Gender violence should receive more media coverage to ensure women and children are brave enough to speak up to prevent domestic violence, said a gender expert from Care International in Vietnam.

 The fifth Ho Chi Minh City International Traditional Martial Arts Festival began at the sports centre of District 7 on July 23, attracting more than 1,800 martial artists from Vietnam and abroad.

 The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has launched the country’s official tourism portal, www.vietnam.travel, to deliver comprehensive information and inspiration for foreign travellers.

 The Bank for Investment and Cooperation of Vietnam (BIDV) and four banks of Japan’s Resona Group have signed a cooperation agreement on supporting Japanese firms in Vietnam. 

 More than 120 students and 15 lecturers working at domestic and foreign institutions are joining the 6th Vietnam Summer School of Science (VSSS) which opened in the central coastal province of Binh Dinh on July 23.

 The People’s Court of Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province, on July 23sentenced 10 men to prison for disturbing public order in Hoa Minh commune, Tuy Phong district, on June 10.

 The motorbike market of Vietnam has recorded positive growth in recent years, despite being forecast to enter a saturation period by the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) two years ago.

 The Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team (VNCERT) on July 23 advised banks and critical national infrastructure organisations to promptly take preventive measures to detect and prevent cyber attacks.

 The new boat tour at the tourism hub of Trang An complex in the northern province of Ninh Binh is adding more prestige to the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site while at the same time strengthening the province’s tourism brand.

 Endowed cool weather year-round, wonderful natural beauty and extraordinary culture and history turn Bac Ha district into another draw to tourists, besides Sa Pa, in the northern province of Lao Cai.

 Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreign firms and a potential market for digitalisation and electronic commerce, said Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary General of the ASEAN.

Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha and President of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Council Muhadjir Efendy discussed bilateral cooperation in education and training during their talks in Hanoi on July 23.

Ha Giang police on July 23 began criminal proceedings against and issued a three-month temporary detention warrant for Chief of the local Examination and Quality Management Division Nguyen Thanh Hoai.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang, world shuttlecock champion, died at the age of 33 in Hanoi on Sunday due to breast cancer.

 Forest fires raging across Greece have killed at least 20 people, the government says, as the authorities there seek international assistance.

 Vietnam planted a total 12,385ha of coastal forest between 2015-2017 via climate change response and coastal forest protection project for 2015-2020, which raised the coastal forest coverage from 16.9 percent in 2014 to 17 percent last year. 

 The 25th Ho Chi Minh City International Track & Field – Vietnam Open 2018 will take place at Thong Nhat stadium on July 26 and 27.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia Tony Smith held talks in Hanoi on July 23, seeking ways to solidify the countries’ relations in a number of aspects.

 The US remained Vietnam’s largest export market with a value of nearly 21.6 billion USD as of mid-July, accounting for 19 percent of the total. 

 The world-acclaimed Matilda the Musical will be performed in Vietnam for the first time on July 24.

Phan Van Tan from the Meteorology, Hydrology and Oceanography Faculty of the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences, said storms cause devastation but also bring certain benefits.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A HCM City programme to introduce new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses is facing difficulties due to a lack of financial support from the city and poor infrastructure.

Despite the serious shortage of workers for the IT industry, international firms have strict standards when they recruit Vietnamese IT engineers.  

 “Hoi An Memories” – A dazzling outdoor spectacle reenacting different historical periods of the ancient town of Hoi An has been introduced to visitors since March this year. T

 Travel and Leisure has announced its annual 2018 list of the world’s best cities and Vietnam’s Hoi An is on it.