Abandoned Cambodian passenger jet finally to be auctioned

 Vietnam will auction a Boeing aeroplane which has been abandoned at Noi Bai International Airport for 10 years by a Cambodian airline.

Dozens of elephants exhausted after Tet holiday overworking

 Over 40 elephants in Dak Lak Province have been left exhausted after being forced to overwork through the lunar new year holiday period.

Vietnam among top 10 budget honeymoons: Lonely Planet

VietNamNet Bridge - Lonely Planet has just named Vietnam in the Top 10 budget honeymoons.

Ministry to penalise officials visiting pagoda during work

 Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh on Wednesday issued a decision to establish a disciplinary council to impose penalties on ministry officials who reportedly visited the pagoda during work hours.

Online stories must be unchanged for one year: Vietnamese Gov’t

 A digital copy of every news and feature story published on online newspapers must be kept unchanged for at least one year, the Government has said.

Minh Tu represents Vietnam at Asia's Next Top Model

 Vietnamese representative Minh Tu has come to Singapore to compete at Asia's Next Top Model 2017, according to Kenh14.vn online newspaper.

Rice exports of Vietnam face tough year ahead

 Vietnam farmers face another difficult year as confidence falters with industry analysts particularly pessimistic the country will reach overseas sales of more than five million metric tons in 2017, the Vietnam Food Association has said.

Kien Giang: Speedboat capsizes, 14 people rescued

  VietNamNet Bridge – Fourteen people were rescued on Wednesday evening after their speedboat capsized due to high waves on the way from Nam Du Island to the mainland.

Health ministry tackles dengue, Zika in Nha Trang

The Ministry of Health will release 1 million to 1.4 million of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in four wards in Nha Trang in an effort to reduce the number of incidences of dengue fever and Zika virus infections.

HCM City to have road signs in English

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City will put up more road signs written in English to serve foreign tourists,

Project on regionally-connected infrastructure approved

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a project on developing domestic infrastructure in connection with the regional systems.

VN, Russia to focus on economic, military technology cooperation

 Vietnam and Russia will focus on prioritised strategic projects in two major areas of economy-trade and military science-technology, stated Alexey Popov, Russian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City at a press conference in the city on February 9.

Vietnam-RoK celebrate 25 years of ties

 A ceremony was held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (RoK) on February 8 to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-RoK diplomatic relations, opening a series of events this year to celebrate bilateral ties.

Nha Trang to host triathlon

 More than 500 athletes will compete in the Challenge Vietnam triathlon in the coastal city of Nha Trang on August 27.

HCM City women’s football team heads to Thailand

 The HCM City women’s football team will train in Thailand in May to prepare for the upcoming National Women’s Football Championships.

Cable internet providers to expand to rural areas

 Cable internet providers plan to expand their networks to rural areas this year to capture a bigger share of the market.

Vietnam’s pepper faces stern quality challenge

 Vietnamese pepper will face stricter scrutiny this year on excessive use of agricultural pesticides, especially in the EU and US markets, experts say.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/2

 Kolon Group subsidiary approved for US$220 million plant, Seafood exports to China expected to surpass US$1 billion, Furniture firm gets delisting warning, VN’s steel, iron import value rose 30%     

Social News 9/2

 Mega 6/45 creates 3 jackpot winners - Awards US$5.5 million, Thanh Hoa arrests alleged smuggler, Australian tourist’s death was suicide, say police, New safety measures proposed for railways

The magic of purple flower fields in DakLak

 After Tet holidays, strange purple flower fields in Krong Ana commune, the Central Highlands province of DakLak are becoming an ideal destination to take pictures of young tourists and visitors. 

Stunning beauty of bamboo water wheels

Bamboo water wheels in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau is a new attraction for tourists as the New Year begins.

Alibaba's Ant Financial in talks to raise more than $3 billion: report

 China's most valuable online finance company, Ant Financial, is looking to raise more than $3 billion in debt to fund international expansion, according to technology news website The Information.

Former Prodigy band member debuts in HCM City

Leeroy Thornhill, a former member of the British electronic group The Prodigy, formed in 1990, will hold his debut concert in HCM City on February 10.

Thousands line Hanoi streets for palanquin procession

 On February 8, thousands of people packed the streets of Hanoi to watch the chay kieu (palanquin) procession of the Phu Chua Festival at the Xuan Dinh Village in the Tu Liem District of Hanoi.

Fish praying festival opens in central Vietnam

 On February 7, a festival to pray for a good fish harvest – the Cau Ngu Festival – opened in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.