VIETNAM TODAY

For the second year running, Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Council Ngo Thi Doan Thanh has received the highest vote of confidence in a poll covering leading positions in the capital city.

A private company has begun to chop down and remove about 200 trees on Kim Ma and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets in the capital city.

Eleven more bodies were recovered Wednesday from the area where a South Korean trawler sank in the Bering Sea as hopes dimmed of finding any survivors among 41 crew members still missing.

The Hanoi Department for External Affairs held a conference on December 3 to intensify the city’s cooperation with international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, has named the central coastal city of Danang as a top destination on the rise in Asia and the world.

Parents and teachers are continuing the practice of double-shift classes for primary school students in spite of a ban by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Heavy rain in the central cities of Hue and Danang over the past two days has thrown departure and arrival schedules into turmoil.

The World Bank said that there were early signs of recovery for Vietnam's economy, with its economic growth expected to improve from 5.4 percent in 2013 to 5.6 percent in 2014.

Halong Marina Urban Area, which has developed a number of high-quality apartment projects, services and an entertainment center, gives a makeover to Halong City.

Many Vietnamese businesses are showcasing their products at the 20th International Oil and Gas Industry Exhibition and Conference (OSEA 2014), which opened in Singapore on December 2.

Hong Kong students vowed to stay put at protest sites in key parts of the Asia financial center on Wednesday in their demand for electoral reform, defying calls by leaders of the civil disobedience movement Occupy Central to retreat.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and visiting Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia, Sergey Yevgenyevich Naryshkin, agreed to deepen the friendship and co-operation between the two legislative bodies during talks in Hanoi yesterday.

Vietnamese scientists of the HCM City-based Southern Institute of Ecology have discovered four new camellia species in Vietnam.

Unlicensed taxi drivers using the Uber application to gather customers are illegal, an official said, in the face of the growing demand for the service in HCM City.

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday (Dec 2) called on Congress to approve emergency funding to help battle the Ebola virus, saying the West African outbreak remained a threat.

The 4th Hue Golden Tourism Week at heritage sites will take place from December 24-30 with a series of promotions, tour discounts and bonus services for tourists and travel agents.

The Government’s major tasks in 2015 will be primarily concentrated on ensuring macroeconomic stabilization and keeping inflation in check aiming to attract more investment and stimulate economic development.

In a keynote address at the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) in Hanoi on December 2 Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh revealed with confidence that economic growth for the year will reach 5.8%.

Coach Toshyia Miura believes that even though Malaysia are strong team, Vietnam will still emerge the winner in the semi-final match of the ASEAN Football Federation-Suzuki Cup this weekend.