Vast areas of hardwood forestland in Moc Chau of Son La province have been lost in the northwestern part of the country because the wood is being used to make nghien  (Burretiodendron hsienmu) chopping boards.

 VietNamNet Bridge – To visit Vietnam’s most beautiful islands, visitors have to take boat trips, some of several hours in length. To have a smooth trip, tourists need to know the boat schedules as well as the ticket prices.

The Permanent Council of the International Organisation of La Francophonie issued a document voicing concerns about the East Sea tension between Vietnam and China and calling upon all sides to solve disputes through dialogue and peaceful measures.

 Security experts have demonstrated how easy it is to hack network-enabled LED light bulbs.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has urged the Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam (CAAV) to find out why there have been so many cancelled and delayed flights this year. The incidents are reportedly on the rise.

The Foreign Ministry has sent two official documents on its stance on Vietnam's marine sovereignty in the East Sea and over the Hoang Sa Archipelago (Paracels Islands) and China’s deployment of its HD-981 oil rig in Vietnam’s waters to the UN.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The competition of 11-year-old students to obtain seats at prestigious secondary schools is as fierce as the race for universities.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has signed a resolution on regular government meeting for June which focuses on utmost efforts to protect national sovereignty and ensure political security, social order and safety.

A  July 8 meeting in HCM City marking World Population Day announced that on a per capita basis, Vietnam has one of the five highest abortion rates in the world.

 US$446 million allocated for IT industry; Vietnam imports 25,000 cars in H1; VNPT International opens rep. office in Cambodia; EU to check quality of bivalve molluscs in Vietnam; Newly-established businesses up 19.3%

 The second phase of the 2014 national university entrance exams kicked off on the morning of July 9, with some 575,180 candidates sitting the exams, which run through July 10.

The provincial People’s Committee of the south central province of Khanh Hoa recently announced this year’s annual International Yacht Festival is scheduled for August 2-4.

 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.

 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.

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

 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 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,

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

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

 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.