VIETNAM TODAY

Lax management has led to illegal sales of forest land at extremely cheap prices in Hanoi and Hoa Binh provinces.

Six Vietnamese student teams will compete at the 2013 Shell Eco-Marathon Asia, a contest that promotes energy conservation, to be held in Kuala Lumpur from July 4–7.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union (EU) delegation to Vietnam on June 4 organised a seminar to launch the Vietnam–EU Strategic Dialogue Facility as part of the Vietnam–EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

The Dan Lai ethnic minority is the smallest group in Vietnam and the number is dwindling due to their harsh mountainous environment.

Vietnam’s consumer confidence index hit 96 points in the first quarter of 2013, an 8 point rise from the previous quarter and 2 points higher than the same period last year.

China and Russia are set to join four Western powers in voicing deep concern about Iran's atomic activities this week and pressing it to cooperate with a stalled inquiry by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, diplomats said on Tuesday.

As many as 117 best entries to the 7th National Press Awards 2012 will be honoured at a ceremony in Hanoi on June 21 to mark the 88th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day.

Vietnamese and Thai Air Forces will expand cooperation in the lead up to the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang has instructed localities to keep land-use fees as low possible and speed up the processing of land-use rights certificate.

A 66-year-old who lived his whole life as a man was given a surprising diagnosis after visiting the doctor in Hong Kong with a swollen abdomen -- he was a woman.

The Vietnam Business Forum has said that there has been a slowing trend in the equitisation of state-owned enterprises.

The Hanoi Taxi Association has established a hotline to handle complaints about dishonest taxis drivers.

Former Arsenal F.C winger Freddie Ljungberg arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on June 3 as the club’s global ambassador.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh is in China to attend the 2013 China-South Asia Exposition, which opened in Kunming, Yunnan province, on June 4.

When men began dying of AIDS in 2004 in central Thua Thien Hue Province's Loc Bon Commune, it struck terror in the hearts of locals because there were no drugs and few prostitutes in the area.

UNESCO has refused to recognise Cat Tien National Park as a world natural heritage site due to its failure to meet the organisation’s requirements.

The 13th National Assembly on June 3 held a live television debate on the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution during its ongoing fifth session in Hanoi.

The long-awaited military trial of Bradley Manning got under way at Fort Meade on Monday, June 3, with prosecutors accusing the US soldier of helping Al-Qaeda by funneling a horde of secret files to WikiLeaks.

The Prime Minister has recently approved a master plan on socio-economic development from now until 2020 in the Red River Delta.