VIETNAM TODAY

Egyptians voted on Saturday in a run-off presidential election pitting an Islamist against Hosni Mubarak's last premier as the military rulers entered a showdown with the Islamists by disbanding parliament.

Most cartoons shown on television are foreign-made, with few of them produced by local companies because of a lack of funds.

The number of applications for the 2012 university and college entrance examinations has reduced by 7.7%, according to the MoET.

250 stations will be installed to collect harmful wastes in HCMC under the harmful waste collection week project drafted by the local Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

50 are killed and scores wounded in communal clashes in western Myanmar as UN warned of "immense hardship" faced by thousands displaced by rioting.

The governor of the State Bank of Vietnam has given approval in principle to the merger of Habubank and SHBank.

A mountainous commune in Hoa Binh Province has become notorious for the great number of people addicted to pipe tobacco.

Vietnam will face many obstacles in exporting its goods, especially steel products, machinery, equipment, organic chemicals, meat and plastics.

Japan ordered nuclear reactors back online, defying public sentiment against atomic power following last year's meltdowns at Fukushima sparked by quake-tsunami disaster.

HCM City authorities will put into operation a huge water pumping station to ease the flooding in several districts, the Management Board of the city Environmental Hygiene Project said.

A ceremony took place in Hanoi to mark the 35 th years since Vietnam ’s National Commission for UNESCO (UNESCO Vietnam) was set up.

The WHO has highlighted the crucial improvements Vietnam has made to encourage more people to donate blood across the country.

A floating dock valued at around USD11.5 million have been left unused at Cam Ranh Bay, Khanh Hoa Province, since August 2008.

At least 16 people were killed and dozens hurt in armed clashes that erupted when police tried to evict landless peasant farmers squatting a privately-owned farm in Paraguay, officials said.

Talks on a new global charter to protect the environment and eradicate poverty were heading into overtime as officials admitted they faced a battle to seal a deal ahead of a UN summit.

The Australian Olympic Committee called for an independent investigation into allegations that a weightlifter demanded cash to compete at a qualifying event.

Egypt braced for further political turmoil after its top court paved the way for the ruling military to assume parliament's powers.

Brazilian guitar virtuoso Fabricio Mattos will lead his group called Worldwide Guitar Connections in a programme of original compositions.

Pawnshops in Hanoi have reaped big profits from the misfortune of unlucky gamblers during the European Championships.