The average bonus for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) in Ho Chi Minh City is 12.7 million VND (nearly 500 USD) per person, up 3.3% from the previous year, the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reported on December 23.

More trains will run during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays to cope with an increase in demand.

Standing Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh on December 22 visited the Archbishop Residence of Hanoi, the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North), and the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics to offer greetings for Christmas 2024 and the upcoming New Year 2025.

An art programme featuring performances of artists and students from the Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school took place in the Lao capital of Vientiane on December 19, marking the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and 35th anniversary of the All-People Defence Festival (December 22).

The Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Vietnam Post Corporation (VNPost) jointly released a postage stamp collection on December 18 showcasing the heroic past of the Vietnam People’s Army on its 80th anniversary.

As many as 4,966 safe and solid houses were built for more than 25,000 people in areas frequently hit by storms and floods during the past seven years.

President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son chaired a discussion with an Indian delegation in Hanoi on December 16 to share insight on Vietnam’s current situation and enduring friendship between Vietnam and India, as part of the 12th Vietnam-India People's Friendship Festival.

A delegation of 24 volunteers from the Hanoi branch of the Missionary Training Centre (MTC) under the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and five staff members from the Asia Area Office of LDS Charities (LDSC) in Hong Kong (China) led by President of the Hanoi branch Rob Howell held a working session with the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) in Hanoi on December 16.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) on December 13 held a closing ceremony for its 2024 class of young professionals.

The Vietnamese Association in Russia has been developed into the Union of Vietnamese Organisations in Russia, reflecting the diversity and size of the 100,000-strong Vietnamese community in Russia.

The country's birth rate has reached an all-time low, estimated at 1.96 children per woman in 2023, with forecasts suggesting further declines.

Ho Chi Minh City will need about 40.21 billion USD for constructing seven urban railway lines with a total length of about 355km by 2035, its Transport Department said.

Nearly 200 attendees logged on to the "Singapore Study Dream 2024" online event, eager to explore the wealth of educational opportunities available in the island city-state.

Ten Vietnamese universities have secured spots in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025, which were recently released by the UK-based education organisation Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

Returning to their local communities after serving prison sentences, former inmates face serious challenges, including unstable employment, and financial difficulties. A credit programme with preferential interest rates was established under Decision No. 22/2023/QĐ-TTg, dated August 17, 2023 by the Prime Minister to help former inmates secure stable jobs so they can rebuild their lives.

The Dong Hanh Singapore scholarship fund, in collaboration with the Vietnamese community in Singapore, held the Dong Hanh Singapore Concert 2024 in support of disadvantaged and excellent students from Vietnamese universities.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper on December 5 announced a new 12.5 million USD foreign assistance package to Vietnam, during a meeting with Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien at the Department of Fisheries Surveillance (DFIRES) Training Facility, Region 5 in Phu Quoc city, the southern province of Kien Giang.

The Mekong Delta province of An Giang on December 4 launched a campaign to mobilise resources for the settlement of the temporary and dilapidated houses, making contributions to the local sustainable socio-economic development.

A delegation of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) led by Deputy General Director Nguyen Tuan Hung held a working session with representatives from Granma, the official daily newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuban Central Committee headed by Deputy Editor-in-Chief Oscar Alberto Sanchez Serra in Hanoi on December 3.

The Central Highlands province of Dak Nong has worked to address temporary and dilapidated housing through carrying out the national target programmes for the 2021-2025 period.