VIETNAM TODAY

Flash floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Jangmi left at least 31 people dead and seven missing in the Philippines, including in areas still recovering from last year's Typhoon Haiyan, officials said Tuesday.

Hue Relics Preservation Centre has welcomed its 30 millionth visitor during the end of the year Golden Tourism Week celebrations at the Hue Heritage Site.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung hailed the ties of the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Denmark at a December 30 reception for Danish Ambassador John Nielsen in Hanoi.

The hunt for a missing AirAsia passenger plane appeared over Tuesday as wreckage and dozens of bodies were spotted at sea off Indonesia.

Vietnam has been greatly concerned about the promotion of equality and the participation of women in politics, contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of the country.

Red and white debris spotted off the coast of Indonesia's part of Borneo island is likely to be part an AirAsia plane which is presumed to have crashed two days ago, an Indonesian transport official said.

Several officials and a subcontractor have been suspended after the scaffolding on part of the Ha Dong-Cat Linh flyover project collapsed.

An exhibition featuring well-known Vietnamese generals, including Vo Nguyen Giap and Nguyen Chi Thanh, was opened in Hanoi on December 29.

Vietnam has opened its doors to the citizens of seven countries who may enter without an entry visa and stay for a period of up to 15 days.

Two sailors died and four others, including two Vietnamese and two Koreans, went missing after a fishing vessel of the Republic of Korea caught fire at sea early December 30.

Thien Quang Lake in Hanoi will turn into a giant floating stage for a performance on New Year's Eve featuring famous singers Ho Ngoc Ha, Tuan Hung, Bui Anh Tuan, Hoang Thuy Linh and Kimmese as well as leading

More planes will be in the air and more ships on the sea Tuesday hunting for AirAsia Flight 8501 in a widening search off Indonesia that has dragged into a third day without any solid leads.

Airports throughout the country have served more than 50.5 million passengers and handled 905,000 tonnes of goods in 2014, year-on-year increases of 14.7 percent and 18 percent, respectively, said Lai Xuan Thanh, Head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

Depreciation of the rouble has caused a dramatic drop in the number of Russian tourists to Vietnam with travel firms worried about the overall impact of the downturn.

Vietnam lost almost 68,000 business in 2014 but officials are unconcerned, saying it's just a part of the country's developing market economy.

Foreign teachers employed by short-term training institutions, preschool education institutions and compulsory education institutions in Vietnam no longer need to have at least 5 years of experience in the disciplines they lecture as previously required.

The plunge of the rouble is becoming a challenge to Vietnamese exporters dealing with the Russian market.

The Vietnam Airlines Corporation and Thanh Hoa Province's People's Committee kicked off construction of Tho Xuan civil airport in the northern province on December 28, the Voice of Vietnam reports.

Safeguarding national sovereignty is a sacred task to ensure peace and stability thus paving the way for 2015 to move forward, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.