Archive for November 17th, 2008

Beijing (VNA) – The Chinese government has approved five international organisations to provide emergency loans totaling 1.5 billion USD for reconstruction in May 12 quake-hit regions, local media reported. The funds will be used for infrastructure, healthcare, education, environmental and energy projects in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) [...]

Havana (VNA) – Cuba has become a full member of the Rio Group, the only political grouping for the region of Latin American and Caribbean countries. The 22-member current Rio Group took into account “expressions of interest (from Cuba) and a positive evaluation of dialogue, consultations and political agreement, said a document released at the [...]

Hanoi (VNA) – The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s government said on November 14 that it will resume funding for private aid projects in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) despite Pyongyang’s threat to close the border amid rising tensions. Kim Ho-Nyoun, spokesman for the unification ministry, was quoted by news agencies as saying that [...]

Hanoi (VNA) – The 24 crew members, including four Vietnamese aboard the vessel hijacked by pirates off the coast of the southern Somalian port city of Kismanyuare, are “fine”, Xinhua news agency quoted the pirate’s leader as saying. The pirates’ leader, who did not identify himself, said that his group boarded the Chinese vessel 30 [...]

Hanoi (VNA) – The World Bank and Japan have agreed to launch a 3 billion-USD fund at the global lending agency to help recapitalise embattled financial institutions in developing countries feeling the pinch amid the global financial crisis. Japan will contribute 2 billion USD and the WB 1 billion USD to the new fund, WB [...]

Hanoi (VNA) – The finance ministers of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have agreed to enhance collaboration to effectively address the ongoing global financial crisis. In a joint message released after an informal trilateral meeting on November 14, the ministers vowed to play a pivotal role in maintaining economic and financial stability [...]

Hanoi (VNA) – An opposition party delegation from the Republic of Korea (RoK) took a message from the RoK government to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to try to improve deteriorating relations after the DPRK threatened to halt border crossings on the divided peninsula. The Democratic Labor Party group traveled to the DPRK [...]

Hanoi (VNA) – Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to pay a visit to Cuba from November 17-19 with a view to boosting the long-standing friendship between the two countries.President Hu Jintao’s upcoming visit would have “a historic significance”, said Xinhua news agency, citing Blanco Silva, director of the Asia and Oceania Division of Cuba’s [...]

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has announced his plan to reshuffle the cabinet after the royal funeral of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the late sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a local paper reported. According to the Bangkok Post, PM Somchai refused to comment whether this will be a minor or [...]

Phnom Penh (VNA) – Over 68,000 poor families in Cambodia have received emergency food assistance following the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Directors’ approval of the project last month, according to an ADB press release issued on November 14. “This assistance is making a very real difference to the lives of Cambodia’s most vulnerable, [...]