Exploitation of seabed oil and gas resources is one of several major contentious issues complicating the tense East Sea situation, a retired US diplomat said at an international conference held at Ton Duc Thang University in HCMC over the weekend.

Out of every 100,000 Vietnamese people, 11 are infected with viral hepatitis, according to the Preventive Medicine Department.

 Ministry requires petrol prices cut on world downward trend; Vietnam enjoys US$1.26 bln Jan-Jul trade surplus; RoK – a leading foreign investor in Vietnam; Samsung Thai Nguyen rakes in US$2 billion from exports

 VietNamNet Bridge – Education for Nature-Vietnam (EVN) has launched a new smartphone application called "EVN-Report Wildlife Crime", which will easily help people to report violations of wildlife laws.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam's stock market has attracted US$13 billion from foreign investors, both individual and institutional, according to an official.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Should poor students be encouraged to follow university education? This question has recently become a matter of controversy on education forums.

VietNamNet Bridge – Chinese contractors at the Thuong Kon Tum hydropower plant have threatened to stop the project, citing problems in worker recruitment.

 VietNamNet Bridge – An independent film Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung (Flapping in The Middle of Nowhere) will be screened at the 71st Venice Film International Festival from August 27 to September 6.

The private air carrier VietJet has received a certificate of merit from the HCM City Youth Union for its active contribution to the union’s program to assist candidates of the 2014 university entrance exams in HCM City.

 Most border crossings in Liberia have been closed and communities hit by an Ebola outbreak face quarantine to try to halt the spread of the virus.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Police are investigating rumors that a pagoda in Long Bien District is selling children for adoption.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The winner of the third edition of Vietnam’s Got Talent 2014 will pocket VND500 million. The contest will mark its return with auditions nationwide next month. Participants in the program will be challenged in five rounds

Young pianists Dang Thai Vu and Nguyen Ba Duy Anh won two prizes at the 4th Mozart International Piano Competition held in Bangkok, Thailand from July 21-24.

 Hung Vuong An Giang have said goodbye to four players with two games still remaining in the V-League.

 Security officials in Ukraine say the downed Malaysia Airlines jet in eastern Ukraine suffered an explosive loss of pressure after it was punctured by shrapnel from a missile.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many Vietnamese are concerned that Chinese mobile phone models have spyware which sends users’ personal information to servers in China without giving any warning in advance.

Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate after a devastating fire broke out in Buon Ma Thuot City, in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak, at around 1.30pm yesterday. At least 20 houses were burnt to the ground.

 Vietnamese students won three gold, four silver and eight bronze medals at the international mathematics competition (IMC) held in Dejoun, the Republic of Korea from July 21-26.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam is considering new policies on foreign exchange management in order to help minimize exchange rate fluctuation risks for PPP (private public partnership) project developers.

 A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh is attending the fourth Mekong-the Republic of Korea (RoK) Foreign Ministers Meeting, which opened in Seoul on July 29.