VIETNAM TODAY

A workshop was held in Hanoi to help businesses keep abreast of Vietnam’s economic prospects in 2013 and future challenges when a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EU is signed.

Vietnam and Myanmar have agreed to further expand cooperation in agro-forestry, fisheries, telecommunications, oil and gas, mining, transport, labour, culture, sport and tourism.

Garment and textile companies are now rushing to offer big discounts to attract customers, even for their new products, due to sluggish sales.

The US and Israel downplayed the Palestinians' new status at the UN, saying it changed nothing in actual practice.

Imitation, not creativeness, is the thing Vietnamese teachers require on their students when they teach how to write compositions.

Vietnam martial artists won eight gold, nine silver and three bronze medals at the 15th Pencak Silat World Championships.

The global labour market and youth employment were the major themes of a seminar held in Hanoi on November 29.

Bombs targeting Shiite Muslims and security forces in Iraq killed 38 people and wounded 107 others in the deadliest day of violence to hit the country in more than two months.

Digital film has become the smart choice of film-makers around the world, in particular in Europe and the US, a seminar in Hanoi was told.

One-third of Vietnam’s population consider the Internet as an indispensable part of their daily life.

Around 90% of banks may not make their targets for profits this year, which will also affect their Tet bonuses.

There have been around 656,000 international tourists visiting Vietnam this month, raising the total number of tourist arrivals in the January-November to nearly 6.036 million.

Vietnam will start blending bio-fuels with petrol to power road vehicles from 2014, as the government seeks to push ahead with its commitment to establish green credentials.

A mobile phone that monitors the user's skin condition, checking for blemishes and colour, was unveiled in beauty-conscious Japan on Thursday.

Vietnam Air Petrol Company, a subsidiary of VNA, has been found to have committed frauds tax evasion worth billions of dong.

Gold bullion bearing the national brand SJC saw another decrease of its selling price to VND47.22 million, and the buying price to VND47.07 million per tael.

Hospitals in 18 cities and provinces will postpone the application of new hospital fees until the first quarter of next year to ease the financial burden on patients and help to curb inflation.

The US environmental agency has temporarily suspended oil giant BP from any new federal contracts.

Thousands of spectators cheered wildly as some 50 teams from several Mekong Delta provinces vied with each other to win the Ngo Boat Race held in Soc Trang Province.