Social News 21/8

 Vietjet offers 400,000 free tickets, Health goods removed from Ha Noi drugstores, Households affected by mines get financial aid, Doctors save kid with 150 bee stings,  Threat of hospital-acquired infections

Waste treatment of ash, cinder difficult in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge – An increasing amount of ash and cinder released by thermal power plants is causing serious pollution and making waste treatment more difficult in industrial parks,

The people who work with corpses

 VietNamNet Bridge - They are people who have "nerves of steel" as they work face to face with cold corpses every day. They are called the "makeup artists for the dead”.

In the swing

 With a coastline of 3,260 km, including world-famous beaches and bays and with a tropical climate, Vietnam is considered an ideal place for golf courses.

Local artist’s project to connect S.E. Asian dancers

 VietNamNet Bridge – Young local artist Do Hai Anh will launch a “Dance to exchange” project aimed at connecting dancers in Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

New coastal golf courses inadvisable, experts say

VietNamNet Bridge - Scientists have raised their voice against a plan on developing golf courses in coastal areas, saying that the space adjacent to the coast should be used for other purposes.

Motorist road-use fees to be suspended

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Finance has proposed that the Government should temporarily suspend the collection of annual road-use fees from motorists as of January 1, 2016.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 21/8

 Jan-Jul trade deficit with China at US$19.4 billion, DHL extends interconnecting road network to Vietnam, Better business enables banks to hire another 2,000 workers, Petrolimex reports 172% rise in profits

Police smash two drug trafficking gangs

 The HCM City Police, in co-ordination with the Binh Tan District, yesterday smashed a drug trafficking ring in the district and confiscated more than 13kg of crystal methamphetamine.

Quang Ninh: Coal mine accident kills one, injures 10

 An accident happened in a coal mine in the northern province of Quang Ninh early on August 20, killing one, injuring 10 and leaving one missing.

Press agencies urged to strictly follow law

 The Ministry of Information and Communications on August 19 issued a document requesting press agencies to abide by regulations under the Law on Journalism.

State Bank explains exchange rate adjustments

Nguyen Thi Hong, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam on August 19 met the media to explain the SBV’s decision to raise the interbank USD/VND exchange rate and adjust the trading band two times within one week.

Newly accredited ambassadors welcomed by VN President

 President Truong Tan Sang received new ambassadors on August 20 from Chile, Turkey, Denmark, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Sri Lanka who presented their credentials.

Quiz on Vietnam-Cuban ties underway

 A competition challenging participants’ knowledge on Vietnam-Cuban relations was launched on August 20 on the occasion of 55 years of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

Vietnam among top 15 best rooftop bars in Asia

 VietNamNet Bridge – News.com.au website has revealed the list of top 15 best rooftop bars in Asia including three Vietnamese representatives from Ho Chi Minh City.

Short film launched to warn against illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam

Education for Nature-Vietnam, Vietnam’s first NGO focused on the conservation of nature and environmental protection, launched a short film on August 18 to increase awareness of the illegal consumption of endangered species and their products

Hanoi Premier League to kick off

 VietNamNet Bridge – The third Ha Noi Premier League is scheduled to kick off September 6 with the participation of 12 of the best amateur football teams from the city and northern provinces.

Vietnam sees rapid growth in smartphone use

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam is among four countries in Asia Pacific to record the highest growth rate of smartphone users, according to a recent report on mobile advertising in Asia Pacific in the second quarter of 2015 released by Opera Mediaworks.

Clean water shortage in Hanoi to continue until new pipeline built

 VietNamNet Bridge – A shortage of clean water has affected residents, restaurants, offices and businesses in several parts of Ha Noi due to a broken pipeline from the Da River Water Supply Plant.

Plan to reduce hours for customs clearance faces obstacles

VietNamNet Bridge - The government’s Resolution No 19 on reducing the number of hours that businesses have to spend on customs procedures has been difficult to implement.

Qantas returns to full-year profit and pledges new growth phase

 Australia's national carrier Qantas has reported a return to full-year profit and says it plans to buy new planes.

Million-USD villas used to grow vegetables, contain scraps in Hanoi

 VietNamNet Bridge – These villas are priced at millions of USD but they have been abandoned or used to plant vegetables or gather scraps.

China CO2 emissions: 'Coal error' caused wrong calculations

 Confusion over the types of coal being burned in Chinese power stations has caused a significant overestimation of the country's carbon emissions.

Is Hanoi Museum too similar to foreign museums?

 VietNamNet Bridge - The Hanoi Museum and the China Art Palace in Shanghai are the shape of inverted pyramids. Is this just a coincidence?

Bangkok bomb: Foreign role in attack unlikely, says government

 Monday's bombing in Thailand was "unlikely" to have been the work of an international terror group, the Thai government has said.