Politics

-- A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam is in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) during a working visit from July 24-30.

Society

-- Vu Manh Thang, deputy director of a hydropower project in Van Ban District of Lao Cai Province, was drowned to death after being swept by a flood that hit the locality on Sunday.

-- A restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 5 was Sunday fined by local police for organizing its attendants to perform sexy dancing shows for customers.

-- Many bus drivers in HCMC have to tear away the leftover tickets after each traveling journey in order to continue to receive the subsidy from the city’s budget for their operation.

-- A two-story hotel in Binh Chanh District Sunday burst into flame after a customer threw his smoking ash onto a mattress at the venue.

-- Thirty four tourists from BIC, a subsidiary of BIDV bank, were Sunday rushed to hospital over food poisoning after they had lunch at the four-star Muine Bay resort.

Business

-- The plan to rename the Vincom Center A into Catinat has been delayed by its operator for a “sensitive reason.” Come back today for the full detail story.

-- The agricultural insurance policy, a government’s bid to protect local farmers from losses, has failed to do so as most farmers cannot get the insurance when their crops are damaged.

-- Boiled corn and cassava, the common snack at Vietnamese countryside, are now bestselling exports of a company in Khanh Hoa, which ships the products to the US and Canada.

-- The Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment has asked Coca-Cola to make its business operation transparent during a recent working session with the company.

Lifestyle

-- A Vietnam-themed series titled Vietnam Direct will be broadcast on BBC World News channel starting August 24.

-- We’ve Married and What’s Out There have won the Golden Lotus Bud film award during a ceremony that took place in Hanoi on Sunday.

-- Many street statues in Ho Chi Minh City are in deteriorated condition, with that of Tran Nguyen Han in front of Ben Thanh market recently losing one leg after more than 35 years exposing to weather.

-- The Hoi An Lantern Festival wrapped up Sunday in Wenigerode city, Germany, after impressing locals with 600 beautiful lanterns.

Sports.

-- Ho Chi Minh City athletes pocketed a total of 307 gold medals from the 2012 National Disabled Athlete Championships that concluded on Sunday.