Photos: Cold spell takes heavy toll on northern Vietnam

 A severe cold spell that hit Vietnam during the last few days has taken its toll on the northern region with more than 3,900 livestock animals killed and a widespread area of crops damaged so far.

King Of Trash’s Dreams

 VietNamNet Bridge – “King of trash” is the nickname of David Duong. The designate is in a sense appropriate since his life has been attached to waste management and treatment.

Hanoi to fine pedestrians violating traffic laws

Pedestrians violating traffic laws will be fined beginning February 1, according to the Ha Noi traffic police.

Woman gives birth on Saigon - Hanoi train

 A woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl on a HCM City –Ha Noi train on Tuesday, according to the head of Phuong Nam Train Crew Thai Van Truyen.

New Party Central Committee hoped to promote unity, democracy

 Party members and people from all walks of life are expecting that the new 12th Party Central Committee will continue promoting the spirit of unity, democracy and renewal to help the country grow further.

12th National Party Congress announces the Politburo

The 12th National Party Congress's plenary session this morning announces the outcomes of the election for official lists of the Party.

Transparency key for businesses

 VietNamNet Bridge – Trinh Minh Anh, Deputy Head of Office of the Intersectoral Steering Committee for Global Economic Integration discusses business integrity and transparency with Hai Quan (Customs) newspaper.

Image: Da Nang issues tourism code of conduct

 VietNamNet Bridge – The central city of Danang has issued a code of conduct for the tourism industry with the aim of maintaining its reputation as a safe and hospitable destination for both domestic and international tourists.

The "terrifying market" in the heart of Saigon

 VietNamNet Bridge - A terrifying market selling snakes, scorpions, beetles and worms has been located in downtown Saigon for two decades.

Social News 28/1

 Microsoft office specialist competition launched in Thai Nguyen, HCM to announce int'l school tuition rates, Hospital visits peak in winter, Automatic wastewater monitoring system inaugurated in HCM City

State Capital Investment Corporation continues divestment, restructuring of enterprises

 VietNamNet Bridge – The State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) divested State capital from 120 businesses in 2015, earning VND94.49 trillion (US$200.17 million) from a book value of VND1.68 trillion ($74.9 million).

Snow brings good times and sorrow

 People flocked to Sa Pa and Mau Son Mountain in the mountainous provinces of Lao Cai and Lang Son last weekend to enjoy the snow and ice produced by the exceptionally cold weather.

2015 phone exports exceed US$30 billion

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam shipped abroad phones and phone components worth US$30.18 billion last year, up 27.9% from a year earlier, according to the General Department of Customs.

Entertainment News In Brief

 ‘Year of the Monkey' art goes on display, Da Nang offers seven new tourism products, Tet DVD features nearly 300 performances, Hanoi to host 4th Int’l Film Festival, Japanese cherry blossom festival to open in Feb

International arrivals to Vietnam surge in January

 More than 805,000 visits were made to Vietnam by international tourists in January, a 5.8 percent increase from last month and 12.3 percent surge from the same month last year, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

VN women prep for Olympics' third qualifying round

 Viet Nam national women's football team came fourth in the Irena Cup on Tuesday, an international friendly tournament which gathered strong teams, including China, S. Korea and Mexico.

Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong re-elected Party Secretary General

 VietNamNet Bridge - Today, the newly-elected 12th Party Central Committee held the first meeting to elect the Politburo, the Secretary General, the Central Inspection Committee and the committee's head.

Police seize 300kg of ‘fake boar meat', 2,000 fake helmets

 Authorities in the southern coastal Binh Thuan Province's Ham Thuan Bac District yesterday detained a group of local people for selling ‘fake wild boar' meat.

Vietnam draws over $1.3 billion in FDI in January

 Vietnam drew more than 1.3 billion USD in newly-registered and additional capital from foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in January, up 101.2 percent against the same period last year.

Foreign sailor saved in Ba Ria – Vung Tau

 A severely ill sailor from the Philippines was brought ashore for emergency aid in the central coastal province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau on January 27.

Vietnamese fashion brands warned about more competitive future

When import tariffs on fashion products fall from 20 percent to zero percent after the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) takes effect, Vietnamese fashion brands are expected to encounter significant challenges.

Record hot years almost certainly caused by man-made warming

 A record-breaking string of hot years since 2000 is almost certainly a sign of man-made global warming, with vanishingly small chances that it was caused by random, natural swings,

Party Congress marks Vietnam’s important transformation: Cuban expert

 The 12th National Party Congress will mark Vietnam’s transformation into a modern, prosperous, equitable and sustainable society, Carlos Alzugaray, a former Cuban Ambassador in many EU countries told the Vietnam News Agency in Havana.

Apple sees first sales dip in more than a decade as super-growth era falters

Apple Inc forecast its first revenue drop in 13 years and reported the slowest-ever increase in iPhone shipments as the critical Chinese market showed signs of weakening, suggesting the technology company's period of exponential growth

Image: The unaffected beauty of Dong Thap

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, some 200km from Ho Chi Minh City, has many interesting places to visit and things to do.