Uber agreed to pay $2.94 million in tax arrears to local tax authorities, however, it will continue to complain about the charge and is even willing to take the HCM City Department of Taxation to court if necessary.

 Vietnam has officially surpassed the Philippines to become the no. 1 football team in Southeast Asia as the International Football Federation (FIFA) announced its year-end men’s world rankings on December 21.

 The Politburo has appointed Tran Sy Thanh, party secretary of Lang Son Province, as the new chairman of PetroVietnam Group after its former leaders were arrested.

VietNamNet Bridge - Besides Sabeco, a number of other leading Vietnamese enterprises in key business fields have been put under Thai control. 

 Many localities of the northern province of Quang Ninh has actively built their plans in service of the National Tourism Year Ha Long-Quang Ninh 2018.

 Vietnam and China are strengthening railway cooperation, the Nanning Railway Bureau at the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region affirmed on December 23.

 The central city of Da Nang will host 143,000 tourists, including 82,000 foreigners, visiting during the Christmas and New Year vacation from December 24 through January 2.

 The Indian Government has provided financial assistance worth over 50 billion VND (2.2 million USD) to the central province of Quang Nam to help restore and preserve the world cultural heritage site of My Son Sanctuary, a local official has said.

 Vietnam has remained an attractive destination for foreign investors in 2017 with total FDI capital registered in the country hitting a record high of 35.88 billion USD, up 44.4 percent against last year.

 Stocks on the national exchanges are expected to rise further in the last week of 2017, boosted by positive macro economic development and foreign traders.

Christmas atmosphere has encompassed every corner of the nation, from families to public places, bringing smiles and a festive mood to both Catholic and non-Catholic people. 

A number of schools in HCM City which were named national-standard schools—an honor given to schools that meet criteria ranging from student performance to infrastructure—no longer meet that criteria 

 VietNamNet Bridge – When Pham Sy Liem, former deputy minister of construction, recommended that the Government hire private construction inspection services on December 13, 

 Support service centres for students with disabilities have been set up at the HCM City Pedagogy University and HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

 VietNamNet Bridge – An increase in social insurance premiums that will accompany new rules that take effect next year will benefit workers, officials claim.

 The Viet Nam Register (VR) will stop granting safety certificates to diesel cars that fail to meet European emission standard 4 or higher beginning on January 1, the department announced.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to impose a ban on the sale of all types of soft drinks at schools across the country.

All hospitals are responsible for reporting about patients with infectious diseases through an electronic surveillance system, but many hospitals fail to report accurately.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Sanna Khanh Hoa lost to Muangthong United of Thailand 1-3 in the first leg of the Toyota Mekong Club Championship finals held at the Hang Day Stadium.

VietNamNet Bridge - While investors remain optimistic about condotels, seeing promising profits, experts are concerned about the rapid development of the real estate product.

Protecting internet users’ personal information remains a problem in Vietnam as current laws do not mention the issue, according to Nguyen Quang Dong from the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS)

 Post-APEC opportunity for Vietnam’s industries, Ninh Thuan aims to become renewable energy centre, VN, India explore trade ties, USG Boral to invest additional 20 million USD in Vietnam

More than 40 investors have expressed willingness to develop plants which burn waste to generate electricity.

Unable to integrate into the foreign school environment because of language and cultural differences and difficulties with the curriculum, some Vietnamese students overseas have tried to commit suicide.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged authorities and people of southern localities to keep a close watch on typhoon Tembin and must not be negligent as this is a particularly dangerous storm accompanied by high tide.