Tuoi Tre News briefs you on some of the leading stories published today, January 17, in Vietnamese media.

Politics -- Vietnam and India have agreed to focus their defense cooperation on applying technological advances and developing information technology and defense industry. The agreement was reached between Vietnam’s Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh and his Indian counterpart Shri R.K. Mathur at the ninth Vietnam-India defense dialogue in New Delhi on January 16.Society -- At a meeting with Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee chairman Le Hoang Quan on Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius suggested the Vietnamese Government apply long-term visas for American travelers and entrepreneur communities. The diplomat also proposed that a direct flight route set up between HCMC and the U.S. state of California.    -- The five-star cruise ship Aidasol carrying 2,176 travelers, of whom 90 percent are German, and 626 crewmembers, arrived at the Tan Cang-Cai Mep port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on Friday. This is the third group of visitors coming to Vietnam by sea that paid a US$5 fee per traveler as sightseeing charge in 2015, pending amendments to a new visa fee regulation, which provides for a visa fee of $45 per sea traveler as of January 1, 2015.  -- The General Department of Environment under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has issued decisions to give fines totaling over VND2.3 billion (US$107,700) to four major hospitals in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho for violating regulations on environmental protection. -- A serious traffic jam began on the Hanoi Highway in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City at 1 pm on Friday and lasted for 12 hours. Numerous automobiles and motorbikes formed a queue that stretched up to five kilometers on the road. The incident was caused by many containers trucks that encroached on the highway while waiting in line to enter an inland container depot nearby.      -- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has issued a decision to recognize the Cat Tien archeological site in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong as a special national relic. This site, which dates back to the seventh or eighth century A.D., was discovered during an excavation at the site in 1991 and was recognized as a national relic in 1998. Business -- As of July 2015, motorbike crash helmets will be listed among the commodities of which manufacturers and/or traders are subject to a number of conditions, as provided for in the amended Law on Investment that will take effect on July 1, 2015.  -- Under a direction by the Government, the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) has decided to build a warehouse that can keep one million tons of oil in reserve, in a bid to prevent a profit loss in case global oil prices fall as well as a loss of business opportunities when the prices increase. The storage facility will be located next to the Dung Quat Oil Refinery Plant in the central province of Quang Ngai. Lifestyle -- A music show introducing well-known music pieces of the late composers Mozart and Johannes Brahms will take place at 8 pm on January 19 at the Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1. The event, which will be joined by David Gomez Ramirez, one of the most talented conductors and composers in Spain, will be hosted by the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera.Sports -- Manchester United (M.U) will compete with Queens Park Rangers at the Loftus Road Stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London at 10 pm Saturday (Vietnam time). This is a chance for M.U’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao to improve his image as he has scored just three goals in the last 11 matches.

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