The U.S. Federal Reserve has paid approximately 76.9 billion dollars of its estimated 2011 net income to the U.S. Treasury, the central bank said in a statement Tuesday.

The United Nations and the Libyan authorities on Tuesday signed an agreement establishing the legal framework under which the UN mission set up last year to support the North African country's post-conflict reconstruction efforts will operate.

VietNamNet Bridge – The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has made the list of ten endangered species to be on the look-out for in 2012, including some species in Southeast Asia and Vietnam, such as Irrawaddy dolphin, tiger and Javan rhino.

Beethoven's Fifth. Michelangelo's Pietà. Plato's Republic. Cornerstones of human civilization, to be sure, but they all pale in comparison to what we saw today at CES: TOSY's new mRobo robot, inspired by Justin Bieber.

VietNamNet Bridge – Improved infrastructure and diversified tourism products will be the focus as the central province of Thua Thien- Hue and other north central provinces prepare to observe National Tourism Year 2012.

Businesses, which are facing high inventory level and production stagnation, welcome the New Year 2012 in anxiety.

University lecturers have recently voiced their concern that Vietnam’s education has been “staying alone” and it does not have the international connection.

VietNamNet Bridge – The lunar New Year (Tet holiday) is coming in ten days and peach and kumquat trees are transported on Hanoi streets. Flower markets are also bustling.

Conflicts among hundreds of scalpers raring to stock up on the new iPhone 4S are casting a shadow over the gadget's launch on the Chinese mainland on Friday.

Venus Williams of the United States, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, announced her withdrawal from the Australian Open on Monday.

Banks again breach deposit rate cap; Dalat flowers struggling for export; Vinacomin rolls out updated business targets; Retail value climbs by 24.2% in 2011; Auto sales fall 12 per cent in December

It is imperative to make a real change in Party organization and building, said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the national conference on Party-building work in 2012 that closed in Hanoi on January 11.

Several big banks have earned hefty profits in 2011, marking a year of successful operation among large players in the banking industry despite the negative economic downturn at home.

Le Van Luyen, who killed 3 people at a gold shop in northern Bac Giang Province last August, has received an 18-year prison sentence for his crime, the maximum for his age range.

To meet the increasing needs of airline passengers, most Vietnamese carriers plan to increase their services in the domestic market during Tet (Lunar New Year), the year's biggest holiday season.

VietNamNet Bridge – Since the early 20th century, Nha Xa silk in the northern province of Ha Nam, has been called “the first runner-up of Vietnamese silk”, only behind Van Phuc silk.

While the government and the State Bank of Vietnam state that it is now the right time to ease the interest rates, commercial banks still mobilize capital and lend at high interest rates.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday denounced Iran's decision to begin enrichment operations at its new Qom facility, saying such an act runs counter to its obligations made under multiple UN Security Council

VietNamNet Bridge – As of March 2012, a working group of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee will survey mining activities in some provinces, focusing on coal, iron, bauxite, titanium and gold mines.

VietNamNet Bridge – The two Vietnamese models will fly to South Korea on January 15 to participate in the seventh Asian Model Festival in Seoul.

While the Foreign Ministry asked for Thailand and Cambodia’s assistance to search for ten missing fishermen in the southern province of Ca Mau, the ship owner received phone calls from an unknown woman asking for ransom.

Fire destroys two homes in north; Woman hospitalized 4 times in 6 years of marriage; ‘Super thief’ targeting state agencies arrested; Unlock magnetic cards within 5 seconds

Unexploded ordnances (UXO) hide themselves in over 20 percent of Vietnam’s area. At the current funding, the country will be cleaned from UXO in 300 years. However, relevant agencies are trying to shorten the time to less than 100 years.

Gymnastic was among the most successful sport of Vietnam at the Southeast Asian Games 2011, with 11 gold medals. In 2012, gymnasts will be the first Vietnamese athletes who will compete for more tickets to the Olympic London.

Outdoor sculptures on display in Vietnam metro; Tet celebrations at Vietnam Museum of Ethnology; The timeless charm of Hue Citadel