Tour operators have said sales growth in this year’s summer travel season is dismal and not even worth their efforts to stimulate demand through numerous promotion programs.

 Buildings cleared to improve riverbanks; Locals siege gov’t office, attack commune leaders; Mekong province aims to improve human resources; Drug trafficker arrested in Dien Bien

 VietNamNet Bridge - The chairman and deputy chair of a commune in the central province of Ha Tinh were hospitalized on August 15 after being attacked by a group of local residents.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Forty finalists of the 2012 Miss Vietnam pageant arrived in Da Nang city on August 14 to prepare for the final round.

 A spate of bombings and gun attacks that killed at least 53 people in Iraq overshadowed preparations on Friday to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, amid warnings that insurgents could strike again.

Transport services would most suffer from the petrol price increase by 1100 dong per liter. Other sectors would also be distressed because of higher input production costs.

 Phan Thiet gears up for Nghinh Ong Festival; Pianist releases Chopin album in Vietnam; Music fest to celebrate war-era songs; 20th Oktoberfest planned

 VietNamNet Bridge – A 31-ton Buddha statue made from sapphire is now placed at the Truc Lam Tay Thien Monastery in Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc Province.

 The White House on Thursday ruled out dropping Vice President Joe Biden, and told Republican nominee John McCain that with his track record he was in no position to give advice on running mates.

Hundreds of patients in six pilot hospitals nationwide were able to benefit from using an automatic queuing system and thousands of Khmer residents in a mountainous village in An Giang Province were able to attend training on the laws

 U.S. fixed mortgage rates this week edged up for the third straight week following recently released stronger economic data, according to the Primary Mortgage Market Survey released Thursday by Freddie Mac.

 A new book on the East Sea , written by Dr. Tran Cong Truc, a former head of the Government’s committee on boundaries, has drawn a lot of attention from domestic and overseas readers.

 Many experts and NA deputies have shown their supports for the recognition of same sex marriage in Vietnam.

 Internet users in Vietnam have been suffering connection problems all week due to a break in the Vung Tau-Hong Kong section of the Asia America Gateway (AAG) cable system.

It is expected that the plans to restructure some commercial banks will be approved in the last months of the year. However, the target of settling all weak banks within 2012 proves to be unattainable.

  Japan will continue assisting Vietnam to restore late painter Nguyen Phan Chanh’s silk paintings owned by his family.

 Three sponsors have signed commitments to provide for Vietnam’s first ever international hot air balloon festival, scheduled to take place in the southern province of Binh Thuan from August 29 to September 3.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese men's team has won a silver medal at the second Mind Sports Games' Chinese chess contest in France.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Truong Nguyen Thanh Nhan of Eximbank HCM City 1 powered to victory on the fourth stage of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Cycling Tournament yesterday, Aug 16.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Responding to a case involving corrupt officials, in May, 1827, King Minh Mang from the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) wrote critically on a report by mandarins: "Escort the parasite Bui Khac Kham to the town's market.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly's Standing Committee debated the necessity and subject of a drafted law on Conciliation Work at the local level yesterday, Aug 16, the fourth day of its 10th session.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tropical storm KaiTak will make landfall in the border areas of Mong Cai City in northern Quang Ninh Province tonight, but the storm will be less powerful than yesterday, Aug 16, local weather forecasters said.

 One person died and another was sickened after contracting the rare hantavirus while vacationing recently in Yosemite National Park in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, local media reported on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Cambodian PM Samdec Hunsen, National Assembly Chairman Heng Somrin, Acting Chairman of the Senate Say Chum and Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Home Affairs, Sar Kheng.

The software outsourcing market keeps growing stably since the beginning of the year with the volume of orders higher by 20 percent than the same period of the last year.