VIETNAM TODAY

Tomb raiders give the dead no rest in Vietnam's Central Highlands

Ethnic people in the Central Highlands bury their dead with jewels and antiques since they believe the person would need them in the afterlife, only for the graves to be destroyed by thieves.

Shipment of waste left abandoned in Haiphong Port

Nearly 6,500 tonnes of stranded ores and other hazardous industrial waste have been piling up around the port of Haiphong.

Foreign school vanishes

HCMC's authorities requested a freeze on the bank account of the Melior Vietnam Company after their school closed suddenly.

Vietnam joins WTO Government Procurement Agreement

Vietnam has been approved for participating in the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement as an observer.

Boeing funds school construction in Thai Nguyen

Children in My Yen Commune, Thai Nguyen Province, have 10 new classrooms as a result of a project jointly funded by local authorities and the Boeing Company.

Five die as Egypt protests turn violent

Five demonstrators died overnight in the worst violence since Mohamed Morsi became Egypt's first Islamist president in June.

Cave holds ancient cemetery

Caves in central Thanh Hoa Province have provided soil evidence of climate change from end of the glacier age, plus tools and an ancient cemetery dating back more than 10,000 years.

Expert claims tycoon arrest disrupts investor confidence

The arrest of banking mogul Nguyen Duc Kien indicated the difficulties of Vietnam’s economic situation to investors, one expert said.

Fashion week to showcase Spring, Summer designs

Vietnam Fashion Week will kick off at the Hanoi Daewoo Hotel on December 6, with a taste of 19 collections by veterans and emerging designers to be shown during the week.

Vietnam, Japan parliaments foster ties

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has said the Vietnamese NA, Government and people highly value the friendship and cooperation with Japan.

Leading firms pessimistic about new year prospects

Over half of Vietnam’s leading companies believe that the economy will not improve considerably in 2013, a report said.

Greece 'most corrupt' EU country, says survey

Greece has scored the worst ranking of all 27 EU nations in a global league table of perceived official corruption, according to anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International's report.

Vietnam has around 140 million phone subscribers

The number of new phone subscribers reached over 11.2 million, bringing the total figure to 135.9 million by November 2012, including 120.9 million mobile subscribers.

HCM City holds international food festival

An international gastronomy festival featuring the cuisine of 25 countries and territories will take place next week in HCM City, said one official.

Parents keep doubtful about English joint training programme

The Hanoi education department initiated programme on teaching English to first graders started in 2008. To date, 400 schools have joined the programme.

Rate cut urged to help firms

The country's prime interest rate should be cut from 9% to 8% to help enterprises gain access to loans more easily, one agency has said.

Death toll from Philippine typhoon passes 270

Bodies covered with banana leaves were laid out in a row a day after a typhoon killed more than 270 people in the Philippines.

UN cuts food rations to Syrians over cash shortage

The United Nations has had to cut food rations for hundreds of thousands of people in conflict-stricken Syria because of cash shortages, officials said.