VIETNAM TODAY

The European Union has committed to continue its provision of technology to improve the legal framework for nuclear safety in Vietnam, EU Ambassador to Vietnam Franz Jessen said in Hanoi yesterday.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted Chinese Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun in Hanoi yesterday, saying that both sides should enrich co-operation, especially in training law enforcement.

Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) will team up with forest range department in Tuyen Quang Province to inspect and rescue as soon as possible a rare monkey that is being raised illegally.

The Ministry of Finance has confirmed that the country's sole oil processing facility – the Dung Quat Oil Refinery – will not be closed thanks to a recent import tax reduction on petroleum products.

All construction and upgrade activities by foreign countries on islands and reefs belonging to Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos without the Vietnam Government’s permission are illegal and invalid, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

The Aviation Administration of Vietam said yesterday that South Korean police had detained two Vietnam Airlines (VNA) crew members for concealing 6 kg of gold in their shoes.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) yesterday decided to ban six players for life from V.League 1 club Dong Nai FC for match fixing.

The Vietnam Military Medicine Department has teamed up with its colleagues from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Medical Corps to offer free medical treatment and medicine for residents in Binh Xuyen district, northern Vinh Phuc province as from April 15.

The Government Inspectorate said yesterday that during the first quarter it uncovered violations involving more than VND3.5 trillion (US$162 million) and almost 60 hectares of land.

The approaching six-day national holiday (April 28-May 3) has proved a goldmine for tour companies who have been flooded with people buying overseas tour packages.

The dust is settling and taps remain dry in thousands of rental apartments in the newly built Phap Van-Tu Hiep residential quarter for students. Despite the complex's modern infrastructure and reasonable rental fee, it continues to remain without occupants.

Vietnam will play against arch-rival Thailand during the upcoming 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore this June.

Authorities issued an alert for several Mexican states after thieves snatched potentially deadly radioactive material used for industrial radiography.

The Vietnam Business Annual Report 2014 was released in Hanoi on April 15 with a focus on enterprise development in agribusiness.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked provinces and cities under the central Government to strengthen measures for forest fire prevention in a recently released document.

Japan overtook China in February as the top foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities, a position Japan last held in August 2008.

Police want Hanoi Railway Station moved out of the city centre to reduce congestion and accidents.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Producers and Exporters (VASEP) recently forecast the overall export value of tuna to increase slightly by 4% on-year to US$510 million for 2015.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) held a press conference on April 15 to provide information on the arrest of two Vietnamese airline crew members in the Republic of Korea (RoK).