VIETNAM TODAY

Battles rage as Syrian troops, rebels fight for Aleppo

Fighting in Aleppo raged through the night and into Thursday, a monitoring group said, after the army and rebels rushed in reinforcements for what is seen as a decisive battle for Syria's second city.

Foreign lenders' fixed asset purchases limited

Foreign lending institutions and foreign bank branches will be forbidden from using amounts in excess of 50% of their charter capital to acquire or invest in fixed assets.

S. Korea prosecutors charge president's brother

S.Korean prosecutors said they have brought graft charges against the brother of President Lee Myung-Bak, following a series of corruption scandals involving the leader's aides.

Stars out in London to honour great Ali

Stars of sport and screen gathered in London to honour legendary heavyweight boxer and Olympic champion Muhammad Ali as the countdown to the 2012 Games neared its finale.

Cop dismissed for beating VOV reporters

A police officer who took part in assaulting two journalists of the Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) in Hung Yen Province has been removed from his post.

Bank branch receives no customers over two years

A branch of the Vietnam Development Bank has received no customer for the past two years capable of meeting its criteria for loans.

Leaders pay tribute to fallen soldiers

Vietnamese high ranking officers laid wreaths in commemoration of heroes and fallen combatants in Hanoi on the occasion of the 65 th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day.

Huge urban area projects abandoned in Me Linh

Dozens of projects in the expected 'super urban area' of Me Linh District have been left abandoned for almost four years.

Water puppetry masters set to perform in Japan

HCMC's well-known Rong Vang (Golden Dragon) Water Puppetry Troupe will take part in the Kijimuna Festa 2012 in Japan from July 28 to August 6.

Banks resume paying interest on gold deposits

Banks have resumed mobilising gold at an interest rate of 0.6-1% per annum after gold owners were required to pay interest on their gold deposits at banks.

Nomura group CEO to step down over leaks: report

Nomura Holdings Group chief executive Kenichi Watanabe will resign to take responsibility for an embarrassing insider trading scandal at the firm.

Complicated procedures cause difficulties for exporters

Complicated procedures have brought difficulties for Vietnamese exporters, limiting their competitiveness.

Painter dedicates her art to Heroic Mothers

A 64-year-old artist has travelled 35,000km around the country to make portraits of Heroic Mothers, the title given to women who as mothers made great sacrifices during the war.

ASEAN enhances water resources management

The 12th meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management opened in Ha Long City in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh.

Chopper crash kills six Eurocopter staff in France: sources

All six people on board a helicopter died when the aircraft plunged into a mountain in southeastern France, sources said.

Vietnam-Indonesia committee meets on bilateral ties

The first meeting of the Vietnam-Indonesia Committee for Bilateral Cooperation took place in Hanoi on July 25.

Market traders cease trading due to slow sales

Many traders at both wholesale and traditional markets in Hanoi have stopped trading due to slow sales.

Protest over California police shooting turns violent, 24 arrested

Police in California arrested 24 people overnight after protesters smashed store windows and started fires in anger over the police shooting of an apparently unarmed man.