A glimpse of peaceful Triem Tay village

 A ten-minute boat ride from the ancient town of Hoi An via Thanh Ha pottery village’s dock, or over 20 minutes through Cam Kim ferry passing Kim Bong carpentry village, will take you to a little peaceful village trimmed with the green of bamboo.

Social News 20/12

 Train staff help pregnant woman deliver baby on train, Jetstar Pacific takes over Vietnam Airlines’ flights on Hanoi-Tuy Hoa route, Vietnam on alert for Avian Influenza A (H7N9), HCM City hosts Vietnam Young Leaders Forum 2015

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 20/12

 Techcom Capital launches Vietnam's first real estate investment trust, IFC, TP Bank boost trade finance for smaller enterprises in Vietnam, Robins stores launch festive promotions, Enthusiasm in Vietnam’s auto market: Financial Times

Exclusive - U.S. Justice Dept probes data breach at Uber: sources

The U.S. Department of Justice is pursuing a criminal investigation of a May 2014 data breach at ride service Uber, including an examination of whether any employees at competitor Lyft were involved in the episode.

Food donations warm hearts of recipients

 VietNamNet Bridge – Members of the Ha Noi Food Rescue (HFR) have transported more than 15,000 packets of leftover food from hotels and restaurants to the underprivileged, disabled and patients in areas of Ha Noi.

More than 106,000 ".vn" domain names developed in 11 months

More than 106,300 new ".vn" domain names were registered in the first 11 months of this year, bringing the total number of ".vn" domain names to 343, 370, a year-on-year increase of 16.4 per cent.

TV stations attempt to provide united front on EPL broadcasting rights

The Vietnam Association of Pay TV (VNpayTV) has just sent a letter to the MP & Silva Company asking for negotiations over the broadcasting rights for English Premier League for the 2016-2019 period with 10 TV stations in Vietnam.

Big city pollution worsening

 VietNamNet Bridge – Air pollution in Ha Noi and HCM City has risen to alarming levels due to waste, dust and noise pollution, and has affected the health of area residents.

Transport Ministry sells Vinamotor, auto industry’s fate in doubt

Vietnam has never given up its automobile dream, even though it has failed to implement an auto industry strategy in the last two decades.

Art & Entertainment News In Brief

 My Tam’s live show to be kicked off in January, VND5 billion raised for children’s heart surgery, Satra submits Saigon Tax Trade Center conservation plan, Zippo teams up with local rocker for limited lighter version

Long-term thinking needed as oil prices fall

 The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has announced it has prepared plans to cope with the fall in global oil prices but is yet to release any specifics.

Pho Bang - a peaceful town on Dong Van Karst Plateau

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Giang impresses visitors with its high karst plateau, steep hills, winding roads and ethnic diversity. In Dong Van district of Ha Giang province, there is a place of serenity where man is delicately balanced with nature.

Streamlining Government to lower budget spending

 VietNamNet Bridge – Bui Duc Thu, member of the National Assembly's Financial and Budget Committee talks with Hai Quan (Customs) newspaper about budget overspending.

Australian walks for blind kids

 VietNamNet Bridge – As the Christmas party goes on, sight-impaired youngsters surround Joe Edwards, holding his hands. Unable to see their ‘Santa Claus', they still look into his eyes, showing their admiration.

HCM City's primary school teachers suffer low salaries

 VietNamNet Bridge – About 70 per cent of primary school teachers in HCM City find it impossible to make ends meet on their current incomes, according to a survey conducted in nine districts.

Photos: Vietnamese hunt rare items for Tet gifts

People are seeking special and rare things for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet holiday). Among them are peacocks, odd-shaped fruits, and Dong Tao chickens. Below are expensive and unusual Tet gifts this year:

Vietnamese enterprises have two years to prepare for FTAs

 Businesses in the agriculture sector, especially breeding, would be most vulnerable to the effects of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with bigger partners.

NA adopts highest number of laws and ordinances during reform period

After nearly 30 years of Vietnam's reform process (from January 1, 1987 to December 30, 2013), the NA and the NA Standing Committee adopted 483 laws and ordinances, eight times higher than the figure of 41 years ago.

250 years later, Nguyen Du still stirs debate

 VietNamNet Bridge – Covering complex topics like love and treason, the epic poem The Tale of Kieu still resonates more than two centuries later.

Image: Making bamboo dragonflies in Thach Xa Village

Thach Xa commune in Hanoi’s suburban Thach That district has been well-known for many years for its unique traditional craft product – the bamboo dragonfly. 

Vietnam approves gender surgery

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Huy Quang, director of the Legal Department under the Ministry of Health, spoke to the newspaper Suc Khoe & Doi Song (Health and Life) on Viet Nam's gender reassignment surgery policy.

E-tailing in pre-booming phase

E-retailing or e-commerce has become popular in Vietnam since 2004 with the number of online customers having been on the rise. Many foreign giants have entered the Vietnamese market recently creating a race forcing local firms

Apple to launch Apple Pay in China, take on Alibaba, Tencent

 Apple Inc said it will launch its payment service in China as soon as 2016, pitting it against entrenched Chinese rivals Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings.

Indonesia to deploy 150,000 security personnel for year-end celebrations

 Indonesia will deploy more than 150,000 security personnel and several religious organizations to safeguard churches and public places around the country during Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations, the military chief said late on Friday.

Overview of Vietnam's investment preference policies

A string of investment preference policies on corporate income tax, land lease, finance, export, as well as loss carryforward have been introduced with a view to luring investors to encouraging investment areas and fields.