HCM City petitions to restrict new licences to exploit groundwater

The HCM City People’s Committee has petitioned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to restrict the granting of new licences to exploit groundwater. 

Rapper Suboi’s new single premieres on Beats 1

 Suboi, Viet Nam’s queen of hip hop, on Thursday introduced her new single N-Sao? on Beats 1, a music radio station owned and operated by Apple Inc.

Illegal mining causes environmental problems in Central Highlands

 VietNamNet Bridge – Illegal mining has caused not only losses of natural resources but also environmental problems in the Central Highlands provinces of Vietnam.

Lake neighborhood develops community tourism

 Lake Ba Be in the northern province of Bac Kan is Vietnam’s largest and one of the 100 largest fresh water lakes in the world. 

Viettel signs up 2m subscribers in Myanmar within one month

 Mytel, Viettel’s mobile company in Myanmar, has signed up more than two million subscribers in just one month since officially starting operations.

Taxi driver cheats foreign visitors with fake money

 VietNamNet Bridge – Two foreigners who were given fake money as change in Hanoi last week were conned by a taxi driver, not a cyclo driver, 

Only 11 sarus cranes spotted at Tram Chim National Park

 Only 11 sarus cranes, the tallest species of flying birds on earth, have been spotted this year at Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap province – which used to be the top destination of the bird in the Mekong Delta region.

Quang Ninh to host ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019

 The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 (ATF 2019) will take place in Ha Long City, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, from January 14-18 next year, themed “ASEAN - the Power of One”. 

206 foreign brands franchised in Vietnam

 The Ministry of Industry and Trade has granted 206 franchise licences for foreign brands in Vietnam since 2007, reports from the ministry showed.

Vietnam listed among 19 iodine-deficient countries

 The Iodine Global Network has ranked Vietnam among the top 19 iodine-deficient countries, according to the Vietnamese Health Ministry’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

Trade tensions pose a risk to global growth - G20 ministers

 The G20 group of finance ministers have said trade tensions could undermine the global economy.

HCM City listed as third best Asian tourist spot in 2018

 “Though it has long been heralded as a hip destination, Vietnam’s southern supercity somehow keeps getting cooler” is how Lonely Planet describes HCMC which it has named the third best place to visit in Asia this year.

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Association promotes solidarity among Vietnamese in Laos, Sri Lanka’s Bodhi tree planted at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Former imperial city of Hue to build tourism mart, PM inspects environment at Formosa Ha Tinh steel company

Vietnam’s smart city plans lack specifics

 Major economic hubs of big cities and provinces nationwide have announced ambitious multi-billion dollar projects to become smart cities, well-equipped to take advantage of opportunities presented by the digital age.

CNN commercials boost Hanoi’s foreign tourist arrivals

 The 2-million-USD deal between Hanoi and the US television network CNN from 2017 – 2018 has spurred international tourist arrivals to the capital city over the past year.

Vietnam for first time wins highest score at Int'l Biology Olympiad

 All four members of the Vietnamese team attending the 2018 International Biology Olympiad recently held in Iran won medals, with three gold and one silver, according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Tien Giang loses protective forests to sea

 The southern coastal province of Tien Giang is losing large areas of protective forest due to coast erosion, which threatens the safety of the Go Cong sea dyke. 

Vietnam may earn $4.7 billion from fruit, veggie exports in 2018

 Fruits and vegetables may earn the country 4.7 billion USD this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

Two dead as 15 people shot in Toronto

 Two people, including the gunman and a young woman, have been killed and 13 others injured in a shooting incident in Toronto,

The struggle in the $2 billion bottled tea market

VietNamNet Bridge - More than 80 percent of the market share for bottled tea, an industry valued at $1.7 billion, belongs to three big players.

Google Maps announces motorbike mode for Vietnam

 Google Maps has announced a new motorbike mode in ASEAN countries, including Viet Nam this week.

73-year-old actress continues quest to popularise cai luong

 VietNamNet Bridge – Veteran actress Hong Nga, one of the southern leading cai luong (reformed opera) performers, will stage a live show in HCM City next month. 

Student’s martial art championships held in Hue

 VietNamNet Bridge – The National Students Vovinam Championships is taking place in Hue with the participation of 480 martial art practitioners from 28 teams across the country.

Environment risks prompt authorities to reject textile & dyeing projects

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has lured big investments into the textile & garment industry, but the projects are unwelcome in localities for fear for pollution.

Education Ministry removes floor mark scheme, but vows to ensure student quality

As anticipated, soon after the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) removed the floor mark scheme, some universities decided to admit students who got only an 11 score on three exam subjects.