Illegal spyware tracks smartphone users

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Hanoi Department of Information and Communication s has recently caught a private IT company spying on 14,140 mobile phone subscribers using the Ptracker software.

Cheap and good food found at century-old stalls on small Hanoi alley

 VietNamNet Bridge - The prices of food sold at the small road on the side of the Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi so inexpensive that the maximum price is VND35,000 ($1.7). It has become a favourite destination of Hanoians and foreign backpackers.

The hidden forest

 One of the simplest ways to escape the heat and smoke of Hanoi is to cycle to the Vietnam Forest Museum, a surprising hideaway where visitors can enjoy the fresh atmosphere of the jungle and learn about nature.

Official: IT key to administrative reforms

 VietNamNet Bridge – Administrative reform will not be very effective if information technology is not applied, a HCM City leader has warned.

Shocking images of Agent Orange pain

 VietNamNet Bridge - Agent Orange used by the U.S. to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam during the war four decades ago poisoned not only soldiers and civilians but also their children and grandchildren.

Phu Quoc fish-sauce brand needs protection

Kien Giang Province will work with other provinces and cities to prevent and control illegal use of the geographical indication "Phu Quoc" for fish sauce, the province's Department of Science and Technology has said.

Museum displays fight for sovereignty

 VietNamNet Bridge – Adjusting his glasses, Nguyen Huu Thao peers closely at the large stained and rusty pieces of coast guard ships on display at the entrance to an exhibition hall of the Viet Nam Military History Museum (VMHM).

Elderly man has not cut hair for 70 years

 VietNamNet Bridge – An old man in Tien Giang Province is locally famous for his three-metre-long hair which has never been washed in 70 years.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 20/7

 IPs, EPZs lure large FDI garment projects; Investors eye on dairy industry; Office rents in Hanoi fall further, says Savills;

Vietnam Airlines to spend big on aircraft expansion

 Vietnam Airlines Corporation will need nearly VND70 trillion (more than US$3.3 billion) for 2014-2018, including nearly VND63.3 trillion spent on aircraft purchases.

Second M&A wave in Vietnam to top first by $5 billion

 Vietnam's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market is set off for a second wave in the next five years with total value expected to reach US$20 billion from 2014-18, driven by the equitisation of State-owned enterprises.

Resources sector needs oversight

VietNamNet Bridge – A demand to improve management of natural resources to stop its depletion and degradation was made at a seminar on boosting transparency in natural resources management, in Ha Noi last week.

Academy lecturer opposes Chinese colleague’s view on East Sea issue

 VietNamNet Bridge – Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam has written an article refuting the wrongful arguments on the East Sea issue of Wang Junming,

Residents fear frequent quakes

 VietNamNet Bridge – Frequent earthquakes in the central province of Quang Nam's Bac Tra My District near the Song Tranh hydro-power plant have worried thousands of local people.

Young artist introduces kids to modern art

VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Thuy Trang studied arts and media at L'E'cole superieure des Beaux-Arts d'Angers, from where she graduated in 2012. She received an award from the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association in 2010

Businesses die, capital flow stagnates as banks look for borrowers

 VietNamNet Bridge – The national economy remains weak with more and more businesses dissolving and capital flow stagnating because banks cannot find borrowers.

VNAT seeks to boost domestic tours

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam is banking on domestic tourists to boost the fortunes of the tourism industry, especially in terms of ensuring its stable growth, the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper reported.

Vietnam, Thailand hold fourth political consultation

 VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh and Thailand’s acting Minister and Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow co-chaired the fourth annual Vietnam-Thailand political consultation in Bangkok

Senior leaders welcome former US President

 VietNamNet Bridge – President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on July 18 hosted separate receptions for former US President Bill Clinton on his re-visit to Vietnam.

Japanese couple’s photos capture beautiful landscapes

 VietNamNet Bridge – The natural landscape of Vietnam with its lotus ponds and fountains, streams and rice paddy fields created a wonderful backdrop for a Japanese couple’s wedding album, which went viral on social media.

Dung Quat Oil Refinery eyes $2bil for expansion

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Dung Quat Oil Refinery needs up to US$2 billion to raise its annual processing capacity from its current 6.5 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes in the future.

Flight delays and aborts may lead to license loss

 Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has warned domestic airlines may lose their licenses if they delay and cancel too many flights without good reasons.

Teakwood forests ravaged as local officials do nothing to stop illegal acts

 VietNamNet Bridge – Although reporters have shown local officials many photos as evidence of deforestation in the Than Sa-Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve, the illegal cutting down of teakwood trees continues unabated.

Malaysians order four Yet Kieu submarines for tourism purposes

 VietNamNet Bridge – Although Vietnamese buyers have shown little interest in the Yet Kieu submarine, a Vietnamese-designed submarine, Malaysia has ordered four subs to serve tourists.

Domestic fish sauce makers regain market share

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese fish sauce manufacturers have regained the domestic market from multinationals by using their traditional recipes.