Vietnam’s largest sea snail fossil discovered

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Museum of Nature has assessed and verified the fossil of a big sea snail dating back 247.2 to 242 million years. It was discovered in the central province of Nghe An.

HCM City to increase car registration fees by five times

 VietNamNet Bridge – The registration and number plate fees for cars under 10 seats (not for transportation business) in HCM City may increase from VND2 million (nearly $100) to VND11 million (over $500) from September 1, 2015.

Visit Ha Long Bay of the hills

 VietNamNet Bridge – With its gigantic landscape and precious natural resources, Na Hang Eco-Tourism Zone in the highland district of the northern province of Tuyen Quang has become a popular tourism destination.

Drip irrigation technology improves incomes of farmers

VietNamNet Bridge - By using drip irrigation technology, farmers now can improve productivity while saving water and fertilizer.

China’s military drill violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa

China’s military drill in the area covering islands and reefs in the northeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago severely violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over the chain of islands, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said on July 23.

The fate of Vietnam’s tallest buildings

 VietNamNet Bridge – Investors raced to win the title “the highest building in Vietnam” but these works have had a hard lot.

World Bank: Vietnam’s public debt at $110 billion

 VietNamNet Bridge - The country’s public debt is higher than any statistics published by local institutions. Thus, each Vietnamese person is carrying over $1,200 public debt, equivalent to more than half of the average annual income.

Scientists oppose building road across Can Gio bio-reserve

VietNamNet Bridge - Experts have voiced their concern about a plan to build a road across Can Gio bio-reserve, warning that it would damage the mangrove forest and spoil the ecosystem. 

Urban students busy with life skills classes during summer holiday

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese parents believe that the summer holiday is not the time for their children to go to school to study, but a time to learn life skills and practice foreign languages. 

Dummy traffic cops slow drivers in Can Tho

 VietNamNet Bridge – Can Tho placed traffic police dummies holding speed-measuring devices along dangerous roads in Thot Not District last month to slow down drivers.

Home-made liquor claims dozens of lives in Vietnam each year

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese drink 640 million litres of home brew each year, and the practice is spreading, the Viet Nam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Trademark Protection, VATAP, has reported.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 24/7

Large-scale online fashion week kicks off Saturday, In the land down under, Vietnam trade balance flying high, EVN, General Electric sign deal for training, technology, Vietjet Air wins gold for marketing project

Tokyo workshop eyes ways to address East Sea issue

 Representatives from foreign diplomatic missions and research institutes gathered at a workshop in Tokyo on July 22-23 to seek avenues to promote international cooperation for peace and stability in Asian waters and to cool tensions in the East Sea.

Netizens, residents unite to rescue stray dog

 A stray dog whose mouth was tied with duct tape was rescued by an HCM City animal rescue group earlier today.

Inside the largest crocodile farm for leather in Saigon

 VietNamNet Bridge - Located in Thanh Loc Ward, District 12, HCM City, the 8,000 m2 crocodile farm is a closed self-contained complex, including a farm, restaurant, and leather workshop.

VN to host World Masters for first time

 VietNamNet Bridge – Golfers from clubs worldwide will compete in the Accor Viet Nam World Masters Golf Championship, being held in Da Nang, Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue from September 6 to 12.

Mekong Delta suffers severe saline intrusion

 VietNamNet Bridge – Farmers and households have been left without fresh water in many areas in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta this year because of severe saline intrusion.

New York backs down in Uber fight

 New York City has backed down in a row with taxi hailing app Uber, dropping plans to limit the number of cars it operates in the City.

Da Nang opens office in Japanese city to strengthen links

 VietNamNet Bridge – Da Nang plans to open a representative office in Yokohama, Japan, to co-ordinate investment, trade, tourism and other co-operation between the two sides.

Many Vietnamese women denied entry to Singapore

 VietNamNet Bridge - Recently, many passengers with Vietnamese nationality and sufficient personal papers were refused entry to Singapore at the Changi Airport. Most of them were women.

Fashion style of US vice president’s wife Jill Biden in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge - During her first visit to Vietnam, the spouse of US Vice President Joe Biden, Dr Jill Biden, 64, a professional educator, was seen in elegant clothes.

In pictures: Hanoi Opera House in new paint

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Hanoi Opera House is being repaired and re-painted after the first restoration 20 years ago. The entire facade of the building has been painted white and yellow, a far cry from the original paint.

Art & Entertainment News 23/7

 Saigon Reggae Festival to open this weekend, US contemporary dancer to host workshop, B-movie to screen at CAMA ATK, Art student hosts first solo exhibition, Group exhibition PRISM at Manzi Art Space

Social News 23/7

 Vietnam & Japan join hands to develop WIFI sensor chip, Da River water supply's damaged pipeline repaired, Successful heart-lung transplants in Hue, Sleepy driver caused accident that killed three, 10 tonnes of suspected smuggled goods seized

Mobile commerce grows fast in Vietnam

 Mobile shopping in Vietnam has thrived with growth in the number of consumers shopping by smartphone ranking 5th in the Asia-Pacific region after Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand and India, according to a recent survey of MasterCard.