Straying off the beaten beach path makes a difference in Khanh Hoa

 VietNamNet Bridge – An endless blue embraces a white sand bank. Big rocks shaped like rough caricatures of different animals stand sentinel on the beach. You are admiring the scenery on Binh Lap Beach.

Seven-month FDI hits nearly $9 billion

 Most capital in first seven months heading to textiles sector.

Turtles come home from Europe

 The Turtle Conservation Centre in the Ninh Binh-based Cuc Phuong National Park is tending over 200 Annam leaf turtles (Mauremys annamensis) for the purposes of genetic resources conservation, breeding and data collection for scientific study. 

Criteria for evaluating hi-tech enterprises in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge - Enterprise revenue, average total expenditure, number of workers, etc. are some of the new regulations on the conditions to become a hi-tech enterprise.

Hanoi’s population increases by 200,000 per year

VietNamNet Bridge – The Hanoi Department of Population and Family Planning has said that each year the city’s population increases by about 200,000 people, equivalent to the population of a large district.

Submarine inventor: Vietnamese sub fleet will keep pace with Seventh Fleet

VietNamNet Bridge - Phan Boi Tran, Yet Kieu submarine inventor, estimates that it will take VND2 billion, or $100,000, to create equipment powerful enough to sink a destroyer worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Thanh Hoa to host ASEAN music festival

  The 2015 ASEAN traditional music festival will take place in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa from August 1 to 6, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Flight delays on the rise

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many passengers are complaining about delayed flights while carriers and authorities are attempting to claim they are not responsible for the problems.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 31/7

 High FDI to real estate in first seven months, VN's trade deficit reaches $3.4b in first seven months, Nam Long issues shares to Keppel subsidiary, Government to sell off stakes in 2 companies

Ha Giang jails five for trafficking of girls

 VietNamNet Bridge – The People's Court in the northern Ha Giang Province yesterday (July 29) sentenced five persons to a combined more than 100 years' imprisonment for cross-border trafficking of ethnic minorities.

Power plants seek aid to recycle cinders, ash

 VietNamNet Bridge – Thermal power plants are under much pressure as they seek to resolve environmental issues that are plaguing them.

Facebook now used by half of world's online users

 Half of the world's estimated online population now check in to the social networking giant Facebook at least once a month.

Image: Naval ship rescues stranded tourists on Co To island

 The Naval High Command and the Quang Ninh Province authorities today sent a naval vessel to Co To Island to bring back 1,500 stranded tourists to the mainland.

Image: Quang Ninh people seach for coal in flooded stream

 VietNamNet Bridge – Heaving rains and floods in Quang Ninh province have washed away coal supplies into local streams, where people are risking their lives to find it.

Foreign celebrities during Vietnam tours

VietNamNet Bridge - Wearing Vietnamese conical hat, riding cyclo or driving a motorbike are familiar images of foreign celebrities when they are in Vietnam.VNE/VOV

MH370 search: Malaysia urges caution on Reunion debris find

 Malaysia has said that it would be "premature" to speculate on whether debris washed up on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion comes from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

Vietnam to attend Asian Continental Chess Championships 2015

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese chess players will arrive in the United Arab Emirates for the Asian Continental Chess Championships 2015 which is scheduled to take place from August 2-13.

First survey on ethnic minorities planned for August 1

The General Statistics Office, in collaboration with the Government Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, will carry out a survey to collect information on socio-economic situations of 53 ethnic minority groups in 2015 beginning on August 1.

Few assets returned in most corruption cases

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Government Inspectorate of Viet Nam released a UNDP-supported report yesterday (July 29), detailing why corrupt asset recovery is the least effective anti-corruption programme in the country.

Thai products flood Vietnam market

Thai businesses have been quietly, step by step, conquering the Vietnamese market using a methodical and reasonable strategy. Vietnamese businesses cannot do anything but just watch as Thai products penetrate the home market.

Russian destroyer Admiral Pantelev to visit Da Nang

 VietNamNet Bridge - One of the leading destroyers in the world, Admiral Pantelev, and the two escorts of the Russian Pacific Ocean Fleet, will pay a three-day visit to the central city of Da Nang.

VN greenhouse gas to double by 2020

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam's total greenhouse emissions are predicted to reach 466 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents in 2020, according to experts at a workshop on climate change held in Ha Noi yesterday.

Animal husbandry association requests anti-dumping investigation of US chicken

The Southeast Region Livestock Association has asked the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to conduct anti-dumping investigation against imported US chicken thighs.

Singer Le Quyen fined for allowing her son to urinate in a sick bag

VietNamNet Bridge – Well-known singer Le Quyen, 34, and his husband will have to pay VND4 million (nearly $200) fine each to allow their son to urinate in a sick bag on a flight of the national carrier Vietnam Airlines.

Fishermen of My Khe Beach

 VietNamNet Bridge – Famous for its white sand, smooth and mild waves – My Khe Beach – voted one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet by Forbes magazine, is an ideal place for fishing.