VietNamNet Bridge – As the New Year holidays are coming, contaminated sausage, smoked pork legs made of expired frozen meat, and dried grapes dyed of industrial colorings are slipping into stores and supermarkets.

On the occasion of the New Year, Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Ha Noi Municipal People's Committee talks about the city's plan to make Ha Noi richer and more beautiful.

VietNamNet Bridge – The United States Federal Reserve (FED) on December 16 raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to between 0.25 percent and 0.50 percent for the first time in nearly a decade.  

 VietNamNet Bridge – Art and entertainment groups like the Viet Nam Circuis Federation must find their own funding as State sponsorship begins to dwindle in the face of a growing market economy.

In recent years, more cases of foreign swindlers have been reported throughout the country and in almost all of economic, cultural and social fields, especially import and export, investment, loan provision, capital raising and e-commerce.

VietNamNet Bridge – Over recent years, the government has allowed increasing numbers of foreign transnational companies to invest in property, plant and equipment and operate businesses that compete head-on in the domestic retail market. 

Traditional theaters play an important role in Vietnamese culture. Despite the rapid development of contemporary art genres and the entertainment industry in Vietnam, traditional theaters continue to inspire both Vietnamese and foreign audience.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Trans-Pacific Partnership will push Viet Nam to complete its market orientation targets, and improve its business environment and competitive ability, delegates heard at a workshop held in HCM City.

 The birth of the ASEAN Community at the end of this year is expected to bring a number of pragmatic benefits to member countries and their people, Vietnam’s Ambassador to ASEAN has said.

Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), the country’s third-largest lender by assets, is seeking governmental permission to cooperate with France’s Aeroport de Paris to jointly invest in Airports Corporation of Vietnam.

A new path of development began when Vietnam achieved a 6.68% GDP growth rate in 2015, signed a number of free trade agreements, and joined the ASEAN Economic Community. New opportunities and challenges await Vietnam in the new year. 

The 18th National Men's Cycling Tournament-Ben Tre Television Cup is scheduled to begin in the southern Ben Tre Province on January 11.

An art exhibition by renowned US artist Mark Cooper, in collaboration with his Vietnamese partners, is running at the Viet Nam Fine Arts Museum in Ha Noi.

Central Viet Nam is famous across the world for its magnificent beaches with vast pristine-white sandbanks and perfect summer temperatures the year round.

The State Securities Commission has maintained a cautious view on the development of Viet Nam's stock market in 2016 and prefers to focus on stable performance over growth.

Experts have said any adjustments in monetary policies should be carefully considered with great attention being given to inflation, as low inflation will create room for interest rate cuts.

New policies on compulsory social insurance, region-based minimum wages and multidimensional poverty standards are among those that will take effect in January 2016.

The Prime Minister has signed a decision regarding the criteria and procedures for recognition of high-tech agriculture zones.

Successful Party congresses at all levels: Party congresses at all levels across the country reaped success, setting out orientations, missions and measures for socio-economic development, and electing Party committees for the 2015 – 2020 tenure.

President Truong Tan Sang has called for greater effort in 2016 and the next five years to be able to take advantage of opportunities brought by the wider and deeper international economic integration.

Security defence tasks are of paramount importance for Ha Noi, which is a major political, economic and cultural hub and also the heart of the nation, Party General Secretary Nguyen PhuTrong said.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has hailed the formation of the ASEAN Community as a historic milestone in the regional connectivity process in Southeast Asia.

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has selected the top 10 world events for 2015 as follows:

 With rare qualities in terms of height and arm span, Nguyen Diep Phuong Tram, 14, has great potential to become a prominent athlete in Vietnamese swimming in the future with the right training.

A rapid rise of the number of apartments in big cities in Vietnam without fixes to legal loopholes in apartment management has resulted in an increase of disputes between investors and residents.