All equipment and personnel of the first field hospital of Vietnam is scheduled to leave for South Sudan in December 2017 to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission there.

 Vietnam’s customs sector wants to cooperate with APEC member economies and receive financial and technological support from them to develop the sector’s competence.

 The first APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 1) went on in Nha Trang city on February 22 with activities seven committees, working groups and forums of APEC.

 National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong hosted a reception for Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Pier Antonio Panzeri in Hanoi on February 22.

 Representatives from 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum have showed their support for priorities proposed by Vietnam for APEC Year 2017 while attending a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 20.

 Strengthening comprehensive cooperation with Thailand, including in the field of defence, is one of the priorities of Vietnam, affirmed Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich at a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in Bangkok on February 22.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he hopes Vietnam and New Zealand will work to elevate their relations to a strategic partnership, during a reception in Hanoi on February 22 for the new Ambassador of New Zealand, Wendy Irene Matthews.

 Chairwoman of Russia’s Federal Council Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko has told Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong that her country will do everything possible to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam.

Located in Ve Tinh commune, Soc Son district, Hanoi, as part of the Soc temple complex, Non Nuoc pagoda and Vietnam Buddhist Academy are part of a monumental architectural work that has been in use for seven years.

VietNamNet Bridge - Renewable energy, especially wind power, is believed to be the solution to Vietnam’s increasingly high demand for power.

VietNamNet Bridge - The volume of freshwater on canals in the Mekong Delta has decreased quickly, while saline intrusion has begun in many areas.

The severe weather conditions in the first months of 2016 with drought and saline intrusion dealt a strong blow on Vietnam’s agriculture, leading to minus growth rate of the sector in the first half of the year. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The Examinations and Education Quality Assurance Department has announced the draft regulation on higher-education establishment accreditation, under which universities would be ranked based on 111 criteria.

 Nghe An authorities presented eight investment certificates and signed 15 memorandums on investment with total capital pledges of VND22,628 billion (US$1 billion) at a meeting with investors in the north-central province on Sunday.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment, speaks to the Thoi bao Kinh te Sai Gon (Sai Gon Economic Times) about the importance of enacting the Law on Planning.

 The London Symphony Orchestra based in London, UK will give a performance in Hanoi on March 4.

The tourism authority of the central province of Quang Binh will this year launch at least seven new tourism products, organize numerous promotion programs and festivals, and inaugurate more flights to the province to bolster tourism

 Japanese businesses boost aquatic exports to Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines holds extraordinary shareholder meeting, WB-loaned hydropower plant puts first turbine into use, HCM City to host coffee expo

 HCM City seeks bigger revenue share, Driver, assistant stuck in cabin after truck overturns, HCM City Party chief greets RoK locality’s official, Quang Ninh strengthens border inspection given China’s H7N9 outbreak

 VietNamNet Bridge – A strong cold wave is travelling from China to Viet Nam’s northern region and will lead to the temperature dropping by 10 degrees Celsius, the National Hydro Meteorological Service has said.