Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 5th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand on December 19-20 at the invitation of Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-ocha.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Da Nang Party Secretary has stated that by the end of next March, if the $280 million IT Park dubbed as Da Nang’s Silicon Valley, does not kick off, the investment licence will be revoked.

 Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has questioned why the gunman in the Sydney cafe siege was not on the country's terror watch list.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The RoK National Television SBS Vietnam has offered an apology for the dialogue: "If you drink all day like this, even though you go to Vietnam, you cannot get any girl" in its soap opera series “Modern Farmer”.

VietNamNet Bridge - Twelve people are still trapped in a tunnel at the Da Dang - Da Chomo Hydropower Plant in Lam Dong Province after a section located 500 meters from the hatch suddenly collapsed this morning.

 President Truong Tan Sang attended an inaugural ceremony for the Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc pagoda in Dam Thuy commune, the northern border province of Cao Bang, on December 15.

About 60% of students believe self-study plays a very important role in their university education, but only 16 percent of 300 surveyed students have “high” self-awareness in planning self-study. Only 2% ranked “very high”, while 76% rated “average”

 VietNamNet Bridge – The office of Yahoo in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia will be closed as Singapore will be its hub in Asia.

Experts propose upgrading rehab centers in HCMC; UN backs VN in gender-based violence prevention; Australian woman held for attempting to smuggle heroin; Woman seized for meth trafficking; Three die, three injured in house fire

Robins Department Store Pcl of the Central Group, owned by the family of Mr. Tos Chirathivat, Thailand's richest man, opened the Robins shopping center in HCM City last Friday, following its first center in Hanoi in early March this year.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Viettel Global and Myanmar’s state-owned telecom operator - Yatanarpon Teleport - are awaiting the approval for an investment of at least $800 million to build a telecom network.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport has decided to not accept China’s proposal to bring 1,000 caravans to Vietnam.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese tour operators and hotels have felt the impact of the Russian ruble fall against the U.S. dollar as overseas travels have turned expensive for Russians.

A team from Foreign Trade University HCMC last week was named the winner of the fourth CFA Institute Research Challenge in Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Central Institute for Economic Management has warned that low labor cost will soon be no longer an advantage of Vietnam and therefore the country should take prompt action to raise labor productivity.

 Vietnamese students earned six gold and two silver medals on December 16 at the ongoing 17th ASEAN University Games (AUG 17) in Palembang, Indonesia.

 US members of parliament have spoken highly of the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership framework during meetings with Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Pham Quang Vinh in Washington.

An International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) funded project has not only helped protect Can Gio mangrove forest in Ho Chi Minh City’s Can Gio district, but also increased income for locals, heard a conference in the city on December 15.

Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and Minister in charge for Trade of Asia – Europe Economic Committee Andrei A. Slepnhev have signed a joint statement on conclusion of negotiations on the FTA between Vietnam and the Customs Union.

4th ASEAN Chief Justices’ Roundtable wraps up; Hanoi receives Chilean President’s sculpture gift; Party official conveys Xmas wishes to HCM City diocese; Cao Bang marks 70th anniversary of Vietnam People’s army

 A majority of delegates to an international conference in India have hailed Vietnam’s pillar role in the “Look East” policy which has transformed into the “Act East” under the leadership of new Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Thi Anh Vien from the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho took 18 gold medals in the women's swimming category at the National Sports Games 2014, which was held in Nam Dinh City on December 11-15.

VietNamNet Bridge – The champion of the Design Star 2013 competition introduced a 'couture' collection on the last night of the Vietnam Spring Summer Fashion Week on December 10.

VietNamNet Bridge – Top craftsmen and women from seven silk villages in Viet Nam will participate in the Viet Nam Silk Culture Day at Hoi An City's Silk Village centre on December 28.

 Noted HCM City-based photographer Ly Hoang Long won a runner-up prize in the One Shot-One Moment category in the 2014 edition of the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY).