Xin chao!

TuoiTreNews.vn - A group of pedicab drivers illegally operating in downtown Ho Chi Minh City have been found fleecing foreign travelers in a bold manner just like “mugging,” a  Tuoi Tre  (Youth) newspaper investigation has found.  The group comprises about 10 members, who mainly search for foreign guests around Ben Thanh Market in District 1 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Hanoi has surpassed Ho Chi Minh City to become Vietnam’s capital of expenses, as new statistics found its costs of living are up to 22 percent higher than other cities'.  Figures from the General Statistics Office released Friday showed that Hanoi is the most expensive city, based on prices of nearly 1,600 products and services between 2012 and 2014. A vegetables vendor in Hanoi. Photo credit: Bloomberg

TuoiTreNews.vn - A proposal to build a multibillion-dollar airport in southern Vietnam has finally received the greenlight from the law-making National Assembly, which passed a resolution for the project in a vote on Thursday. With a vote of 428-17 plus 16 abstentions, the National Assembly approved the development of Long Thanh International Airport in the eponymous district of Dong Nai Province, as they convened for the ninth session in Hanoi this morning. Seventeen out of the 461 lawmakers attending the session cast a negative vote against the plan, whereas 16 others refused to vote. The resolution determines that Long Thanh International Airport is a key such facility of the country, and requests that it meet the 4F standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and strives to become a regional hub for international air transit.

Professor Tran Van Khe, known as the master of traditional Vietnamese music, died at the age of 94 on Wednesday, after nearly a month of fighting for his life at a Ho Chi Minh City hospital.

Vneconomictimes.com - Vinmec Phu Quoc, first international-standard general hospital on Phu Quoc Island and in Kien Giang province, was opened today, June 19, by Vingroup. The hospital will provide high quality healthcare services to local people and to tourists and will boost tourism to the island. Located near Vinpearl Phu Quoc, the Vinmec hospital is not only in harmony with the local natural beauty but has also adopted the healthcare standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Joint Commission International (JCI), a prestigious organization that assesses the quality of healthcare services. Vinmec Phu Quoc is the second hospital in Vinmec’s hospital network, following on from Vinmec Hanoi. Total of investment capital was $46 million, with the hospital covering an area of 19,000 sq m and including six floors, 150 beds, and eleven functional rooms with modern facilities. Vinmec Phu Quoc is also cooperating with Vinpearl Phu Quoc and other high-end hotels on the is...

ThanhNienNews.com - In an explicit gesture to resuscitate the ailing tourism sector, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has signed off on visa waivers for five more nationalities, a move highly welcomed by industry insiders. Under a decision dated June 17, V ietnam will offer visa exemptions for single-entry visits of up to 15 days for visitors from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Spain starting this July , Nguyen Van Tuan, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said at an international tourism convention that opened Thursday in the central city of Da Nang. "This is certainly very good news for Vietnam’s tourism industry,” Tuan said at the convention. “This is one of the new policies by the Vietnamese government aimed at creating an environment conducive to the development of the sector.”

ThanhNienNews.com, June 14, 2015 - Fierce winds uprooted around 1,000 trees in Hanoi on Saturday afternoon, killing two passers-by and injuring five others. The winds, coupled with rain and lighting, struck the capital city out of the blues  at 5 pm and lasted for around 30 minutes.

TuoiTreNews.vn - After months of speculation and leaks, Vietnamese tech firm Bkav finally unveiled its flagship Bphone on Tuesday, with its CEO proudly telling a 2,000-attendee event in Hanoi they have succeeded in making the world’s best smartphone. Nguyen Tu Quang, who founded Hanoi-based Bkav in 2001, took the stage to deliver a presentation on his brainchild in what obviously reminded viewers of the way late Apple CEO Steve Jobs or his successor Tim Cook told the world about their iPhones.

TuoiTreNews.vn - Many people in Vietnam have come up with inventive ways to help them stay as cool as possible during the persistent hot spell, which is the longest in the past 40 years. Residents in a number of localities in the country, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have been writhing in the sultry, stifling heat of the past few months, with a peak felt in recent weeks. A farmer in Dien Ban District, located in the central province of Quang Nam, attaches leaves to his ‘non la’ (traditional leaf conical hat) while working in the blazing sun.