VIETNAM TODAY

Emerging powers press rich world on CO2 cuts

Brazil, South Africa, India and China called Friday on industrialized nations to step up their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a key UN climate summit later this year.

Over 3 million Vietnamese families live below poverty line

Over three million Vietnamese families are living under the poverty line, accounting for 14.2% of the country’s households.

Central Highlands groundwater falls

Groundwater levels continue to plunge throughout the Central Highlands, even as its quality takes a hit due to pollution, a study has found.

US east coast girds for Hurricane Irene

Millions of people on the US east coast braced Friday for Hurricane Irene, a massive storm officials fear will cause widespread flooding.

Hanoi: price-stabilised goods meet just 10% of consumer demand

Hanoi’s price-stabilisation programme meets only 10% of consumer demand, said a local official.

Hanoi schools twist parents’ arms for fees

Many parents in Hanoi are forced to pay many unauthorised fees to their children’s schools, said an official.

Titanium mining suspended over environment fears

The Government has ordered a halt in licensing titanium ore exploration and exploitation in Binh Thuan Province to protect local environment.

Banks begin to ease lending rates

Bank lending interest rates in HCM City have dropped to as low as 17% as banks have begun to cut rates that had reached up to 25%.

Journalist sentenced to 7 years for extortion

A former journalist of Tien Phong Newspaper was sentenced to jail for seven years on August 25 for blackmailing local companies.

Monetary policy should be flexible: Deputy PM

The State Bank of Vietnam should complete a system of mechanisms for strengthening banking inspection, said Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh.

Japan PM to step down, race to replace him begins

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Friday announced his resignation as president of the Democratic Party of Japan.

Shrimp farms contaminated by their own waste

Shrimp farms in Thua Thien Hue Province have been forced to cease operations after a discharge of contaminated water.

Foreign tourist numbers up 18.4%

Vietnam welcomed 4 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of this year, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Liverpool to open football academy in Vietnam

Liverpool will set up football training establishments around the globe in the next three years, with priority given to some Asian countries including India, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Seminar discusses measures against press errors

The Ministry of Information and Communications held a seminar to discuss measures against press errors in the central province of Quang Binh from August 24-25.

US comment on detained persons incorrect

The comment made by a US Embassy spokesperson raising concern about the temporary detention of several persons on August 21 in Hanoi is wrong and unsuitable.

Short story: The Siege Of Memories

This short work, which is one part of a novel by Vinh Quyen chronicles the efforts of one man to find the secret behind the war; a war whose core remains elusive.

Investors sanguine as Apple's Jobs steps aside

Apple's first day without Steve Jobs as CEO looked similar to most other days: its share price beat the broader stock market.

Pakistan hotel bicycle bomb kills 11

A powerful remote-controlled bicycle bomb exploded at a busy northwestern Pakistan hotel on Thursday, killing at least 11 people, wounding 14 and destroying the building.