Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called a halt to the construction of the Can Tho Bridge pending a probe into its collapse last month that killed 53 workers.

Recovery workers dug out three bodies on Saturday from the rubble of a section of collapsed bridge, raising the death toll from the disaster in southern Vietnam to 49, the Transport Minister said.

Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet has assured that Vietnamese living around the world visiting their homeland will not require visas from September 1 this year.

A US$2.3 billion urban mega complex by Russia-based Gami Group's financial wing got off the ground Tuesday in central Danang city.

Vietnam is aiming to issue a US$1 billion bond in international markets in the fourth quarter of 2007, but its foreign debt will remain at a "safe level", a finance ministry official was quoted Monday as saying.

Vietnam's prime minister has urged a rapid pace to infrastructure development for a high-tech business area in northern Vietnam to absorb foreign investment, particularly a new influx from Japan.

Border soldiers of Hai Phong port city said Thursday they had caught an illegal immigration ring in the midst of transferring 12 people into China.

Dinh Vu Development Joint Venture Co. began to build Monday a 20,000 ton liquid cargo pier in Vietnam’s northern Hai Phong city. The 193-meter-long wharf at the Dinh Vu Industrial Zone (IZ) is expected to cost VND80 billion (US$5 million) and take 14 months for completion.

More than 400 regional business people will convene at a landmark conference on Vietnam's economic take-off on April 23 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Chu Lai open economic zone in central Quang Nam province has so far this year licensed three projects and permitted another to raise its investment, attracting nearly $49.5 million, the EZ authority said.