Vietnam appoints new prime minister

Hanoi

VIETNAM's parliament approved Nguyen Xuan Phuc as the communist country's new prime minister on Thursday, handing him a five-year term and a range of tough challenges from domestic economic reforms to a simmering maritime dispute with China.

Mr Phuc, a former deputy prime minister, was the only candidate nominated for the position by party officials earlier this year and won 90.26 per cent of the votes in the rubber stamp parliament, according to state-run VTV.