VIETNAM TODAY

Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi denied at his trial hosting raunchy parties, having sex with an underage prostitute and abusing his powers by pressuring police.

Rabies has claimed the lives of 74 people in the northern mountainous provinces so far this year, but only 83 percent of deaths were reported.

The Tuyen Lam Lake tourist site in the romantic city of Da Lat has been rescued--with a solution which has been found to treat the waste water of the lake.

Syrian fighter jets blasted the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan, killing at least 49 people, including 23 children, rescuers said.

Cua Van village in Ha Long Bay has been recognised as one of the most beautiful villages around the world by travel blog Journeyetc.com.

Foreign direct investment in China continued to fall in September, the government said, owing to persistent weakness in the global economy and a slowdown in China.

Vietnamese business investments in oversea markets reached nearly $1.3 billion in the first nine months of this year.

President Truong Tan Sang told voters in a meeting that the country would do as much as possible to protect its sovereignty.

First Hanoi Open Classical Guitar Competition will begin on Monday with thirty-two contestant set to participate at the event.

European Union leaders took a big stride towards establishing a single banking supervisor for the euro zone, agreeing it would enter into force next year, opening the way for the bloc's rescue fund to inject capital directly into ailing banks.

If Vietnam has no effective way to deal with guest workers refusing to return home after their work contracts expire, its labour export market will shrink.

According to plan, in 2014, the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam will be constructed in Ninh Thuan province, central Vietnam. However, technology selection, the location of the plant and human resources remain challenges for Vietnam at this moment.

Sexual abuse of children has been increasing in Vietnam, especially in tourist destinations, but the country’s Penal Code lacks a clause directly governing child sex tourism crimes.

Vietnam attracted more than 4.8 million international visitors and serviced 25.5 million domestic tourists in the first nine months of 2012, earning VND110,000 billion.

The fourth meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Women plus 3 opened in Laos to discuss ways to boost regional cooperation in women-related issues and sustainable environment.

The Ministry of Construction is compiling a draft decree to loosen requirements for low-income earners to buy houses.

EU leaders at a Brussels summit agreed to create a single mechanism for overseeing eurozone banks that will be rolled out during 2013, according to diplomats.

More than $40,000 was raised at a dinner in Canley Vale to support a University of NSW law school scholarship named in honour of a late Cabramatta resident.

Twelve Vietnamese martial artists will take part in the Asian Vovinam Championships at Kish Island, Iran, starting today.