With goods flying off the shelves more often than not in the pre-Tet period many people take this opportunity to smuggle and trade counterfeit and fake products, which are potentially harmful to consumers’ health.

Sixty-eight more sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in Cambodia during the past war have been repatriated.

The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) organised a ceremony in Hanoi to review its work in 2009 and deploy its plan of action for 2010.

Japan will provide Vietnam’s Central Maternity Hospital with equipment worth JPY461 million (equivalent to US$5.1 million) under a project signed by Japanese ambassador to Vietnam Mitsuo Sakaba and Minister of Health Nguyen Quoc Trieu in Hanoi on February 5.

Provinces and cities across the country are distributing gifts to vulnerable groups in society, including the poor, lonely seniors and victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin to help them enjoy a happy lunar New Year festival which begins on February 13.

A blood donation campaign was launched at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on February 5 to collect additional blood for hospitals during the upcoming traditional Tet holiday.

As many as 1,000 overseas Vietnamese (OV) throughout the world will return to Vietnam for a programme called Xuan Que Huong (Spring in the Homeland) scheduled to take place on Feb. 6. 

Almost 700 overseas Vietnamese returning from 21 countries and territories attended a Lunar New Year meeting jointly held by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs on February 4.

Vietnam was placed 12th in the list of 22 countries with the largest number of tuberculosis (TB) patients in the world last year, health officials told a conference in Hanoi on February 4 to review the results of the national anti-tuberculosis programme.

International support to mitigate damage caused by climate change to Vietnam not only aids the country’s poverty reduction efforts, but also helps to ensure food security around the world, said a Vietnamese official.

The Vietnam Drug Administration should draw up plans to produce Methadone to reduce the cost for HIV patients and the medical sector, says Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong.

Vietnam will participate in this year’s Earth Hour campaign, announced the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Ministry of National Resources and Environment at a press conference in Hanoi on February 4.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia, Bui Dinh Dinh, granted “For the Cause of Education” Certificates of Merit and Insignia from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training to 4 universities and 7 teachers in Russia on February 3.

Foot-and-mouth disease has continued spreading in Dien Bien since the province confirmed the first outbreak of the disease on January 29.

On February 3, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) launched its e-portal at www.agroviet.gov.vn; www.mard.gov.vn; www.bonongnghiep.gov.vn.

The Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) in coordination with the VTL Communication Group organised a friendship exchange programme at Hanoi’s Daewoo Hotel on February 3 congratulating Vietnam on taking ASEAN chair in 2010.

Saigontourist Travel Service Company is pursuing an ambitious strategy to develop tourism, hoping to reach a turnover of US$1 billion by 2015.

A project to improve disaster preparedness is underway in 13 villages and wards of Da Nang City.

Thirty outstanding overseas Vietnamese returning fro from 14 countries to enjoy Tet gathered at a meeting held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee in Hanoi on February 3. 

Roughly 2,300 dilapidated houses will be repaired by the end of September with funding from the city, according to the Hanoi City People’s Committee. 

As many as 1,700 representatives of ethnic minority groups in Vietnam will attend the National Congress of Ethnic Minority Groups slated for May, said the event’s organisers.

Hanoi will step up its efforts to complete a project to expand belt road 3 that links the inner district of Cau Giay to Noi Bai international airport in preparation for the city’s millennium anniversary in October. 

Twenty young people and a group of students received prizes and certificates, from the Ho Chi Minh City Young People Association for their efforts in an essay competition of history. 

Vietnamese and Hungarian youngsters should be enabled to study together and share experiences, said a Hungarian diplomat while speaking of cooperation in education and training. 

A delegation from the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) led by Vice Chairman Ha Van Nui on February 3 paid a New Year visit to the Hanoi Archdiocese.

370 inmates from three detention centres in Hanoi will have their terms of imprisonment reduced. Of that number, 209 will have remaining sentences commuted and be out on parole.

An online conference was held in Hanoi on February 3 to implement a vocational training project for rural workers until through under which nearly 10 million agricultural workers and 1 million communal cadres will be trained.

The Office of the Central Committee for Directing Prevention and Anti-Corruption (OCCDPAC) of Vietnam and the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) of the Republic of Korea signed a memorandum of understanding on anti-corruption in Hanoi on February 3.

The Vietnamese business association in Germany held a meeting in Berlin on January 31 to welcome the Lunar New Year festival (Tet). Similar activities took place in Macau (China) and Hong Kong.

Vietnam has increased investment in forest projects to better protect forest resources, said Hua Duc Nhi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).