Japan treasures its ties with Vietnam and will continue its cooperation and assistance for Vietnam’s development, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated while receiving Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh in Tokyo on May 21.

 Vietnam gives a high priority to the combat and prevention of drugs and will work closely with the UN and Mekong sub-regional nations at both bilateral and multilateral levels to stop the global peril, stated Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

 Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago is an integral territory of Vietnam and its waters have long been the traditional fishing grounds of Vietnamese fishermen, affirmed Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Le Hai Binh.

VietNamNet Bridge – We arrived at Ben En National Park, one of the most relaxing parks in North Viet Nam, early this month to join a reforestation programme with people in Thanh Hoa's Nhu Thanh District.  

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) has rejected recent media reports that it will begin a pilot scheme permitting motorcycles with engines of 400cc or bigger to use expressways which are currently for automobiles only.

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City plans to reduce environmental pollution by reducing the rate of buried waste to under 40 per cent by the end of the year.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Ranked No. 7 of 101 countries and territories investing in Vietnam for the past five years, the United States has invested more capital in the country through new brands.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Finance has proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to consider taking used rubber tyres off the list of goods for temporary import and re-export permits.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Telephones and components imported from China made up for 70 per cent of the nation's total import turnover of these products in the first four months of this year, reported the General Department of Viet Nam Customs.

 The consumer confidence index in Vietnam increased six points against last quarter, according to Nielsen’s consumer confidence index report for the first quarter of 2015 released on May 20.

 A former member of the popular Irish band, Boyzone, Mark Walton arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on May 20 to serve as a coach and jury member on the 2015 Vietnam Idol, the national version of the beloved Idol series.

 The Guardian, a renowned UK magazine, has challenged readers to do a math puzzle for Vietnamese eight-year-olds which has stumped both parents and teachers alike.

 VietNamNet Bridge - The highest paid employees in Vietnam are in the medical sector, not the finance and banking sector, as is often assumed, according to a survey conducted by recruiting firm JobStreet Vietnam.

Vietnam has borrowed $4-5 billion a year in the last 10 years, and the public debt has nearly hit the ceiling. However, the country will continue borrowing because it needs capital for development and investment.

 Global food markets could be disrupted by the El Nino event predicted for later this year.

 Dong Nai residents face eviction for airport, Petrol prices surge for second time in May, VN signs UXO clearance aid pack with U.S. mine advisory group, Chinese woman detained for human trafficking, Tourist bus crashes, killing one

 The Ministry of Health has advised the public that reports that rice made from plastic has reached Viet Nam remain unverified.

 A 300-year-old mango tree in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu was recognised as a heritage tree on May 20.

 Japanese investors have injected 37.5 billion USD into 2,619 valid projects in Vietnam as of the end of April.

The territorial disputes in East Sea was the centre of discussions at a conference titled ‘ASEAN Maritime Space Management – Ideas for Argentina’, which was held on May 20 at the Interamerican Open University in Buenos Aires.