VIETNAM TODAY

Tropical Storm Irina has killed at least 65 people in Madagascar, most of them residents of the Ifanadiana district in the southeast of the island, weather authorities said.

Workers in HCMC are turning to fake medical certificates to eek out time from employers to deal with personal emergencies.

At the ancient town of Hoi An, in the central province of Quang Nam, farmers often go to the street to learn English from foreign tourists.

HCM City buries much of its solid waste instead of classifying and processing it, affecting the environment, and officials are calling for investment from more sources and greater use of technology.

Authorities in Phu Tho Province are working with five other provinces and cities to prepare a range of activities to celebrate the Hung Kings Temple Festival.

The Vietnam-Sri Lanka business forum took place on March 5 in Hanoi.

A huge forest fire has been raging in Hoang Lien Son National Park in Sa Pa District in the northern province of Lao Cai for the last three days, and all attempts to quell it have so far failed.

Hoang Quoc Tuan won the first prize at the 11th international photographic contest entitled “A World for All: Overcoming Disabilities” held by the Spanish Organisation for the Blind.

Despite Government efforts to enforce the law, poppies producing opium continue to be planted in several areas of Nghe An.

US President Barack Obama and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu go into key talks on the Iranian nuclear stand-off, with each publicly seeking to stake out some common ground.

Commenting on the $6 billion project for expanding the entire National Highway 1A, one expert warns it may be a huge waste, while another wonders whether it is feasible.

The lower reach of the Mekong River has proved fertile waters for an array of giant fish, some of which weigh up to 500 kilos.

Vietnam ranked 6th for the first time at the World Team Three Cushion Championship, which concluded in Germany on March 4.

HCM City’s traffic police on March 4 detected three tons of rotten chicken on a 50-seat bus. The driver said that he was hired to transport the meat to a primary school.

The identities of those involved in corruption may be made public, regardless of their office or whether they are still active.

Singapore Telecom said that it will buy US mobile advertising startup Amobee for $321 million to expand group revenues from ads and marketing across Asia.

Both fish farms and exporters are facing difficulties due to a lack of capital, putting their export goals for 2012 at risk.

Senior officials in ASEAN member countries met to prepare agendas and documents for the 20th ASEAN Summit and related Summits scheduled for April 3- 4.

All households in Vietnam will have access to digital television by 2020 under a programme recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.