The majesty of Ta Lien Son Mountain

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ta Lien Son (Co Trau), one of the highest mountains in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, is probably one of the best travel destinations you’ve never heard of.

Artem wins second match at Top Players event

 VietNamNet Bridge – Binh Duong representative Vu Artem grabbed his second win at the National Top Tennis Players Tournament yesterday (Dec 22) in HCM City.

New pagoda building deemed illegal

 VietNamNet Bridge – A new building has been constructed without authorisation on a protected area of the Huong Pagoda Complex, according to officials from the Ha Noi Department of Culture.

HCM City takes steps to fight phone spam

 VietNamNet Bridge – The People's Committee of HCM City has proposed limiting spam by tightening management of pre-paid subscribers.

Police to simplify automobile inspection procedures in 2016

VietNamNet Bridge – Registered automobiles that have received appointment letters from police offices will qualify for inspection, starting from January 1, 2016, the Viet Nam Register said.

VN to up FDI in 2016: experts

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam is expected to attract more foreign investment next year and in the future due to the opportunities and advantages resulting from free trade agreements (FTAs), according to experts.

QS gives FPT University five-star ratings

VietNamNet Bridge – FPT University has been awarded five–star ratings for the quality of its teaching, facilities, employability and social responsibility by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), FPT University announced the ratings yesterday.

Investor buys 52% stake in Kim Lien Hotel

 An investor paid more than VND1 trillion (US$44.4 million) to acquire nearly 3.65 million shares of Kim Lien Tourism Joint Stock Company, or 52.4 per cent of its charter capital.

Hot property Kim Lien Hotel targeted by tycoons

VietNamNet Bridge - Dozens of tycoons in the north have shown interest in buying Kim Lien Hotel which is located on prime land. 

Dong Nai residents oppose road to be built through forest

VietNamNet Bridge - The Dong Nai province's People’s Committee opposes the project to build a road through National Cat Tien Park, saying that the road will badly affect the sustainability of the jungle.

PhD disciplined for remarks about school expected to resign

Dr. Doan Minh Dang, a lecturer of the Can Tho University of Technology, a scientist highly respected by colleagues and co-workers, is likely to be forced to resign after he posted negative remarks about the school.

How speedy is Vietnam’s 4G in comparison with the rest of the world?

VietNamNet Bridge - The 4G standard Viettel now applies in its trial run is LTE-A, with download speed of 300 Mbps, which is applied in many developed countries.

HCM City seeks investors for flood control projects

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCMC is calling for private firms to implement flood control projects in public-private partnership (PPP) or build-transfer format as chronic flooding is taking its toll on the city.

Unique dorms finding favor

 Hostels with dormitory rooms have been gaining in popularity in Da Lat and Hanoi over recent times, with a lot of newcomers joining the market.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 23/12

 Preferential import tariffs for RoK goods announced, Yen Bai ready to support foreign business operations, Local exports to face stiff competition, VN firms need to up their game

Social News 23/12

Mermaid photo hoax hits social network, Boats sink while anchored at storm shelter, Police target illegal fireworks over Tet, Wrongly-convicted receive apologies, Man receives life sentence for looting container trucks

Vietnam seeks foreign investment for power generation

VietNamNet Bridge – State utility Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has called for foreign firms to invest in the industry by getting involved in power generation projects or buying shares at State-run power companies. 

Transgender group launches photos to raise HIV awareness

 Nineteen transgender people in Vietnam have launched a photo collected of their own portraits to raise public awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

State Securities Commission head classes local market performance ‘stable' for year

 VietNamNet Bridge – The domestic stock market has had a "relatively stable performance" this year, said State Securities Commission Chairman Vu Bang.

Vietnam’s fast-moving consumer goods market blooms

 Vietnam’s fast-moving consumer market is now a magnet for foreign investors as it is expected to outpace major markets like India and China with an annual growth rate of 20 percent by 2020.

Vietnam opens e-market for agro-forestry-fishery products

 The first e-market for Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry, and fishery products called AGROMART was launched in Hanoi on December 22 by the Agricultural Trade Promotion Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

NA Chairman’s China visit places emphasis on ties

Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung will pay an official visit to China from December 23-27, aiming at promoting ties between the two countries.

PM vows continued favourable conditions for Google

 The Vietnamese Government will continue creating all possible conditions for the world’s major IT groups, including Google, to expand operation in the country, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung promised.

Vietnam’s houses on Dezeen and Arch Daily

Some houses in Vietnam have been highlighted by world’s famous architecture magazines, Dezeen and Arch Daily.

First Vietnamese preschool e-book series launched

 The first electronic education book series for children from 0 to 6 years old in Viet Nam was launched yesterday by the VSK early childhood education research institute.