Mother's Soul triumphs at film festival

 VietNamNet Bridge – Set on an island in Ha Noi's Red River, Tam Hon Me (Mother's Soul) won the top prize at the Viet Nam Film Festival in Saint Malo, France.

Vinh ranks eighth in World Cup shooting contest

 Marksmen Hoang Xuan Vinh ranked eighth in the men's 50m pistol event at the ongoing International Sport Shooting Federation World Cup Rifle-Pistol-Shotgun competition in China.

Indonesians vote in tight presidential race

 About 190 million registered voters have begun casting ballots for the president of Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy.

Takeovers cause big changes in consumer goods markets

 VietNamNet Bridge – Large corporations have been silently pouring their money into other business fields after they can get a firm foothold in their core fields.

Vietnam needs to promote itself as safe destination

Vietnam should deliver a message that the country is safe to tourists as workers protests against China’s illegal deployment of an oil rig in Vietnam’s waters in mid-May are over,

Lessons in girl power in Ghana's schools

 There are women walking through Accra's crowded streets performing remarkable balancing acts.

China’s arrest of six Vietnamese fishermen under fire

The Vietnam Fisheries Society (VFS) has released a statement, strongly protesting against China’s recent apprehension of six Vietnamese fishermen and their boat.

Hoang Sa film shown for free

 VietNamNet Bridge – There will be a free screening of French director Andre Menras's documentary on the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago at 53 Nguyen Du Street, at 3pm on Friday.

Schoolgirl dies after 10-day fast

 VietNamNet Bridge – An 18-year-old girl died at Thanh Nhan Hospital in Hanoi on Monday after a 10-day fast.

Largest earthquake this year occurs at hydropower plant

 VietNamNet Bridge - An earthquake registering 3.6 on the Richter scale with a focal depth of 5.7 km occurred in the area of Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant in the central province of Quang Nam on Tuesday morning, the strongest so far this year.

Political News Headlines 9/7

 UK diplomat honoured with Certificate of Merit; Czech Republic, Vietnam strengthen crime prevention cooperation; Vietnam-Japan defence ties develop well; Voters interested in sea, island sovereignty defence

Viettel wants to cut mobile fees, maintain 3G charges

Viettel has asked the Ministry of Information and Communications’ permission to use the same charge for mobile phone calls made between subscribers of the same networks and those made between subscribers of two different networks.

Starbucks to open in Hanoi

 VietNamNet Bridge – After a year of being in Vietnam, with six shops already opened in Ho Chi Minh City, Starbucks is preparing ground to open several shops in Hanoi, according to VNE online newswire.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/7

 Economic growth rate forecast at 5.7- 5,8%: Report; Motor Show 2014 attracts 16 automakers, traders; US agricultural businesses still await more ‘carrots’; TPP provides US firms with huge prospects

China keeps obstructing Vietnamese law enforcement forces

 China on July 8 mobilised an electronic reconnaissance plane to oversee the operation of Vietnamese law enforcement ships in the area that China is illegally placing its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981.

WB Group President Jim Yong Kim to visit Vietnam

 World Bank (WB) Group President Jim Yong Kim will pay an official visit to Vietnam from July 16-17 to strengthen the strong partnership with the country.

Hung ranks fifth at Chess for Girls series

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Thi Mai Hung ranked fifth at the end of the second event of the "Chess for Girls Asia" series in HCM City yesterday, July 7.

Public car decree may save $71m

 VietNamNet Bridge – The State budget will save about VND1.5 trillion (US$71.4 million) a year if a draft decree on cutting back car purchases by Government agencies is approved.

Business cross-ownership creates messy playing field

 VietNamNet Bridge – Cross ownership turns out to be not only a problem of the banking system as complex connections have been found in many other business fields.

Cancer cases in Ha Tinh possibly due to contaminated water

Locals in Lien Tien and Dong Son hamlets of Mai Phu commune in Ha Tinh Province are not worried about hunger, poverty or harsh weather, but the numerous cancer-related deaths in their sleepy villages.

East Sea situation captures int'l public attention

 Vietnam’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Nguyen Trung Thanh has informed about China’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s waters before the international public attention.

Hai Van Pass

 Located in the middle of the Central Region of Vietnam, Hai Van Pass is considered to have the world’s most beautiful beaches at its two ends and also has “the grandest fortified gateway".

Century-old tea trees discovered in Thai Nguyen

 VietNamNet Bridge - For the first time an ancient tea tree forest has been discovered in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, the kingdom of tea trees in Vietnam.

Indignant at China’s acts, Saigon tycoon buys boats to fish in Hoang Sa

 VietNamNet Bridge – A businessman in HCM City has decided to buy two helicopters and 100 vessels worth trillions of dong to go fishing in the Hoang Sa archipelago.

Alzheimer's research in 'major step' towards blood test

 British scientists have made a "major step forward" in developing a blood test to predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease.