Vietnam faces worsening plastic bag pollutionVietnam is suffering from severe plastic bag pollution, as it is among four Asian countries discarding the largest volume of plastic bags, Tien Phong newspaper reports, citing experts from a seminar on June 4. Experts proposed banning local consumers from using plastic bags or further hiking the environmental protection tax on plastic bags. The country discards more than 30 billion plastic bags per year, as households in Vietnam use four plastic bags per day, on average. Meanwhile, Botswana has prohibited the use of plastic bags thinner than 0.024 millimeter and imposed taxes on thick bags, thus reducing by one half the consumption of plastic bags. China does not allow the use of plastic bags thinner than 0.025 millimeter, and has banned restaurants, supermarkets and retail stores from providing free plastic bags, reducing two-thirds of all plastic bags.

HÀ NỘI — Bảo Việt Securities Joint Stock Company (BVSC) targets VNĐ504 billion (US$22.4 million) in total revenue and VNĐ134 billion in post-tax profit for 2018, the company has announced. In 2017, BVSC earned VNĐ483.8 billion in total revenue and VNĐ122.4 billion in post-tax profit, up by 47.8 per cent and 27.1 per cent from 2016. The company exceeded its full-year earnings forecast for 2017 by 49.3 per cent in revenue and 10.7 per cent in post-tax profit. The expected earnings for 2018 are also higher than the previous numbers reported in the local media. The remaining amount of post-tax profit worth VNĐ45 billion will be used to fund the company’s business activities in 2018.

Tour companies need to adapt to cater to millennials: expertsVietNamNet Bridge – With young adults born between 1980 and 1998 now accounting for 38 per cent of Vietnam’s population, their travelling and sightseeing preferences are having an impact on the tourism industry, and many companies are trying to cater to this profitable demographic. As millennials grow in terms of numbers, spending power and desire to travel, the tourism industry is shaping to cater to them. Experts and millennials also said young people are more likely to consult travelling apps such as Trip Advisor and Yelps and their peers rather than more traditional channels. Mauro Gasparotti, director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said Vietnam’s tourism industry has been growing rapidly with more and more hotels and resorts being built. The millennial traveller market is poised to grow rapidly, making it a challenge for companies to adapt their existing accommodation, he said.

Da Nang to host Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific ChampionshipVietNamNet Bridge – The central city has been selected as a host of the Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship in 2019. A triathlete finishes the Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Viet Nam race in Da Nang. The central city will host the Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship in 2019. At the 2019 Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship, triathletes will battle for 50 qualifying age group slots for the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France later in 2019. A Vietnamese athlete competes in the men’s bike relay of the Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Viet Nam race in Da Nang.

Da Nang listed among top destinations for South KoreansDanang City has gained the second position among top ten destinations favored by South Korean families and couples, just behind Osaka City in Japan, according to a recent analysis done by the tour operator Ticket Monster Inc.A group of South Koreans pose for photos while going sightseeing in Danang CityThe analysis is based on the number of tours booked in the next two months via the travel agency. Apart from groups of families and couples, South Korean individuals traveling alone prefer to go to the coastal city, followed by Tokyo in Japan, Bangkok in Thailand, the Guam Island in the U.S.South Korean tourists totaled over 500,000 people, which accounted for the largest portion of 1.4 million international arrivals in the city in the five-month period of this year, according to the municipal Tourism Department. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, director of the tourism firm Omega Tours, said that Danang is home to many tourist attractions and lots of beautiful beaches stretching for miles, adding that travel is made easier owing to many air services connecting South Korean cities with the Central coastal city. Therefore, South Korean travel agencies and air carriers have focused on operating and promoting tours to this coastal city. Le Tan Thanh Tung, deputy director of Vitours JS Company, highlight special features of Danang such as a convenient location, modern facilities and full services, which make the city more advantageous than other localities.

Phones and electronics overtake textiles as VN's biggest export earnersMobile phones/phone components, and computers/electronics/accessories have overtaken textiles and garments as the nation’s biggest export earners. Workers make garments at a factory in Vietnam. Exports of the computers/electronics/components group which often came in third in the past few years have leapfrogged the apparel sector, becoming the country’s second biggest export earner. According to the customs, the group’s exports generated a staggering US$10.9 billion in revenue in the first five months, up 14.2% year-on-year. However, this group was mainly dominated by foreign direct investment enterprises such as Samsung.

Voters asked for specific solutionsVietNamNet Bridge – Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The found himself in the firing line Monday as he opened the Q&A session at the National Assembly. Minister of Transport Nguyen Van TheThe was grilled by lawmakers over problems relating to transport projects invested under build-operate-transfer (BOT). I think Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha gave proper answers to the questions he was asked – he gave the reasons for the situations and offered specific solutions for those. Voters like me expect Minister Tran Hong Ha to have more specific solutions for these problems. There’s a need for a tight supervision mechanism for the BOT toll and BOT toll increase timeframe.

Hai Phong tightens boat inspection after tourist complaintVietNamNet Bridge – The northern city of Hai Phong’s People’s Committee has established an inter-sectoral inspection group to examine inland waterway vehicles, including tourist boats, operating in the city. People visit Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Island District, northern province of Hai Phong. The plan should clearly explain the administrative limitations and management responsibilities of tourist boats operating in the border area between Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province. “Violators will be strictly punished to avoid tarnishing the image of Hai Phong tourism,” he said. She and her friends were taken to Hai Phong to visit Cat Ba Island instead of Ha Long Bay.

Man sentenced for smuggling 7,000 dead sea turtlesVietNamNet Bridge – Central Nha Trang City People’s Court on Monday sentenced a wildlife trafficker to four-and-a-half years in prison for smuggling and processing more than 10 tonnes of sea turtle. In 2014, Education for Nature Viet Nam detected a sea turtle trafficking ring led by two brothers - Hoang Tuan Hai and Hoang Minh Cuong - in the central city of Nha Trang. The organisation cooperated with relevant authorised agencies and found nearly 7,000 dead sea turtles at six warehouses, where Hai and Cuong used to store, process and sell the turtles, most of which were doi moi (Eretmochlys imbricate), an endangered species. Hai and Cuong allegedly led the trafficking ring that bought dead sea turtles from fishermen and then processed and exported the finished products to China. ENV vice director Bui Thi Ha said the trial against Hai would restore public trust in the judiciary.

Vietnamese fans plan World Cup TV viewing abroadVietnamese football fans are planning to go to Laos and Cambodia to watch World Cup as local TV channels have not yet been able to buy World Cup broadcasting rights. World Cup 2018 to be held in RussiaTran Thai Tuan from Dong Da District, Hanoi, said that he had booked flight tickets to Laos to watch the opening match of World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Many Vietnamese football fans can’t afford to come to Russia for directly watching World Cup, so, instead have chosen to fly to Laos, Cambodia or Thailand to watch the televised matches. In the context of the rising demand, many travel firms in Hanoi have launched promotional programmes, discounting VND300,000 – 400,000 for each person in a tour to Southeast Asia to watch World Cup. Nam didn’t reveal the exact price but it was obviously going to be more than the price of World Cup 2014, which cost around USD7 million.

Vietnam stock market turns bear, but foreign investors stayVietNamNet Bridge - Foreign investors have been net sellers over a couple of weeks, but this does not mean they are leaving Vietnam, experts say. However, foreign investors have been net sellers since April and through May which has sparked concern about the outflow of foreign capital. “Foreign investors also need to take profit and restructure their investment portfolios,” he added. When the stock market reached its peak of 1,200 points two months ago, some finance institutions and Hung himself expressed concern about a downswing. In my recent business trips, I noticed that foreign investors are still interested in Vietnam’s market,” he said.

Mo selected as World Miss Tourism Ambassador entrant of VNThe Department of Performing Arts has given Phan Thi Mo permission to participate in the World Miss Tourism Ambassador 2018 in Thailand this July. Phan Thi MoPhan Thi Mo was born in Tien Giang Province in 1990. She was in the top 5 at Miss Vietnam World 2010, top 10 in Miss Asia USA, and top 5 in Miss Vietnam 2012. Phan Thi Mo in Ao Dai - Vietnam's traditional dressShe was recently treated for disk herniation and is in recovering process. The final night of the World Miss Tourism Ambassador will be held in early August with the participation of more than 60 women from across the world.

Trump-Kim summit to be held on Singapore's Sentosa islandThe much-anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place at a hotel on the Singaporean island of Sentosa, the White House has confirmed. Mr Trump and Mr Kim will meet at the luxury Capella hotel on Sentosa island -- Photo: REUTERS/CAPELLA SINGAPOREThe historic summit is scheduled to take place on 12 June, but many details are still unconfirmed. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed on Twitter that the summit would take place at the five-star Capella Hotel. Among the massacre sites were the beaches on Sentosa, now overlooked by the Capella hotel where Mr Trump and Mr Kim will meet. Tourism boom and fatal accidentsIn the 1970s, the Singaporean government renamed the island Sentosa, meaning "peace and tranquillity", and began developing it as a tourism site.

Construction of HCMC's underground parking lots still sluggishSince Ho Chi Minh City authorities have strongly committed to keeping sidewalk order; changes have seen. However, because of shortage of underground parking lot, vehicles still park in sidewalks causing traffic jam meanwhile parking lot projects, especially underground ones, are being run slowly. Underground parking lot at Trong Dong outdoor stage area was approved and carried out in 2010. Transport experts said that the authorities should be more determined in running underground parking garages. Additionally, underground parking garages must be connected with economic condition and security and smart parking lots.

Transport infrastructure in Mekong Delta needs urgent attentionThe opening of the Cao Lanh Bridge in the southern province of Dong Thap last week to link two banks of Tien River has signaled a promising development for the Mekong Delta. Yet until now, the Ministry of Transport is still trying to identify the reason to develop an optimal solution. However, construction of the former bridge has just been started while there is no investor for the latter one. The new channel crossing National Way No.53 and Provincial Way No.913 has turned Dong Hai, Long Vinh, Long Khanh Communes and Long Thanh Town into island ones. The major water route Cho Gao (in Tien Giang Province) to connect the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City is now in urgent need of upgrading.