Vietnamese News Agency back issues from January 2009:
Cambodia opens new entry points to attract foreign tourists.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 1 (VNA) -- Cambodia has announced establishment of nine border entry points with Vietnam, six with Thailand and one with Laos, said the Ministry of Tourism. This is part of a plan to attract more foreign tourists to the country, said Pak So ...
ASEAN welcomes China's Ambassador to the grouping.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Jakarta, January 1 (VNA) -- ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan has welcomed China's appointment of its first ambassador, Xue Hanqin, to the 10-nation regional association. This would strengthen the ties that started with the ASEAN-China dialogue in 1991 and its formalisation ...
Thailand's nightclub fire leaves at least 60 dead.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Bangkok, January 1 (VNA) -- At least 60 people were reported dead and over 210 others injured in when a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Thai capital Bangkok on early January 1 as local people were celebrating New Year. The injured were taken to 14 hospitals around the ...
Vietnam opens wider for business, says US online newspaper.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Washington, January 1 (VNA) - Vietnam opens on January 1 its retail sector to wholly foreign-owned investments according to its World Trade Organisation obligations and lucrative opportunities await in Asia's new No. 1 retail market, a US online newspaper reported. In an article ...
Vietnam to build hydro power plants in north Laos.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Vientiane , January 1 (VNA) -- Vietnam will build three hydro power plants in Nam Et river, northern Laos ' Huaphan province with a combined capacity of 420 MW. A memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed between Laos Deputy Minister ...
Vietnam welcomes first foreign visitors of new year.
Jan 01, 2009 ... HCM City, January 1 (VNA) -- The Costa Allegra cruise ship anchored Tien Sa port in central Da Nang city on January 1, bringing the first 800 foreign tourists to the country. The visitors, mainly from Italy , Spain and the UK , visited world-class cultural heritages in the ...
Czech Republic to resume long-term visas for Vietnamese.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 1 (VNA) - The Czech Foreign Ministry has decided to start issuing long-term visas for the Vietnamese again at the embassy in Hanoi in January, the daily Lidove Noviny (LN) reported. "It will not be on January 1 already, but we reckon with it during the month ...
Vietnam urges immediate stop of violence in Gaza.
Jan 01, 2009 ... New York , January 1 (VNA) -- Vietnam has urged all parties concerned to immediately and unconditionally stop all acts of violence in the Gaza Strip where unjustifiable violence and attacks against both Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations have mounted to unacceptable levels over ...
Gov't vows to curb economic recession.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 1 (VNA) - Preventing an economic recession, maintaining economic growth and ensuring social security will be the government's top priorities in 2009, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. In an article about the country's 2009 socio-economic development ...
Music gala raises over 2.56 trillion VND for the poor.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 1 (VNA) -- A television programme "Noi Vong Tay Lon" (Joining the Great Fold) broadcast live on VTV3 on the night of December 31 raised over 2.56 trillion VND (151 million USD) as funds for poor people nationwide. Speaking at the gala night, the seventh of its ...
Guangxi-Hanoi passenger rail service opens.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Beijing, January 1 (VNA) - Passenger trains between China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Vietnam started regular daily service on January 1. According to China's Xinhua news agency, the first train began its 400-km long trip from Nanning, Guangxi's capital, at 9.38 am. ...
Ha Long Bay welcomes 5,000 tourists on New Year's Day.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Quang Ninh, January 1 (VNA) -- 386 tourist ships carrying 4,900 passengers, including 3,700 foreigners, left Bai Chay tourist wharf in the northern province of Quang Ninh to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage site, on the first day of 2009. According to the ...
NA Chairman: Cooperation with Australia important.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 2 (VNA) -- Vietnam values Australia 's role in the Asia-Pacific region and attaches importance to promoting cooperation with the country, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said on Jan. 2. Chairman Trong noted the development in the two countries' ...
Greetings to Belgian, New Zealand leaders.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 2 (VNA) -- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has on January 2 sent a message of congratulations to Hecman Van Rompuy, who has been appointed Prime Minister of Belgium. National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong also extended greetings to ...
Union of disabled on the way.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 2 (VNA) -- The committee for establishing a union of Vietnamese disabled is scheduled to meet on January 9, said director of the National Coordinating Committee for Disability (NCCD) Nghiem Xuan Tue. NCCD, in collaboration with the Vietnam Assistance for the ...
New plan for sustainable preservation of My Son relic.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 2 (VNA) -- The Prime Minister has approved a plan to preserve the My Son ancient relic in central Quang Nam province for the 2008-2020 period in a sustainable manner. The 282-billion VND project, funded by the State budget and donations from organisations and ...
PetroVietnam to invest in electricity project.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 2 (VNA) -- Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has assigned the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to invest in the Quang Trach electricity centre project in central Quang Binh province. Deputy PM Hai asked PetroVietnam to ensure the progress of ...
Saigontourist busy with foreign visitors in New Year.
Jan 02, 2009 ... HCM City , January 2 (VNA) -- The Saigontourist Travel Service Company received 800 tourists who anchored at Da Nang port on January 1 and is organising a Premium Travel tour for 33 VIP tourists of the US 's A&K firm from January 2-5. The A&K tourists will visit Hanoi , Ha Long ...
IT-Telecom sees big triumphs in 2008.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 2 (VNA) -- The information technology (IT) and telecoms sector made an impressive growth in 2008 despite global economic and financial difficulties, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan at the sector's conference on tasks for 2009 on Jan. 2. At the end of ...
Stock market gloomy during new year's first session.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 2 (VNA) -- Vietnam 's stock market was covered by a gloomy atmosphere in the first trading day of the new year on January 2 after the last two busy sessions of last year. The VN-Index of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) opened the new year with a decrease of 2.28 points ...
Virtuoso guitarist to jam with locals.
Jan 02, 2009 ... HCM City , January 2 (VNA) -- Vietnamese-Australian guitar virtuoso Le Hoang Minh, the first prize winner of the 50 th Tokyo International Guitar Competition, will perform with local musicians in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi beginning next week. The guitar recital is being held to ...
Vietnam succeeds in spermatid culture.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 2 (VNA) -- Vietnam has succeeded in growing spermatids to be used in treatment of sterility in men, a doctor with Military Hospital 103 has said. According to Quan Hoang Lam, Director of the hospital's Centre for Embryo Technology, an infant was born via ...
Cambodian has 3.1kg tumor removed in HCMC hospital.
Jan 02, 2009 ... HCM City , January 2 (VNA) -- Doctors at the Ho Chi Minh City tumor hospital have successfully removed a 3.1kg tumor from Keat Em, a 45-year-old Cambodian patient. Tumor hospital vice director Doctor Pham Xuan Dung said the tumor had ...
Abnormal downpours drench the South.
Jan 02, 2009 ... HCM City , January 2 (VNA) -- Unseasonal rains have hit Ho Chi Minh City and its neighbouring provinces over the last few days, creating an abnormal weather pattern in the south, according to an expert. HCM City , provinces southeast of the city and some Mekong Delta provinces ...
China helps Thai fire victims.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Beijing, January 2 (VNA) -- China will provide 500,000 USD to the Thai government for the medical treatment of burnt victims of the nightclub fire in New Year celebrations, said the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok on January 2. According to Xinhua news agency, the money will be used ...
Singapore economy may shrink 2 percent this year.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 2 (VNA) - The Singaporean government on January 2 lowered its economic growth forecast for the country this year, warning that the economy could shrink as much as 2 percent due to the impact of the global economic slump. The Ministry of Trade and Industry ...
Cambodia approves Chinese firms to build dams.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 2 (VNA) - The Cambodian National Assembly has approved deals with two Chinese companies for construction of four hydro-electricity dams in Koh Kong province, the Cambodia Daily reported on January 1. Total investment for the four dams stands at more than 1 billion ...
China's economy expected to speed up in mid 2009.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Beijing, January 2 (VNA) - The ongoing financial crisis would pose further challenges for China in 2009, but economic growth would probably accelerate at mid-year for a full-year figure of more than 8 percent, China's Xinhua news agency quoted economists as saying. Expanding ...
Cuba celebrates 50 years of Socialist Revolution.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Havana, January 2 (VNA) - Cuba on January 1 celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Socialist Revolution triumph in the island. The main festivity, presided by Cuba's President Raul Castro, was held in Santiago de Cuba Square where Cuban leader Fidel Castro 50 years ago declared ...
China to raise railway spending in 2009.
Jan 02, 2009 ... Beijing, January 2 (VNA) -- China will double its investment in railway construction in 2009 to about 600 billion yuan (87.9 billion USD) as part of a stimulus plan to boost domestic demand, local media reported. Part of the spending would be used to build a total of 5,148 km of ...
Bomb kills one in Thailand's restive south.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 3 (VNA) -- Two bombs planted by suspected separatist insurgents have killed one person and injured nine others in the Muslim-majority south of Thailand, according to news reports. A 20-year-old man was killed and two others, including a policeman, injured by a ...
China provides 500,000 USD for Thai fire victims.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 3 (VNA) - Chinese government will provide 500,000 USD to the Thai government for the medical treatment of burnt victims of the nightclub fire in New Year celebrations, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok told Xinhua on January 2. The Chinese Embassy said the money will ...
Thailand to host ASEAN summit Feb. 27-Mar. 1.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Bangkok, January 3 (VNA) - Thailand, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is prepared to host the regional summit from February 27 through March 1 in Bangkok, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said on January 3. ASEAN chief Surin, a ...
Indonesian flag carrier to expand international routes.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Jakarta, January 3 (VNA) - Indonesia's flag carrier Garuda will open 16 new routes this year, comprising 13 domestic and three international routes, and add more aircraft to its fleet, the airline company has announced. The new routes will begin operation from January 16, and ...
104 businesses praised for sustainable development.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 3 (VNA) -- A total of 104 State-owned enterprises have been honoured as businesses with sustainable development as they record high growth rates for years, earn annual revenues of over 100 billion VND and pay taxes on time. Award-winners include the National Oil ...
Vietcombank seeks to list shares in HCM City.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 3 (VNA) -- Vietcombank submitted an application on Dec. 31 to list shares on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE). The date for the listing has not yet been set, and listing of the shares has already been held up since the bank's initial public offering a year ...
Nation spends 40 billion VND on energy saving.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 3 (VNA) -- The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will invest 40 billion VND (2.35 million USD) in a programme on economical and effective energy use in 2009, said a ministry official. The MoIT will this year prioritise projects on energy saving solutions in ...
Partner sought for first oil refinery.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 3 (VNA) -- The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) planned to sell a 49 percent stake of Dung Quat Oil Refinery, its chairman Dinh La Thang said on Jan. 2. The refinery, Vietnam 's first, is scheduled to begin working on Feb. 25. ...
ASEAN tourism forum set to open in Hanoi.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 3 (VNA) -- Around 400 foreign and local tourist agencies are expected to gather at the ASEAN tourism forum scheduled to open in Hanoi on Jan. 5. The eight-day ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) will include a raft of meetings between ASEAN tourism ministers, executives of ...
Vietnam takes 5th place at Asian champs.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 3 (VNA) -- The Vietnam chess team came fifth out of 30 competitors at the Asian Chess Club Championship in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Jan. 1, pocketing a 4,000 USD cash-prize. Vietnam 's four-member squad included Grand Masters (GM) Dao Thien Hai, Nguyen ...
Vietnam's striker among ten promising Asian players.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 3 (VNA) -- Vietnam 's star striker Le Cong Vinh has been named as one of Asia 's ten top players to watch in 2009 by Goal.com, a world famous football website. Vinh ranked 5 th in the list which was announced by the website on Jan. 1. ...
Pleiku to host 2009 Int'l Gong Festival.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Gia Lai, January 3 (VNA) -- Gia Lai province in Tay Nguyen ( Central Highlands ) is set to host the 2009 International Gong Festival in Pleiku city in the third quarter of this year. The event is part of celebrations planned for the lead-up to the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang ...
Floods leave eight dead or missing in central provinces.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 3 (VNA) -- Floods after heavy rains have left at least eight people dead or missing in the central coastal provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, reports the National Storm and Flood Control Committee. Rainfall in the two provinces during the past few days ...
Local kids paint non-smoke environment.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 3 (VNA) -- Two young pupils, one from Hanoi and the other central Nghe An province, were awarded with special prizes on Jan 3 for winning a drawing competition for kids, which calls for an environment without cigarette smoke. Twenty other prizes were awarded, ...
Greetings to Myanmar on national day.
Jan 03, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 3 (VNA) -- State President Nguyen Minh Triet on January 3 sent a message of congratulations to Senior Geneal Than Shwe, Chairman of the Union of Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council, on the occasion of the 61 st anniversary of the country's Independence Day (Jan ....
Flood victim tally reaches eight.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 4 (VNA)- Floods and torrential rains have left eight people dead or missing in the central coastal provinces of Quang Nam , Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh over the past days. The natural calamity has also damaged over 5,000 homes, submerged almost 75,000 ha of rice ...
New Year death toll rises to 300 in Thailand.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Bangkok, January 4 (VNA) -- The overall death toll in Thailand's New Year road accidents has risen to 300 with the injured recorded at more than 3,000 persons, local media reported. As many as 368 road accidents were recorded on January 3, the fifth day of the most-risky seven ...
Over 80,000 Cambodians to attend Victory ceremony.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Phnom Penh, January 4 (VNA) -- More than 80,000 people will attend the 30 th Victory anniversary of January 7 at Cambodia's National Olympic Stadium, organisers have announced. The ceremony, which aims to celebrate the Cambodian people's victory over Pol Pot's regime, will also ...
Cambodian PM to visit Middle East.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 4 (VNA) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will start his first visit to the Middle East region soon, Xinhua news agency reported. The PM will visit Qatar, Kuwait and other countries in Middle East after January 10 in order to strengthen Cambodia's ties with ...
Earthquakes kill five people in Indonesia.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Jakarta, January 4 (VNA) -- A series of powerful earthquakes on January 4 jolted the eastern Indonesian province of West Papua, killing at least five people and injuring dozens of others, local media reported. The first quake hit at 4:43 am (local time), about 135 kilometres ...
Oil-field province appealing to foreign investors.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Ba Ria-Vung Tau, January 4 (VNA)- The southern oil-field province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has unveiled a plan of establishing two more industrial parks (IP) to meet an increasing demand from investors, both domestic and international. The provincial IP Management Board said 40 ...
Dong Nai boosts environmental protection.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Dong Nai, January 4 (VNA) -- The southern province of Dong Nai has approved a master plan on environmental protection to prevent and mitigate environmental pollution and degradation in industrial zones and urban areas. Under the plan, 8 environmental protection projects with a ...
280 billion VND to upgrade national highway No. 20.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Lam Dong, January 4 (VNA) -- The Vietnam Road Administration launched a 280 billion VND project to upgrade National Highway No. 20 that crosses Central Highlands Lam Dong province on Jan. 4. Work on 18 km of road connecting Madaguoi townlet, Da Huoai district and Bao Loc pass, ...
Vinh Long: Multi-billion VND projects target Khmer group.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Vinh Long, January 4 (VNA) - Hundreds of pupils of the Khmer ethnic minority group in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long will benefit from a project that aims to build a boarding school in Tam Binh district. The project has a total investment capital of 29 billion VND, ...
Can Tho airport starts operation with Hanoi route.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Can Tho, January 4 (VNA) - A flight with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his wife aboard landed at the Can Tho international airport on Jan. 4, marking the opening of the airport and an air route linking the capital of Hanoi and the Mekong Delta city. Leaders from a number of ...
Charity walk raises 2 billion VND for the poor.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Ho Chi Minh City , January 4 (VNA) -- More than 10,000 people on Jan. 4 joined in the 4 th annual Lawrence S. Ting charity walk to raise funds for the poor in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City. The walk over a distance of 3.5 km along Nguyen Luong Bang avenue raised nearly 2 billion VND ...
Ambassador: Vietnam, US ties bright in 2008.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 4 (VNA) -- Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Le Cong Phung described 2008 as a bright year of the Vietnam-US relations, showing political determination of the two countries' leaderships and desire of both nations. The US visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in ...
Overseas Vietnamese praise policy towards themselves.
Jan 04, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 4 (VNA)- Lawyer Tran Dinh Hoanh has praised the Vietnamese Government for recent policies that have effectively encouraged overseas Vietnamese to contribute to their homeland. The Virginia resident was among a number of Vietnamese Americans present at a New-Year ...
Vietnam condemns Israel's military attacks at Gaza.
Jan 04, 2009 ... New York , January 4 (VNA) -- Vietnam requests that Israel cease all military acts and withdraw from the Gaza Strip, said Representative of Vietnam to the UN Security Council, Ambassador Le Luong Minh in New York on Jan. 3. At the UNSC's urgent meeting on tensions in the Middle ...
Vietnamese legislative body vows to further increase ties with China.
Jan 05, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 5 (VNA) -- National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said the Vietnamese legislative body will do its utmost to help further the Vietnam-China relationship fostered by generations of leaders and peoples. The National Assembly Chairman made the statement at the ...
Condolence book opened to mourn Gaza conflict's victims.
Jan 05, 2009 ... Hanoi, January 5 (VNA) -- The Palestinian Embassy in Vietnam on Jan. 1 opened a condolences book to mourn for those who have died during the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Representatives from Vietnamese ...
American surgeons help disabled children in Quang Ngai.
Jan 05, 2009 ... Quang Ngai, January 5 (VNA) -- Voluntary doctors from Interplast, a US humanitarian plastic surgery organisation for Asia and the Pacific, began a programme on Jan. 5 to give free medical procedures to 100 disabled children in the central province of Quang Ngai . They will work ...
Tax, customs reforms seen as key to business development.
Jan 05, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 5 (VNA) -- Reforming tax and customs procedures is the best measure to help enterprises step up business and production and prevent the threat of economic slowdown, said Deputy Minister of Finance Do Hoang Anh Tuan. Tuan delivered this message at a dialogue with ...
'Vietnam-Fifth Season' photo exhibition opens.
Jan 05, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 5 (VNA) -- The Vietnam-Fifth Season photo exhibition was opened in Hanoi on January 5. The exhibition, as part of activities to welcome the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2009, showcases more than 80 prize-winning photos selected from 2,200 entries of photographers ...
Raising civil society organisations' supervision of poverty reduction.
Jan 05, 2009 ... Hanoi , January 5 (VNA) -- Civil society organisations should pay attention to poverty reduction in rural areas, especially the relations between land and people, said Dr. Tran Tuan of the Research and Training Centre for Community Development. At a workshop on increasing the ...