Treasure trove of medals for Vietnamese athletes

 Vietnam track and field star athlete Bui Thi Thu Thao on July 26 earned a national team berth in the upcoming 2014 Asian Games (ASIAD 17) in the Republic of Korea.

Blue chips push VN-Index above 600 points

 Gains of blue chips last week helped lift the VN-Index over the strong resistance landmark of 600 points on the HCM Stock Exchange.

Vietnam in top ten software outsourcing providers

 The Vietnamese software industry has been selected as one of the top-ten software outsourcing providers of the Asia Pacific region, announced the 19th Vietnam ICT Outlook (VIO) forum in HCM City on July 25.

Banyan Tree seeks casino approval

 Singaporean resort developer Banyan Tree Holdings is expecting to receive the Vietnamese government’s approval to open a casino at its existing Laguna Lang Co resort in the centre province of Thua Thien-Hue.

Political News 28/7

 PM Dung affirms close Vietnam-Japan ties; Legal experts analyse lawsuit mechanisms; Japanese FM honours Vietnam’s Japan Alumni Chairman; President Sang tours Quang Ninh island districts; Senior leaders pay tribute to fallen soldiers

Critics complain young artists lack creative spark

 VietNamNet Bridge – Veteran artists have expressed some anxiety about the quality of sculptures by young artists at a recent seminar organised by the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association in Ha Noi.

Experts call for legal action against China

Vietnam should prepare to take its case against China to the international court of justice, even though it has moved its Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig out of the country's waters, the two-day conference held in HCM City heard on Saturday.

Int’l Lawyers Association concerned about China's actions

 The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) has severe reservations about China's actions which have adversely impacted the international situation, said IADL President Jeanne Mirer on a recent working visit to Vietnam.

Poland regards Vietnam as key Southeast Asian partner

 Polish leaders have hailed Vietnam’s rising international status, affirming that Vietnam is always considered Poland’s important partner in Southeast Asia.

Na Hang Lake

 Na Hang is a mountainous district of Tuyen Quang Province where Na Hang Lake is located. With its primitive and mysterious beauty, Na Hang Lake has become a wonderful tourism destination.

Black Ha Nhi people in Lao Cai

 VietNamNet Bridge – In the northern mountain commune of Bat Xat of Lao Cai Province, the Black Ha Nhi ethnic people live in 8 out of 16 villages, making up 54% of the commune’s population.

Pictures: One-handed man pulls wagon 10km a day to sell rice husks

 VietNamNet Bridge – Huynh Van Don, who lost an arm in an accident while grinding rice, still pulls his wagon full of rice husks 10 km every day in the southern province of Long An.

New SME support law takes note of Japanese, S Korean experiences

 VietNamNet Bridge – Director of the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Enterprise Development Department Ho Sy Hung spoke with Hai Quan about a development plan to support SMEs

Tenor shows power of music

 VietNamNet Bridge – When Korean tenor Park Sung-min married Vietnamese pianist Trang Trinh, it cemented his relationship with Viet Nam.

Garbage-collection groups in HCM City accused of extortion

VietNamNet Bridge – To get the right to collect garbage in some certain areas, the owners of garbage-collection cooperatives have to pay billions of dong to buy the “areas” from their predecessors.

Progress made on reducing HIV transmission

 VietNamNet Bridge – The number of people with HIV in Viet Nam has fallen to under 0.3 per cent, said National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs Vice Chairman Dang Thuan Phong at a conference on Thursday.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 28/7

 Opportunities await rice exporters; Vietnamese auto industry aims high by 2020; Foreign funds seek to invest in local tech firms; Vietnam looks to restructure transport sector by 2020; Major coastal apartment and resort projects in Danang stalled

Visual installation rethinks math sheets

 VietNamNet Bridge – A unique get together between world famous Vietnamese mathematician Ngo Bao Chau and visual artist Ly Hoang Ly has ended up in a display in downtown Ha Noi.

Vietnam refines oil, but petrol prices still high

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam continues to sell its high-quality crude oil at high prices and buy crude oil cheaply from other countries for its domestic refinery.

American pianist to meet Vietnam enthusiasts again

 VietNamNet Bridge – American pianist Anne Chamberlain, who already inspired Vietnamese audiences in 2010 and 2013, will join a concert with Vietnamese musicians at the Goethe Institute in Hanoi at 8 p.m. on August 22.

Vietnam in panoramic photos

 VietNamNet Bridge - Photographer Millott Ash (Melbourne, Australia) captured Vietnam from a different perspective through panoramic photos.

Ensuring safety is a top priority for the Civil Aviation Authority

 VietNamNet Bridge – Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Lai Xuan Thanh, spoke to the Viet Nam and World Economy newspaper about measures to ensure greater flight safety in Viet Nam.

Vietnam: a café market with many faces

 VietNamNet Bridge – The café market has witnessed many changes over the last few years with the appearance of foreign brands, many new street cafes, an increased presence of locally owned chains and cafes that do not sell coffee.

2014: the year of mobile games

 VietNamNet Bridge – More than 70 percent of games are developed specifically for smartphones, while thousands of new games are downloaded every day. With such growth, the future is bright for the mobile game industry.

Revelations from an ancient civilisation

 VietNamNet Bridge – Archaeologists have uncovered scores of artefacts left by the Sa Huynh people, who lived in the central region thousands of years ago. They will soon be on display in Quang Ngai.