VIETNAM TODAY

A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake set off a tsunami that killed at least five people on Solomon Islands and triggered evacuations across the South Pacific as island nations issued tsunami alerts.

Ethnic minorities have at last been offered mobile phone services in their own languages by the Viettel telecommunications group.

Authorities have information they hope will lead them to the gang of armed, masked men who raped six Spanish tourists in the Mexican resort of Acapulco, the attorney general in the southern state of Guerrero said.

VTV has been permitted to broadcast Tao Quan 2013 after the show was forced to undertake edits to its content.

The Ministry of Home Affairs vowed to take drastic measures prevent corruption among state officials.

Two ministries have signed a cooperative agreement to increase literacy in rural and remote areas nationwide.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued an urgent warning of bird flu after the deadly disease was recently detected in Tay Ninh province.

Iran is to discuss its disputed nuclear programme with world powers in Kazakhstan on February 26, however news of the announcement was tempered after an Iranian official said the Wests’ goal was to undermine Tehran.

Vietnam plans to generate and import over 133.4 billion kWh of electricity in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 11 percent, to meet national demand.

Secretary of the Party Central Committee To Huy Rua presented gifts to beneficiary and poor households in Bac Ninh province on February 5 in the lead up to the Lunar New Year.

A major 8.0 magnitude earthquake was feared to have flattened villages in the Solomon Islands, and triggered a tsunami with destructive potential for Pacific nations' coasts, monitors said.

Hanoi Telecom recently complained that Viettel and VNPT cut its connection channels, causing difficulties for its operations.

The VNPT will officially stop providing its CardPhone service nationwide from March 25 after over 15 years of operation.

Furry crabs once thought to be damaging the Great Barrier Reef may in fact be helping save the coral by stopping the spread of disease, a researcher said.

The country saw a big increase in industrial production and export in January, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Several Vietnamese popular comedy actors have complained to the Department of Performing Arts after some of their latest shows were illegally released for sale.

Dyke erosion and forested areas cut down for shrimp ponds are destroying farmland and affecting the livelihood of local residents in coastal areas in Tra Vinh Province.

Vietnam follows with keen interest recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and persists in supporting peace, stability and denuclearisation on the peninsula.

The Ministry of Health's Preventive Medicine Department has warned eight provinces near the border with Cambodia to step up their prevention and control measures against avian influenza H5N1.