stock, Israeli media said.

HCM City lacks psychologists in schools

Hundreds of teachers in HCM City have taken on the job of psychologists because of a shortage of properly trained people in the field.

$400m spent on social welfare, humanity activities

A full VND8.8 trillion (US$419 million) was spent this year on social welfare, hunger elimination and poverty reduction, according to a report from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.

PM plants seeds for flora import restrictions move

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a project to prevent and control the import of alien species of flora and fauna into the country.

UN pulls staff out of Central African Republic

The United Nations has ordered more than 200 non-essential staff and families of other workers to leave Central African Republic because of a rebel offensive against the government.