VietNamNet Bridge - The second session of the 13th National Assembly opened in Hanoi this morning, October 20, with a focus on approving five bills and a resolution.

Travel firms believe that in the current big difficulties, when people tend to fasten their belt, Vietnam should have to slash the airfare to attract more travelers. However, Vietnamese air carriers are doing the opposite thing.

The Palestinian leadership will urge the international community to press Israel to implement an old pledge to free more Palestinian prisoners, a Palestinian official said Wednesday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy Wednesday to discuss a solution to the eurozone debt crisis, but failed to reach any concrete agreement on the issue.

Vietnam may export 7.5 million tons of rice in 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has forecast after considering the high export volume of 6 million tons in the first nine months of the year.

Small businesses in the United States still face tough economic conditions even though the recession officially ended more than two years ago, and legislators need to do more to help them,

The economic crimes police recently arrested a woman and a man for allegedly defrauding securities and insurance companies and stock traders out of more than VND5 trillion (US$240 million), setting off alarm bells at oversight agencies.

The Thu Thiem Tunnel will be opened to traffic on November 20 but vehicles are not allowed to use horns, turn on priority lights and stop inside the tunnel, said the HCMC Department of Transport last week.

While other Vietnamese businesses complain about big difficulties, Vietnamese software firms still can earn big money from the software outsourcing contracts signed with foreign partners.

Twenty-four members of the Turkish security forces were killed and 18 others injured in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari early on Wednesday in simultaneous attacks carried out by the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK),

VietNamNet Bridge – This is the fourth time that Indonesia hosts the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). Around $268 million has been invested in this event.

VietNamNet Bridge – At least 10 people were reported dead, 3 others missing and 14 injured owing to floods in central Vietnam.

The Greek parliament approved on Wednesday evening a fresh austerity draft bill promoted by the government as essential to avert default, as violent protests gripped the heart of Athens, turning the city into a battlefield.

Sri Lanka inks deal to buy Vietnamese oil; Garments face troubled times; Foreign investors sell off Vietnamese shares; Vietnamese abroad push local produce; Vinalines in tie with foreign firms to build ports

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has proposed allocating around US$640 million from next year’s State budget for sci-tech development, an increase of 12 percent.

Microsoft’s flagship worldwide IT conference, Tech.Days 2011, today was whole day organised in Hanoi with the attendance of hundreds of IT pros, developers and end-customers.

 The Export-Import Bank of the US has agreed on a credit package worth US$1 billion for a wind power development programme in the Mekong River Delta between 2011 and 2015.

Last week was a “burning” week of the interbank market, when the overnight interest rate soared to 20 percent per annum, and the 1-week loans jumped to 23-24 percent per annum.

VietNamNet Bridge – Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has asked transport officials to not play golf anymore.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport has made a proposal to the Government to adjust work and school hours in a drastic move to curb chronic congestion on Ha Noi's streets.

VietNamNet Bridge – Experts of Global Beauties websites guess that Vietnam’s Thuy Vy will enter the semi-finals of Miss World 2011. Two of them forecast that the Vietnamese representative will be crowned.

VietNamNet Bridge – In the morning of October 18, thousands of police officers, soldiers and people participated in a tsunami rehearsal in Tho Quang and Man Thai wards, Son Tra district, in the central city of Da Nang.

VietNamNet Bridge – Public interest in climate change issues has been considerably improved over the past few years thanks to increased communications but it would take time to make everyone have a proper attitude towards the topic.

Women's group reaches out to poor; Fire breaks out at schools, 11 hospitalized; Boarding school for Cham Khmer students; 100 workers hospitalized for food poisoning

The U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Tuesday amid strong performance in financial sector and news that European policymakers were planning a two-trillion-euro fund.