VIETNAM TODAY

The Minister of Education and Training said it would be very difficult for the education and training sector to offer Tet bonuses to its staff.

Vietnam lured a total of US$21.6 billion in foreign direct investment in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 54.5%, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

Customs at Tan Son Nhat International Airport detained two foreign nationals trafficking drugs, seizing 4.68 kilograms of cocaine and drug precursors, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said on Jan. 2.

Although Vietnam has carried out three post-1945 education reforms, many of its policies are now outdated, inspiring public concern.

Three female Vietnamese volleyball players are performing for two Thai clubs at its national volleyball tournament.

The main rubbish dump of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho was closed on January 1 due to the serious pollution it has caused to surrounding areas.

An exhibition, which opened in Hanoi on January 1, displays 103 photos of legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap to mark his 100-day death anniversary.

World energy power Russia said that its 2013 oil output hit a post-Soviet high while natural gas production of its giant Gazprom holding slipped for the second successive year.

The Vietnam stock market skyrocketed in 2013 with a growth rate of over 20%, while other countries in Southeast Asia chiefly saw a decrease or modest rise of 3-10%.

The prices of essential foods have been on the rise as Tet nears.

Ethnic minorities are increasingly choosing not to wear their traditional costumes, especially for their daily activities.

A Chinese man was rescued by the Japan Coast Guard after a failed attempt to land a hot-air balloon on islands at the centre of dispute between Tokyo and Beijing, a Japanese official said Thursday.

The Republic of Korea will soon resume receiving Vietnamese guest workers following the recent signing of a special memorandum of understanding in Seoul.

The National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) reports 2013 saw a total of 29,385 traffic accidents that killed 9,369 people and caused 29,500 injuries.

The year 2013 wrapped up with busy foreign relations activities, making important contributions to the national construction and development.

Hundreds of Vietnamese students will be sent abroad for training in nuclear power courses as a preparation for the operation of Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plants 1 & 2.

Experts from Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers have chosen January 20 to begin implementing the Geneva deal on Tehran's nuclear programme, IRNA news agency said Wednesday.

On January 3, Hanoi Kilo 636 submarine will be launched to sea and anchor in national waters, marking its first official operation.

After a startling price hike in December, gas price was reduced by VND 43,000 (USD2.03) per 12-kilo canister beginning from January 1.