VIETNAM TODAY

Con Dao islands in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau has been listed among the best secret islands on earth, according to a recent article by Travel Leisure magazine.

The Goethe Institute in Vietnam is introducing 10 new German films during its Spring Cinema programme in HCM City and Hanoi.

Vietnam’s young businesspeople Dao Lan Huong has been selected as one of 15 entrepreneurs to take part in the Australia-ASEAN Emerging Leaders Programme (A2ELP), which was scheduled to take place in Melbourne and Sydney in March.

Vietnamese enterprises have invested nearly US$21.4 billion in 1,188 projects in 70 countries and territories around the world, according to an official from the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has made public nine localities and agencies which have a surprisingly large number of officials from the same families.

Schools in some remote areas of the central region are facing difficulties attracting students back to schools after the Tet holiday as many prefer staying at home to help their parents with new farm crops.

Vietnam is deeply concerned about the test launch of ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on February 12, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh said in reply to reporters’ questions on February 17.

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is not permitted to mobilise capital to invest in the real estate and finance sectors.

The Australia Border Forces (ABF) said on February 17 that they had detained 29 Vietnamese fishermen allegedly poaching sea cucumbers in the country’s waters.

Malaysian police have made a third arrest in the apparent murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and an occasional critic of his family's regime.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has asked G20 members to increase support to developing countries in infrastructure and human resource development, technology transfer and climate change response.

Vietnamese consumers are favouring more imported fruits as spending last year reached over USD700m, that has put more pressure on the local businesses.

The Ministry of Public Security has issued a decision to prosecute five people for being found to have involved in asset misappropriation of PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation.

Devon Nguyễn will present her Spring/Summer collection at the Paris Fashion Week from February 28 to March 8. She is the first Vietnamese ready-to-wear clothing designer to attend such a prestigious fashion event.

The HCMC Tourism Association has written to relevant authorities proposing lengthening the visa waiver for citizens of five Western European countries from the current one year to five years and the visa-free stay from 15 days to 30 days.

Binh Thuan Wind Energy Association is planning to develop eco-tourism at wind farms to raise funds and further develop clean energy.

Prosecutors on Friday arrested the de facto head of South Korea’s largest conglomerate, Samsung, on bribery and other charges related to a political corruption scandal that triggered the impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has requested prompt examination of news stories run by several newspapers regarding Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa.

Initial tests show that the methanol content in the alcohol consumed in Lai Chau Province, which resulted in mass poisoning and claimed seven lives, was thousands of times higher than permitted.