VIETNAM TODAY

Vietnam is hoping that falling inflation and rising global risk appetites will spur sustained interest in the country's small stock market, a frontier where many pioneers have been burned.

Serbia took a "milestone" leap towards EU membership when Europe's leaders granted Belgrade candidate status, opening a new chapter in the history of the Western Balkans.

The General Department of Taxation is trying to recover debts from some of the country’s biggest firms that complain they have been affected by the economic downturn.

Well organized rings have begun offering contract prostitution, recruiting girls to work under contract for entrepreneurs, an official of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs said.

Shop owners in Hanoi show little interest in buying fire insurance, leaving the capital's crowded markets at risk.

Kristina Nguyen, 24, is the only American of Vietnamese origin taking part in humanitarian activities in Cameroon, West Africa.

The Vietnam Vovinam Federation sent its Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Chieu and General Secretary Vo Danh Hai to Milan, Italy, to supervise the European Vovinam Championships from March 2-4.

The central province of Quang Nam became the twelfth province declaring H5N1 bird flu as pandemic in two communes, after provincial authorities were compelled to destroy hundreds of infected water fowl.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre will apply new entrance ticket prices for both local and foreign visitors to the city’s historical sites from this month.

This family name of Vietnam is among the most ten common family names in the world. Nguyen is the surname of around 40% of Vietnam’s population, according to Theworldgeography.com.

Two NATO troops were killed when an Afghan soldier and a civilian turned their weapons against them in southern Afghanistan, the coalition military said.

PM Dung warned eight chairmen of provincial people’s committees over making inaccurate reports on natural disasters.

China welcomed North Korea's agreement to freeze nuclear activities in return for US food aid, a deal that raised cautious hopes of an easing of tensions under Pyongyang's new young leader.

Hanoi has decided to relocate universities and junior colleges to the suburbs, but several schools still got trillions of VND from the State budget to construct more buildings at the campuses in the inner city.

Despite recent petrol import tax cut, traders still complain about rising losses due to soaring prices in the world market.

Vietnam Television will begin broadcasting new ethnic language television shows on Channel Five from today, March 1.

Europe's leaders seek to turn the corner on the debt crisis by mapping out new routes to grow their economies just as a eurozone-wide recession kicks in.

Gas traders have decided to increase retail gas prices by VND62,000 (USD2.97) per 12-kilo canister, beginning on March 1.

“Vietnam remains strong on its commitments to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for its people,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Le Luong Minh at the United Nations Human Rights Council.