Youth are the nation's lifeblood
The vital role of youth, intellectuals and farmers in society were highlighted at the Party Central Committee's seventh conference yesterday.

Premier welcomes Japan delegation
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met yesterday with a delegation from the Japanese House of Representatives, led by legislator Kazuo Aichi, on a working visit to the country.

Ha Noi eyes double-digit growth, reduced inflation
The expanded Ha Noi will try to achieve two-digit economic growth for 2008, as part of its priorities include improving living conditions, and curbing inflation, said the municipal People's Committee Chairman Nguyen The Thao.

Int'l forum discusses arsenic pollution
Health experts from Thailand, South Korea, the United States and Viet Nam discussed ways to reduce arsenic's harm on human health at a forum yesterday in Ha Noi.

Rail passengers who book early offered discount tickets
Viet Nam Railway Corporation has announced a special discount on tickets for the Ha Noi-HCM City route from August 1.

Too much tax red tape hurting small businesses
Arduous tax procedures were burdening small and very small enterprises with extra costs, a seminar heard yesterday.

VN becomes Asia's biggest exporter of timber furniture
Viet Nam has become the biggest furniture exporter in the ASEAN market, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Festival helps sister-cities trade
A week-long festival outlining the features of Ha Noi began yesterday in Moscow to promote trade relations.

Stem-cell donors needed to treat leukaemia patients
The National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion is facing difficulties in finding suitable stem-cell donors to treat leukaemia patients, said director Nguyen Anh Tri yesterday.

Dirty solid waste endangers health
The increasing volume of solid waste generated in the country is seriously threatening the environment, experts say.

Banned street vendors wait in the wings
Sitting quietly in a 20sq.m room in Chuong Duong Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Nguyen Thi Hien, a street vendor, looked around.

Vietnamese actors besiege French stage
A combination of Vietnamese tuong (classic drama) and European masked theatre has been running for one week at France's famed Festival d'Avignon.

Sa Pa feels the burden of too many tourists
It's no secret that Sa Pa Town is one of the country's most beloved tourist destinations for local and international travellers but as traffic increases, so does the burden on the town's service industry.

Is hosting international events the best way to promote Viet Nam?
Last week: We asked readers and industry insiders what they thought about events like the Miss Universe Beauty pageant and whether they felt these events had helped to promote Viet Nam as a tourist destination.