VietNamNet Bridge – Do Khanh Binh brought home a gold medal from the first Asian Weiqi (Go) Open Championship 2015-Fulda Cup in Malaysia, which ran last week.

 Vietnamese karate martial artists have recently bagged a total of five gold medals at Malaysian Open karatedo tournament in combat event.

 Missosology on December 14 chose Vietnamese representative Pham Huong in the first place of its top 15 sixth Official Hot Picks for Miss Universe 2015.

Despite not appearing in top 13 of Miss World’s talent contest, Vietnamese representative Lan Khue was still selected to perform at ‘Dances of the world’audition shows in the upcoming final night.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held an award ceremony on December 15 to honour winners of the festival of photos, reportage and documentary films on peoples in the ASEAN Community.

 ArchDaily has cited the 2.5 House (a/k/a Khuon Studio) in the Tan Binh District of Ho Chi Minh City as one of the architectural masterpieces of the world.

  Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Panyarak Poolthup has been awarded the insignia “For Peace and Friendship among Nations” by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations for his dedication to Vietnam-Thailand relations.  

 Asian stocks rose briskly on Wednesday, with sentiment lifting as Wall Street rose before a likely hike in U.S. interest rates, while the dollar held to large gains made as Treasury yields picked up.

 Japan is willing to share experience with Vietnam in training peacekeepers and building up units to perform UN peacekeeping operations.

VietNamNet Bridge - The valuation of Vietnamese companies on the stock market is lower than 40-50 percent than in neighboring markets, according to Dominic Scriven.

 Malaysia has invited Vietnam to participate in the Defence Services Asia Exhibition and Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur in April 2016.

 National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung held talks with visiting President of the Cambodia Senate Samdech Say Chhum in Hanoi on December 16.

The HBSO Symphony Orchestra will perform the Unfinished Symphony by Austrian composer Franz Schubert under the baton of well-known conductor Tran Vuong Thach at the HCM City Opera House on Saturday.

 VietNamNet Bridge – During winter, a fine carpet of mustard blossoms overtakes Moc Chau. The mustard blooms in the winter, from late November to March.

 In 2015 the insurance market has achieved its best performance of the last five years, growing at nearly 22 per cent and earning revenues of US$3.1 billion, the head of the insurance watchdog told an ongoing conference in HCM City.

 A woman from Cao Bang Province, with a huge facial tumour, is being treated by doctors at the Ha Noi Central Oral and Maxillofacial Hospital.

 Viet Nam has been asked to set up a training model for volunteer health workers and assistant doctors in the use of traditional medicine in primary health care in the ASEAN Community.

 Mong Cai city in the northern province of Quang Ninh has allowed certain travel companies to provide tours of the city for Chinese tourists with border passes on a trial basis.

 Ambassadors to Vietnam will be invited to visit one of the world’s largest cave - Son Doong - in the central province of Quang Binh in May 2016.

 Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese guitarists to perform in Da Nang, Vietnam Television’s annual New Year concert to ring in 2016, Forgotten Nham Duong relic site gets restored, Famous Bollywood filmmakers to visit Vietnam

 The rate of smokers aged 13-15 in Vietnam fell by 1 percent from 3.3 percent in 2007 to 2.5 percent in 2014, according to a related survey by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation.

 The Vietnam Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines held a seminar on December 14 in Hong Kong (China) to promote Vietnam’s tourism industry in the territory.

 The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Operation Centre adjusted the reference exchange rate between the Vietnamese dong (VND) and the USD up by 90 VND on the morning of December 15.

 Seven contractors from the US, Japan and the Europe wish to join the Long Thanh International Airport project as the Feasibility Study (F/S) contractor. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Waste from shrimp ponds is expected to be turned into electricity to serve shrimp farming or the national grid.