The National Assembly Standing Committee has given the thumbs-up to the government’s proposed adjustments for the use of official development assistance and concessional loans for 2016.

 Driven by market demand and Vietnam's policies, a number of foreign investors are planning to invest in Hoa Lac High-tech Park (HHTP).

 The southern largest economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City welcomed its five millionth foreign visitor at Tan Son Nhat International Airport on December 24.

 Sa Pa Snow Festival kicked off in Sa Pa district, the northwestern province of Lao Cai, on December 24 with a view to promoting local natural and cultural beauties among visitors.

 Vietnamese representative SHB Da Nang were eliminated from the Toyota Mekong Club Championship after their 2-2 draw to Yadanarbon of Myanmar on December 23 in Hanoi.

 VietNamNet Bridge – From the outside, the Thanh Nguyen Hair Salon looks like any other.

 Despite the many fluctuations of the world stock market, the domestic market has maintained positive growth rates, said Vu Bang, Chairman of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC).

 Housing developers in the country especially in HCM City will shift from luxury apartments to the mid- and low-end segments next year, experts have said.

 Ho Chi Minh City has proposed building 10 new inland container depots to reduce the overload of traffic on roads as well as enhance connectivity among roads leading to seaports in the city.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for the involvement of the entire political system and the public in the fight against drug crimes, which have recently shown complicated developments. 

  Vinpearl Can Tho Hotel, the first five-star hotel in Can Tho city, was inaugurated on December 24, becoming the tallest building in the Mekong Delta region.

 The formal establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community a year ago has marked a significant stride in the bloc’s development process.

  Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam hosted a reception in Hanoi on December 23 for Katayama Satsuki, Acting Chairwoman of the Policy Research Council under the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi have agreed to effectively implement cooperation mechanisms between the two foreign ministries.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has proposed the Lao National Mekong Committee continue working with Vietnam to monitor and examine practical impacts of hydropower plants on the trans-boundary river and protect its environment.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called for the thorough verification of draft laws and preventing vested interest in law building during a national teleconference of the Justice Ministry in Hanoi on December 23. 

The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of China exchanged experience in Party building work in the context of international integration during the 12th theoretical seminar which opened in Hanoi on December 23. 

 China’s launch of a regular air route to the airport on Phu Lam in Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over the archipelago, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh said on December 23. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Making handmade goods like unique jewelry from UV resin is popular in Japan. Vietnamese can now share the experience by attending a do-it-yourself workshop in HCM City.

VietNamNet Bridge – Twenty-eight-year-old backpacker Hoang Le Giang will be the first Vietnamese to join a 300km winter adventure to the Artic circle next April hosted by the Fjällräven Polar website. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Fifty-year-old Le Thi Lanh gets up at 5.30am everyday to prepare sticky rice to sell on the pavement of Ha Noi’s Trung Liet Street.

VietNamNet Bridge - Economists say that 2017 is expected to be an auspicious year for Vietnam’s economy, with few signs of uncertainties.   

 VietNamNet Bridge – Despite the lack of parity in the film industry, more and more female directors are making their mark and leading a new generation of filmmakers who are inspiring audiences.

 Many transgender people in HCM City are risking their lives using hormones sold illegally at local shops.

 An apartment block in Hanoi has applied very high parking fees for cars, sparking angry protests from drivers.