An individual’s call for clean water protection

VietNamNet Bridge – A lonesome journey by a certain individual can be the beginning of a trail, and a broad pathway later when others find the common goal at the end of the road.

Savoring specialty tea in Giang Stream

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tourists might be familiar with breathtaking terrace rice fields in the northern upland province of Yen Bai in the period between late September and late October.

Afghanistan: Can pomegranates power the economy?

 As delegates gather in London for a conference on Afghanistan, the prospects for reducing the reliance on foreign aid are increasingly focused on two sectors of the economy: agriculture and hydrocarbons.

Vietnam economy edging in positive direction

 VietNamNet Bridge – International institutions and media have recently reported on the positive outlook of Vietnam’s national economy and brighter prospects in 2015.

Tourist realty lures $1.8bn in Da Nang

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tourist real estate remains a favourite investment magnet in this central city, attracting 25 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth US$1.8 billion.

Young directors missing as curtains rise on new season

 VietNamNet Bridge – Veteran theatre directors in HCM City this month are busy preparing for the upcoming Christmas and New Year holiday by offering new shows.

Cigarette smuggling up nation-wide

 VietNamNet Bridge – Lack of cooperation between the coast guard, police, market watchdogs and local governments have all contributed to an increase in cigarette smuggling, experts have warned.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 5/12

Ho Chi Minh City attracts over 3.1 billion USD in FDI; WB reports early signs of Vietnam's economic recovery; SOE equitisation requires $5-10 billion; SBV calls for agriculture credit boost; Vietnam offers huge opportunity for retail banking market

Chung Thanh Phong launches “Cat in the City” at VN int’l fashion week

Attending the first Vietnam International Fashion Week, Chung Thanh Phong continued to introduce a collection for kinky, haughty women with strong personality as “cat women”. This is the main characteristic in his designs.

WB upgrades GDP growth forecast to 5.6%

 The World Bank (WB) on December 3 revised its growth projections for Viet Nam from 5.4% to 5.6% in 2014 in its economic update report.

Mega online shopping event to last a week

 VietNamNet Bridge – Zalora Viet Nam has announced tie-ups with other top e-commerce businesses like Grabtaxi, Jetstar Pacific, Ivivu, Foodpanda and Hotdeal and retailing sites like Vinabook, beyeu, thegioididong,

In pictures: Miss Vietnam contestants in swimsuits

 VietNamNet Bridge – Thirty-eight finalists of Miss Vietnam 2014 pageant competed for the title Miss Sea on December 2 in red swimsuits at Vinpearl Resort on Phu Quoc Island.

Concert features bands from the US, UK

Concert features bands from the US, UK; BikeNBrunch fun ride set for Saturday; HITS to perform James and the Giant Peach; Cross-cultural Christmas charity concert set for upcoming launch; Hanoi Social Club launches Tiny Music Club

World Bank helps Mekong Delta tackle climate change

 The World Bank is funding a rural development project to help the Mekong Delta of Vietnam improve its climate change resilience.

Ho Quynh Huong wins MAMA Awards

VietNamNet Bridge – Pop star Ho Quynh Huong has become the third Vietnamese to win the "Asian Artist of the Year" title at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA).

Higher enrollment threatens national-standard status of Hanoi schools

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many general schools in Hanoi recognized as meeting national standards could lose their official status because of increase in the number of enrolled students.

VN's independent film wins special jury award in Nantes

VietNamNet Bridge – Director Nguyen Hoang Diep was so excited to receive an award at the 36th Film Festival of the Three Continents (France) that she sang instead of giving an acceptance speech.

Hanoi cuts trees in pilot beautification project

 VietNamNet Bridge – A private company has begun to chop down and remove about 200 trees on Kim Ma and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets in the capital city.

Danang ranks first among top 10 destinations on the rise for 2015

 VietNamNet Bridge – TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, has named the central coastal city of Danang as a top destination on the rise in Asia and the world.

Chow Tai Fook Enterprises wants to invest in Vietnam’s casino

 VietNamNet Bridge - Chow Tai Fook Enterprises has said that it is ready to invest $4 billion in a casino project in Quang Nam, a province in central Vietnam.

Taxi app Uber faces legal ban in Vietnam

Government agencies still cannot come to an agreement about the legitimacy of Uber, a taxi app, in Vietnam. While it has been facing strong protests from traditional taxi firms, it has been welcomed by the public and netizens.

Car imports speeding to historic high of $1.5 bil

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam is likely to spend US$1.5 billion on auto imports for the entire 2014, the highest level so far in Viet Nam's history.

Hong Kong's Occupy Central founders surrender to police

 The three founders of Hong Kong's Occupy Central movement have turned themselves in to police over their role in pro-democracy demonstrations.

Chess masters fail in national event

 World chess masters Le Quang Liem and Hoang Thi Thanh Trang have failed to lift trophies at the National Sports Games.

New system planned to handle feedback on admin procedures

Vietnam to host regional environment ministers’ meetings; New system planned to handle feedback on admin procedures; Vietnam joins Asian-Pacific countries at Malaysian geofest; Hanoi enhances ties with foreign NGOs