Viet Nam is set to begin construction of a new railway connecting its largest northern port to the Chinese border by the end of next year, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced on Sunday. The project, a 417-kilometre (259-mile) rail line, will run from Lao Cai province, which borders China, through the capital city of Hanoi, and terminate at Haiphong City, a major port. Prime Minister Chinh that the government will submit the project to the National Assembly for approval in February. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: M. S. Salama