Vietnam plans to sign deal with Russia in August for first nuclear plant
Vietnam’s government announced on Tuesday that it plans to sign an agreement with Russia in August to build the country’s first nuclear power plant.
Vietnam has officially abolished its long-standing two-child policy in a bid to counter declining birth rates and a shrinking workforce.
On Tuesday, Vietnamese lawmakers approved amendments to the Population Law, granting families the freedom to decide how many children to have.
Originally introduced in 2009 to curb overpopulation, the policy limited families to one or two children. Although enforcement was lenient for the general public, it remained strictly applied to government employees and members of the ruling Communist Party.
According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam’s population currently stands at just over 100 million, with a median age of 33.4 and around 70% of citizens in the working-age group (15–64). However, the national fertility rate fell to 1.91 children per woman in 2024 — the lowest in the country’s modern history and below the replacement threshold.
From 1999 to 2022, Vietnam’s fertility rate remained stable around the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. However, in the past two years, it has dropped sharply, from 1.96 in 2023 to 1.91 in 2024 - the lowest level in the country’s history.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
In a televised address on Saturday night, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that American forces, in coordination with Israel, had conducted precision strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, aiming to dismantle Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.
Scientists in Australia and the U.S. have developed an AI tool that could transform cancer care by revealing the hidden diversity of tumour cells and guiding more targeted therapies.
Singapore has launched its largest-ever study on paediatric food allergies, aiming to better understand and address the growing burden of allergic reactions among children.
Bill Gates says his foundation will not compensate for funding shortfalls caused by U.S. and UK aid cuts to global vaccination efforts, warning of rising child mortality as a result.
The world is facing a health financing emergency as global health investment risks falling to its lowest level in a decade, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned.
China has successfully mastered the technology to produce Yttrium-90, a critical medical isotope used in radiation therapy for liver cancer, within a commercial nuclear reactor.
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