BOT road project in south halted

 Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has decided to stop the project on expanding part of National Highway No 30, running through the southern provinces of Dong Thap and Tien Giang.

Three cups of coffee a day 'may have health benefits'

 Moderate coffee drinking is safe, and three to four cups a day may have some health benefits, according to a large review of previous studies, in the BMJ.

Traffic construction causes chaos in Hanoi's Tay Ho District

 Nghi Tam Street in Tay Ho District is facing serious traffic jams, particularly at peak hours, due to the construction of a flyover.

Wild animals traded via agriculture export to China

 Wild animals and their parts have been found hidden among agricultural products exported to China according to a recent report from Ministry of Finance to the government.

Ha Long to spend $74.83m to preserve fishing village

 The authorities of Ha Long City have made plans to spend nearly VND1.7trn ($74.83m) to preserve and promote the culture of fishing communities.

Vietnam consumes 4.9 billion instant noodle packets a year

Vietnam’s instant noodle consumption showed signs of recovery last year with 4.92 billion packets sold, after seeing a decline in 2015, according to the World Instant Noodles Association. 

Internet users account for 54% of Vietnam’s population after 20 years

 The number of internet users in Vietnam has reached 50 million, equivalent to 54% of the population, after two decades since the country officially joined the global interconnected network. 

Illegal logging destroying Cuc Phuong National Park

 Illegal logging is rampant at Cuc Phuong National Park despite "the best" efforts of forest rangers.

Android phones 'betray' user location to Google

 A majority of Android smartphones collect location data and send it back to Google, even when location services are switched off.

Vietnam’s seas, islands promoted in France

 Designer Dang Ngoc Han presented a collection of áo dài (traditional long robes) inspired by the Vietnamese sea and islands in France on November 22 night.

VN’s internet: Most influential individuals, enterprises announced

The VN Internet Association has announced the list of the most influential people and businesses contributing to the internet’s development in Vietnam at Internet Day 2017 and the anniversary ceremony held to mark 20 years of the internet in Vietnam.

Bank loans for securities sector falls to $444.4m

 Total lending of the banking sector for securities trading has reached VND10 trillion (US$444.4 million), according to State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) governor Le Minh Hung.

Two real estate frauds exposed

The HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment on Monday issued a warning to customers and secondary real estate investors about illegal activity of Alibaba Real Estate JSC and Alibaba Tay Bac HCMC JSC.

Billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong moves up on Forbes’ list

 Pham Nhat Vuong, billionaire founder and chairman of Vingroup, is ranked 479th on Forbes Magazine’s updated list of the richest people in the world on Wednesday with total assets of US$4.3 billion.

Fruit industry needs technology to reach potential

Though Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable industry is growing, its exports still account for less than 1 percent of the global market, indicating the need for the processing industry to upgrade its facilities and practices.

SMIC Golf Challenge Tournament to begin

 The SMIC Golf Challenge Tournament is scheduled for November 25 to 27 at FLC Samson Golf Links in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

Will casinos exist in all three Special Economic Zones?

All three special economic zones (SEZs) Vietnam plans to set up – Phu Quoc, Bac Van Phong and Van Don – will give priority to services, tourism and integrated entertainment with casinos. 

UK floods: 70 people and horses rescued in Lancashire

 More than 70 people and 20 horses had to be rescued from floods in Lancashire as bad weather hit the UK.

US Navy aircraft crash: Eight rescued off Japanese coast

 Eight people have been rescued after a US Navy aircraft carrying 11 crew and passengers crashed off the coast of Japan, 

Vietnamese Carmen takes stage

Characters from the popular opera Carmen will be performed as contemporary Vietnamese people by artists from Viet Nam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) at Ha Noi Opera House on November 23 and 24.

NA weighs in on special economic zone’s authority as unconstitutional risk looms

 VietNamNet Bridge – The prospect of establishing three special economic zones is more likely than ever, but future administrations there are at risk of being unconstitutional.

Nation’s tennis aces to battle in Nghe An

 The National Best Tennis Players Tournament will run from December 17-22 in the central province of Nghe An, the event’s organisers announced yesterday.

Japanese film festival to open in HCM City

 Eleven Japanese films released over the last three years will be screened at the annual Japanese Film Festival in HCM City from November 24 to December 9.

On-street parking damages pavements in Hanoi

 VietNamNet Bridge – About 60,000 sq.m of pavements in the central districts of Hanoi are being misused as parking areas, blocking pedestrians and degrading footpath quality, 

Legislators support appointment of chiefs of special administrative units

Lawmakers voiced support for appointing a single chief to run each special administrative-economic unit, instead of setting up People’s Councils and People’s Committees, while discussing a draft law on such units on November 22.