SPORTS IN BRIEF 13/7

 Thai Son Nam District 8 in 2nd win at futsal champs; An wins stage, That keeps yellow jersey; Viet Nam win second match at regional tourney

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 13/7

 Flat solar glass group invests 200 mln USD in Hai Phong, Minh Tran takes over major Danang real estate project, Vietnam motorcycle sales up for first time since 2012, Hau Giang seeks investments for 33 projects

Phong Nha - Ke Bang among Top 7 Southeast Asian national parks

 Phong Nha - Ke Bang was listed in June among the “7 National Parks You Should Visit in Southeast Asia” by the travel channel GOASEAN.

Did Formosa dump waste, once again?

 VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has asked for prompt inspection of reported waste dumping by the Hung Hiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company,

Jumper Nhan qualifies for Rio Paralympics

 Nguyen Thị Nhan has won Vietnam’s 10th slot to compete at the upcoming Brazilian Paralympic Games later this year.

Vietnam bag another table tennis silver

 Nguyen Trung Kien and Dinh Thi Hue lost to Singaporean rivals in the final moments of the Southeast Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships’ U18 mixed doubles final on July 11.

Cannons in Da Nang pegged as national treasure

 The central city of Da Nang has proposed that a collection of 11 cannons unearthed at the Dien Hai Citadel between 1979 and 2008 be recognised as a national treasure.

Vietnamese businesses incur losses because of yen appreciation

VietNamNet Bridge - The sharp increase of the Japanese yen has caused losses for Vietnamese businesses.

Around $1.25 billion committed to Mekong Delta development

Seven credit organisations have committed to providing the Mekong Delta region with 28.5 trillion VND (1.25 billion USD) to implement 73 socio-economic development projects.

More responses to PCA’s ruling on Philippines-China dispute

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairson July 12 issued a statement calling on parties in the Philippines’s lawsuit against China on disputes in the East Sea to fully respect legal and diplomatic processes following the ruling issued by the PCA.

US, Japan affirm tribunal’s East Sea-related ruling legally binding

The State Department of the US affirmed that the ruling made by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the Philippines’s lawsuit against China’s claims in the East Sea is an important contribution to the shared goal of a peaceful resolution.

China’s actions worsen disputes with Philippines: PCA

 The Permanent Court of Arbitration yesterday ruled that China violated the Philippines’s sovereign rights in exploring resources surrounding the Reed Bank in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).

Prime Minister leaves Hanoi for Mongolia visit

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc left Hanoi early on July 13 to pay an official visit to Mongolia and attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Ulan Bator.

Romanian PM welcomed by Vietnamese top leaders

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang have asked Romania to continue supporting the just stance of Vietnam and ASEAN in addressing the East Sea issue by peaceful means on the basis of international law.

Summer holiday shortened, students return to school in mid-July

Many schools have ignored the Ministry of Education and Training’s (MOET) instruction that the 2016-2017 academic year starts no sooner than August 1 and no later than August 25, and have asked students to return to school in July.

Experts warn of over-reliance on coal power

 Foreign experts have issued a warning to the Vietnamese government about its over-reliance on coal to make power, without clear mechanisms to attract investors into renewable energy projects.

Banana blossom salad – a specialty of Vietnam cuisine

 Nom Hoa Chuoi (Banana blossom salad) once a popular dish in rural parts of the country, is now a specialty of Vietnam cuisine.

Social News 13/7

 Drug found hidden in motorbike tyres, Illegal football betting ring smashed, Torrential rain cools down Hanoi, Hanoi considers Hoang Sa and Truong Sa street names, EVN to link more islands to national power grid

VN cashew industry, no 1 in world, still relies on imported raw materials

VietNamNet Bridge - The heavy reliance on import materials remains a problem for Vietnam’s cashew industry, though it remains the top cashew exporter in the world. 

Vietnam’s economy reduces dependence on ODA

 Vietnam has successfully attracted and effectively used official development assistance (ODA) capital resources.

iPhone 5S still bestseller in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge - iPhone 5S, a smartphone launched three years ago, was among the bestselling phones in the last six months in Vietnam.

Workers in pollution-hit areas to receive help in labor exports

People living in coastal areas affected by the pollution from Taiwan’s Formosa Steel Plant at the Vung Ang Industrial Zone in Ha Tinh province will receive support in vocational training and be prioritized in labor exports.

The cranes will return

Dong Thap Muoi, the inland wetland in Mekong River Delta, has been a homeland for red-handed cranes (Grus antigone sharpie). 

Education Ministry asked to allow education departments to hold high-school finals

VietNamNet Bridge - Some educators believe it would be better to hold final examinations at cities and provinces and no longer organize a national high school final exam.

Prime Minister lets districts ok demolitions

 VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a plan to allow HCM City district authorities to speed up the renovation or demolition of older apartment buildings to ensure safety for residents and their property.