The Vietnam Committee for Solidarity of Catholics (VCSC) held a solemn ceremony in Hanoi on December 18 to mark the upcoming Christmas.

The Vietnam Association of the Former Young Volunteers held its second congress in Hanoi on December 18 with the participation of 400 delegates, once again affirming the great role of the young volunteers in the past wars of resistance and national construction.

The US Time magazine on December 16 ran an article reporting the fact that the levels of cancer-causing dioxin in Danang airport area remain 300-400 times higher than what is deemed to be safe, yet the US is focusing on meetings rather than practical actions like toxic cleanup.

The representatives of 17 regional travel agencies, including Saigontourist (Vietnam), attended a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand and agreed to establish an Asian Cruise Services Network (ACSN).

The Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) has called for a stronger tool to keep the public well informed and ensure people’s right to access information. 

Nearly 40 economic deans, researchers and professors from ASEAN member countries’ universities have shared their experiences in tertiary education management within the context of globalisation. 

The VNPT-run Vietnam Data Communications Company (VDC) will increase its broadband Internet capacity to over 100 Gpbs by the end of 2010 to consolidate the leading position held by its MegaVNN service in Vietnam, said a company representative. 

The Agriculture University of Hanoi (AUH) and the Belgian University Commission for Development (CUD) jointly held a workshop on the renovation of postgraduate education in agriculture. 

The sixth Pharma Indochina conference was held in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on December 16-17 with the participation of experts from Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, France, the Netherlands, Vietnam and the World Health Organisation.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan on December 17 granted 10 “Golden Globe” awards and recognized 40 outstanding female IT students.  

The Steering Committee for landmark planting in central Quang Nam province in coordination with the Lao’s province of Sekong inaugurated the planting of 2.1m-high granite landmark 717 on December 16.

Vietnam and Cuban have shown keen interest in strengthening cooperation between the two countries’ customs sectors. 

Eleven stunning photos of the environment and the lives of the poor were awarded at a ceremony in Hanoi on December 16.

Twenty-nine people from 21 cities and provinces nationwide, who made outstanding contributions to the fight against corruption, have been honoured for their bravery in bringing acts of embezzlement to light.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Bui Dinh Dinh on December 16 granted the Friendship Orders to six Russian oil and gas experts who have made many contributions to the Vietnam Oil and Gas sector and have helped strengthen friendship between the two nations.

The US embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment have signed a Memorandum-of-Understanding for an environmental health and remediation programme related to dioxin.

An exhibition on 65 years of the Vietnam People’s Army and a fair opened in Thai Nguyen City on December 15.

Vietnam introduced its efforts to cope with climate change and called for support from developed nations and international organisations at a seminar held in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 14. 

A world-class hotel with renowned trademark, Holiday Inn belonging InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will be located inside the MBLand Tower in Hanoi.

The 2nd international conference on Vietnamese literature will be held in Hanoi on January 5-10, 2010, according to poet Huu Thinh, President of the Vietnamese Writers Association (VWA).

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union announced the upcoming “Connecting young Vietnamese” online exchange at a press conference in Hanoi on December 15.

Representatives from Vietnamese and French travel agencies came to the “Vietnam-a favourite destination” workshop held in Paris on December 14.  

100 young farmers (aged from 18-35) will be honoured in a Luong Dinh Cua awards ceremony held in Vung Tau city by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee on December 20.  

The Vietnam Data Communication Company (VDC) under the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications group (VNPT) will present 1,260 computers to 126 schools in 63 provinces.

The Nha Bao va Cong luan (Journalist and Public Opinion) newspaper held a press briefing in Hanoi on December 15 to introduce a gala performance to raise funds for relatives of war martyrs and veterans in the former Quang Tri Citadel area.

CPA Australia, one of the world’s leading accounting bodies, signed a cooperation agreement with Ho Chi Minh City Economics University on December 14.

Vietnamese students of different generations who have studied in Russia will have the chance to meet their former teachers and friends in an exchange programme to be held at the National Convention Centre on December 17.  

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the spending of more than VND16 trillion (US$870 million) to build and upgrade preventive health centres around the country, especially in rural areas by 2015, according to the Ministry of Health.  

The rate of poor households from the 62 poorest districts has fallen by 4 percent to 43 percent one year after implementing a government resolution to support these districts.

A cold front is moving toward Vietnam from China and is forecast to affect northern and north-central provinces on December 15, according to the Central Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Centre.