The 131st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union approved Vietnam’s proposal on the main topic for IPU-132, which it is hosting in 2015, with a focus on the role of parliament and the implementation of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

Hong Kong police have cleared tents and barricades in the Mong Kok area as part of attempts to rein in the disruption caused by the pro-democracy protests.

 Ban Ki-moon has launched another urgent appeal for funds to help fight Ebola after a United Nations drive for donations fell short of its target.

The Ministry of Finance does not make public the names of borrowers of the capital the government mobilizes through its international bond issuances, making it difficult to control repayment obligations of debtors.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Bang Lang stork sanctuary is seen as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, which with a primitive beauty allows visitors to wallow in nature.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Hundreds of people blocked the Rach Muong Bridge in District 9 in Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of Thursday, October 16, to see a giant barb of nearly 130kg, caught by a Saigonese fisherman in a branch of the Dong Nai River.

Six online newspapers could not be accessed by readers on October 13 (Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Day), resulting in a loss of VND2.5 billion a day for VC Corporation, the service provider host that runs the websites.

 RoK to sign FTAs with Vietnam, China, New Zealand this year; Vietnam observes Mozambique’s general election; France backs Vietnam’s stance on East Sea issue; Vietnam, Cambodia agree to boost defence cooperation

 Vietnam is to become an important link in the large Asia-Europe economic network comprising 56 partners, including 47 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) member states, once the 14 free trade agreements (FTA) are finalised and implemented by 2020.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung co-chaired an unofficial ASEAN-EU Summit with President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso in Milan, Italy, on October 16.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany and other European Union member states will raise the East Sea issue at the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) taking place in Milan, Italy on October 16-17.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held meetings with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts in the Italian city of Milan on October 16 on the sidelines of the 10th Asian-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit.

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has drawn public attention by suggesting that medical and pharmaceutical schools should admit students based on their high school finals and university entrance exam results, including tests in literature.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has suggested the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) define sustainable development as an important content of collaboration in coping with global challenges, with people playing a central role.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vinalines, the country’s largest shipping firm, has asked the Hanoi People’s Court to annul the judgment of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC).

On the occasion of PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Europe, VietNamNet talks with researchers Bruno Hellendorff and Felix Heiduk, about the role of EU in settling the East Sea disputes and the possibility of cooperation between EU and ASEAN.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Local government in the central city of Da Nang is calling for companies to invest in a resort project exclusively for elderly Japanese,

 VietNamNet Bridge – Phu Quy Island off mainland Binh Thuan Province is a must-visit destination to tourists thanks to its rich culture and beautiful scenes of mountains and beaches.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Even after a long stay in captivity, wild animals transferred to a wildlife rescue station in Cu Chi District in HCM City still occasionally feel anxious and nervous.

 Australian scientists have made the alarming discovery that sea levels have risen more in the past century than at any other comparable period in the past 6,000 years.