VIETNAM TODAY

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Chilean Senate President Guido Girardin Lavin signed a cooperation agreement in Hanoi on March 1.

Vietnam should pay greater attention to urban planning in order to ease traffic congestion, said a JICA expert.

The Kovalevskaya Award will be presented to two female scientists for their great contributions to science and national development.

In an attempt to discourage illegal bike racers, Ho Chi Minh City wants to impose a tough penalty on them by confiscating vehicles immediately, even those of first time offenders.

As gold prices become more stabilised, many investors opt to deposit their money into banks or to invest in the securities market.

Davis Love matched the course record with a 64 to seize a two-shot first-round lead at the Honda Classic over a group led by Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.

The High Command of Naval Zone 2 has received the vessel HQ272, the most modern ocean going patrol boat to be made in Vietnam to date at a ceremony on March. 1.

Twelve Vietnamese passengers were killed and 7 others injured in a bus accident in Laos’ Attapu province at about 6pm on March 1.

Pollution may be turning the planet's oceans acidic at a faster rate than at any time in the past 300 million years, researchers said.

Vietnam is hoping that falling inflation and rising global risk appetites will spur sustained interest in the country's small stock market, a frontier where many pioneers have been burned.

Serbia took a "milestone" leap towards EU membership when Europe's leaders granted Belgrade candidate status, opening a new chapter in the history of the Western Balkans.

The General Department of Taxation is trying to recover debts from some of the country’s biggest firms that complain they have been affected by the economic downturn.

Well organized rings have begun offering contract prostitution, recruiting girls to work under contract for entrepreneurs, an official of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs said.

Shop owners in Hanoi show little interest in buying fire insurance, leaving the capital's crowded markets at risk.

Kristina Nguyen, 24, is the only American of Vietnamese origin taking part in humanitarian activities in Cameroon, West Africa.

The Vietnam Vovinam Federation sent its Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Chieu and General Secretary Vo Danh Hai to Milan, Italy, to supervise the European Vovinam Championships from March 2-4.

The central province of Quang Nam became the twelfth province declaring H5N1 bird flu as pandemic in two communes, after provincial authorities were compelled to destroy hundreds of infected water fowl.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre will apply new entrance ticket prices for both local and foreign visitors to the city’s historical sites from this month.

This family name of Vietnam is among the most ten common family names in the world. Nguyen is the surname of around 40% of Vietnam’s population, according to Theworldgeography.com.