Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — August 18

Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- Both the mainland and the East Vietnam Sea experience thunderstorms on Monday, disrupting daily activities and travel, according to the national weather forecast center.

-- Although the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge is not scheduled to open to traffic until Tuesday, thousands of people have been gathering on the structure each afternoon to view the new span connecting Dong Thap and Vinh Long Provinces.

-- Da Nang Party secretary Nguyen Van Quang recently urged automaker THACO to study and invest in an urban railway project connecting Da Nang Airport, Hoi An, and Chu Lai Airport.

-- Da Nang on Sunday afternoon called on 659 vessels at sea to move out of a danger zone as a tropical depression hovered over the waters northwest of Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago earlier in the day.

-- Police in Lam Dong Province on Sunday afternoon rescued four 16-year-old schoolgirls who were stranded by rising floodwaters during a weekend outing in a forest near Bao Loc.

-- Can Tho’s health department has reappointed Huynh Minh Truc as the director of the city’s Center for Disease Control after police dropped a criminal investigation linked to the widely-known Viet A COVID-19 test kit scandal, finding no evidence of personal gain.

-- A pod of dolphins swam near Cam Ranh Bay in Khanh Hoa Province on Sunday afternoon, with dozens surfacing and diving close to local boats.

Economy

-- Ho Chi Minh City plans to establish four free trade zones, creating new business opportunities for investors, according to a report from the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

-- Banks that undertake a mandatory transfer of weak banks will have their reserve requirement ratio reduced by 50 percent from October 1 this year, according to a newly-issued circular from the State Bank of Vietnam.

Sports

-- Vietnam’s women’s volleyball team lost 0-4 to Spain in a friendly match in Hanoi on Sunday ahead of the 2025 World Championship, despite Spain being ranked 32nd by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), 10 places below Vietnam.