Gardens blossom into outdoor studios

 VietNamNet Bridge – For decades, Nhat Tan and Quang Ba wards in Tay Ho District have been known for peach flower gardens. But in recent years, many garden owners have started offering a different product. As

Doctors need further training to treat foreigners

The HCMC government has told leading hospitals in this city to send their doctors to postgraduate programs so as to make them meet international standards to provide medical check-ups and treatments for foreigners.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 13/8

 Zalo attracts 15 million subscribers; Vietnam's first ETF lures investor interest; 260,000 ha of rice to be transformed into other crops by 2015; Simpler tax procedures to take effect; Major investors eye Vietnamese footwear industry

Travel News 12/8

 Foreign geologists survey Dong Van Karst Plateau; First five-star hotel in north central region recognised; Smartphone app offers new options to last-minute travellers; Saigon Railways offers 50% discount on ticket price

Viettel returns low bandwidth to MIC

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viettel corporation has decided to return a 450 MHz bandwidth, previously used by EVN Telecom, to the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) for them to manage.

Provinces develop waste master plans

 VietNamNet Bridge – As many as 45 of the nation's 63 cities and provinces have come up with their own master plans to manage solid waste, said a senior official at a workshop held in Ha Noi on August 11.

PM says country needs new statistical method to calculate GDP figures

The methods local authorities are using to calculate the gross domestic product (GDP) are inaccurate and impractical, and not used in any country in the world, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said.

Liberia to receive Zmapp drug to treat Ebola virus

 Liberia will receive an untested experimental drug, Zmapp, to treat people infected with Ebola, the Liberian government says.

V-League Eximbank 2014 comes to an end

VietNamNet Bridge – The 2014 V-League season officially wrapped up last weekend after the 24th-round matches. Despite tying 1-1 with SHB Da Nang, defending champions Becamex Binh Duong players and local fans had a jubilant festival

Urban migration exacerbates HCM City classroom, teacher woes

 The increasing number of migrants and residents from other provinces to HCM City has led to a shortage of teachers and classrooms, according to the city Department of Education and Training.

Malaysia overcome Vietnam at Hassanal Bolkiah tournament

 Malaysia yesterday beat Viet Nam 2-0 in the second round match of the Hassanal Bolkiah ASEAN U-22 Football Championships in Brunei.

‘Turbulence: A Survival Story’ author arrives in Vietnam

Annette Herfkens, the author of the memoirs “Turbulence: A Survival Story” and the sole survivor of a plane crash in Vietnam’s central coast province of Khanh Hoa 22 years ago, has started her week-long trip to the country.

Swine flu epidemic hits Australia

The swine flu, or H1N1 virus, is sweeping through Australia with the virus accounting for the majority of the rising number of influenza cases this year, experts said Tuesday.

Family hospitalised after eating python

Several family members in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lak were recently hospitalised in critical condition after suspectedly eating a python and drinking wine mixed with its blood.

New minimum wage raises insurance and production costs, businesses complain

VietNamNet Bridge – This year’s minimum-wage hike has met opposition from many in the business community.

Russia 'sends aid mission to eastern Ukraine'

 Almost 300 lorries of humanitarian aid have left the Moscow area bound for eastern Ukraine, Russia has said.

Sea of clouds viewed from Fansipan

 VietNamNet Bridge – Here are stunning pictures of clouds, taken from the 3,140-metre high Fansipan, which is called the roof of Indochina.

Multilateral diplomacy – important part of VN’s foreign policy: PM

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has underscored the need to identify multilateral foreign policy as an indispensable part in Vietnam’s overall external policy and international integration.

VN targets tra fish supply chain to supply EU market

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam plans to develop a sustainable Pangasius supply chain to increase its exports to the EU, its leading export market, heard a conference held in HCM on Wednesday.

Plan to restructure 11 commercial banks approved

 The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) Governor has approved a plan for restructuring of 11 of the 14 joint stock commercial banks in HCM City.

Ministry assesses hydro power plants

 VietNamNet Bridge – Stricter management over hydro power plants would benefit the public, the environment and economic development, said Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang.

Man recreates miniature model of historic Hue in HCM City

 VietNamNet Bridge - With a desire to help his parents see Hue every day, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung has made a miniature Hue in bustling Saigon.

2013 Nobel Prize winner attends int’l workshop in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge - Professor Francois Englert, the scientist who discovered the Higgs boson and won the Nobel Prize in 2013, is now in Binh Dinh to participate in an international workshop held by Meet Vietnam organization from August 11 to 17.

Burning of votive papers causes serious forest fire in Binh Dinh

 VietNamNet Bridge – Dozens of hectares of protective forest in the central city of Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh province were burnt down after a man burnt votive items for the dead. The 14-hour fire was reported as the largest in the past 10 years.

Vinashinlines’ multibillion-dong ships sit and rust after bankruptcy decision

Having a book value of VND1 trillion and original investment capital of VND1.6 trillion, the ships of Vinashinlines may eventually be sold at scrap iron prices as complicated bankruptcy procedures have stalled its operations.