Local authorities tend to say “no” not only to textile projects because of the fear for environmental pollution, but to garment projects as well, because garment factories do not help develop local economies.

VietNamNet Bridge – The lack of a meeting point between developers and buyers with real housing needs is one of the major problems facing the local real estate market, experts said at a meeting held last week.

U.S. President Barak Obama on Sunday pressed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to drop its plan to launch a rocket, saying the move could scuttle a food aid deal and dim prospects for resuming disarmament talks.

Bui Trung Dung, deputy director of the national department of construction appraisal under the Ministry of Construction, has said that Tranh River Hydropower Plant has mistakes in design, construction, supervision and operation.

VietNamNet Bridge – The increasing outlays on subsidies and declining service quality are the main hurdles to HCM City's plan to develop bus transport.

The publishing industry is expected to track last year's poor performance with the demand for books unlikely to increase due to tightening consumption policies, experts said at a recent meeting.

 Scores evacuate as fire erupts at Hanoi apartment building; Pipeline firm staff help kindergarten; Activists respond to Earth Hour campaign

Vietnam was estimated to face a trade deficit of US$150 million in March, lifting the total figure in the first quarter to $250.9 million, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported.

VietNamNet Bridge –Vietnamese futsal (indoor football) club Thai Son Nam qualified for the 2012 Asian Futsal Club Championship with a win over Pelindo FC.

VietNamNet Bridge – Smoke discharges from thousands of brick-kilns in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta have polluted the environment and impacted human health and agricultural productivity.

VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has confirmed that the thousands of yearly deaths in Viet Nam caused by tuberculosis (TB) should be considered a national health problem.

VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi has reported more than 750 cases of hand-foot-mouth (HFM) disease in the first three months of this year.

A lot of luxury hotels, tourist sites and resorts developed by foreign investors in Vietnam have fallen into the hands of domestic investors.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Empire Golf Challenge will kick off on Wednesday at Montgomerie Links Golf Course in the central province of Quang Nam.

The recent reports released by different institutions all affirmed that Hanoi is the city with the worst air in South East Asia. However, no report pointed out which agency has to take responsibility for the dirty air.

Chilean authorities have ordered for evacuation of people from low-lying coastal areas after an powerful earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale jolted offshore Maule, at 22:37:04 GMT on Sunday.

The central city of Hue is gearing up for its biennial festival, which promises a diverse programme of performances and activities across a week of celebrations.

While the students from well-off families can go to universities with their parents’ money, many others have to work hard to get money for their studies. The following stories show how Vietnamese young people eager for higher education.

The merger of VinaPhone and MobiFone, if it occurs, is believed to create a new power which could be a threat to any rivals, especially Viettel, a member of the trio VinaPhone – MobiFone – Viettel.

The United States has compensated the families of the victims in shooting spree committed by a U.S. soldier in a southern Afghan town on March 11, an official said Sunday.