Authorities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are speeding up plans to limit motorbikes entering inner-city areas and eventually phase motorbikes out in downtown areas to ease traffic jams.

Four former executives of Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC (BSR) on January 22 were sentenced to four to eight years in prison for charges of “abusing position and power to appropriate assets”, following a two-day trial.

Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air will operate 2,500 additional flights to serve passengers during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays and the 2019 festive season, offering over 500,000 tickets to customers.

A government delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, visited and extended New Year greetings to poor families and workers in the Red River Delta province of Nam Dinh on January 22.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport said that the city’s smart traffic operation centre is being completed and is scheduled to become operational in February.

The People’s Court of the central province of Khanh Hoa sentenced Phan Van Binh to 14 years in prison for “attempting to overthrow the people’s administration” at a first-instance trial on January 22.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan met with representatives of writers and artists on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Three cargo ships, the Truong Sa 571, Truong Sa 561 and KN 491, docked at Cam Ranh port in the central province of Khanh Hoa on January 22, completing their voyage to deliver gifts to soldiers and islanders on Truong Sa archipelago ahead of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet).

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) held a consultation seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on January 21 to discuss labour dispute settlement models.

The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations on January 21 opened a training course on civilian protection for 16 Vietnamese officers and 10 others from foreign countries.

Nearly 100,000 books will be put on show at the annual book street festival in downtown Ho Chi Minh City from February 2-8 in celebration of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday 2019.

Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha and Minister of State at the UK Department for Education Nick Gibb discussed the two countries’ educational cooperation during their recent talks in London.

The Vietnamese Government has allocated 20 percent of State budget spending or 5.8 percent of national gross domestic product (GDP) each year on education, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha has said.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh on January 21 requested relevant agencies adamantly deal with law violations as well as corrupted officials and public employees who lend a hand to criminals.

Cu Mong tunnel, which connects the central provinces of Binh Dinh and Phu Yen, opened to traffic on January 21.

A lorry, plated 29C-71953, crashed into a delegation from the Kim Luong communal chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in the northern province of Hai Duong on January 21, leaving seven dead at the site.

Tours to the United Arab Emirates have been flying off the shelves after the national men’s football team earned a place at the AFC Asian Cup 2019 quarterfinals, scheduled to take place in Dubai on January 24.

The Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security and Honda Vietnam will join hands in implementing traffic safety activities for the 2019-2021 period under a cooperation programme signed on January 21.

Choi Young-sook, a Korean woman in her 60s with a doctorate degree in audiology, has been dedicating her time to students with disabilities in Da Lat city in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong.

The Government’s mechanism to calculate the compensation rate for residents whose land it takes for public purposes is "detached" from the market value instead of relying on it, leading to prolonged opposition and grievances from those affected.