Vietnam warned against unsafe foods; Police crack Hanoi wildlife slaughter ring; Two prosecuted for stealing in Hoi An; Higher penalties could prompt firms to pay trade union fees; Cutting post-harvest losses key to food security

Banks in Vietnam meet international payment standards; Nearly 16,000 automobiles sold in November; US tra fish imports fall as prices rise; RoK trade deficit widens, amid higher exports; Turkey asks WTO for emergency duties on mobile phone imports

 The construction of a system supplying electricity for the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant, the first of its kind in Vietnam, began in central Ninh Thuan province on December 12.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam's auto market stood out in the global car market as the report for November indicated sales growth through 20 consecutive months while its competitors posted slow progress rates.

Binh Duong to meet strong rivals in AFC Group E; Nam knocked out of US event following third round defeat; Tu takes leave of national team after disappointing loss; Tram wins 9-ball title at National Sports Games

Vietnam's football authorities have launched an investigation into the humiliating loss of the home side to Malaysia last night at My Dinh Stadium, which led to the country being knocked out of the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many primary schools in Hanoi operate their own English teaching and learning programs rather than the one from the Ministry of Education and Training.

VietNamNet Bridge – Joining the Vietnam Spring Summer Fashion Week 2015, Quoc Khai offered a powerful military style collection while Tien Dat expressed creativity through the movement of color streaks on the clothing.

 The Viet Nam National University-HCM City (VNU-HCM) will adopt the teaching method called Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO) next year for an additional 15 majors offered at the school.

 The Hanoi municipal People’s Committee has ceremoniously conferred Honorary Citizenship upon two Japanese diplomats, former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama and Japan-Vietnam Special Ambassador Sugi Ryotaro.

Three Vietnamese museums have excelled on the list of best museums in Asia by Trip Advisor. The recognition provides curators of the hundreds of other museums in Vietnam with a lesson on how to improve the image of Vietnamese museums.

 VietNamNet Bridge – After withstanding a barrage of Chinese goods flooding the market for years, Vietnamese businesses are now facing the risk of losing the home market to Thai companies.

 France will provide an additional 85 million EUR from its Emerging Markets Reserve (RPE) for Hanoi’s pilot urban railway line 3.

 Vietnam forges parliamentary cooperation with Peru, Argentina; Presidential Office announces new laws; HCM City deputies want road fee on motorcycles delayed; NA delegation visits UK Parliament

The conclusion of the Vietnam – Republic of Korea (RoK) free trade agreement talks is the most significant success in Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s working visit to the RoK on December 10-12, Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Minh Khoi told the media.

 VietNamNet Bridge – That Son or Bay Nui (Seven Mountains) region spans Tri Ton and Tinh Bien districts of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang bordering Cambodia.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists and Quang Binh province residents are concerned that dredging of the Nhat Le river’s mouth could cause a landslide.

 Members of the Vietnam Association of Architects have raised their voices urging the National Assembly (NA) to impose tighter controls on construction of provincial administration complexes nationwide to avoid a waste of resources.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The year 2014 has seen the successful issuance of government bonds in both domestic and foreign markets, said the Vietnam Economic News.

VietNamNet Bridge – Bubonic plague, which has killed at least 40 people in Madagascar and one in neighbouring China, could find its way into Viet Nam unless preventive measures were taken,

 Authorities in HCM City have vowed to contain four-fifths of the city's flood zones by next year.

 VietNamNet Bridge – When Starbucks entered Vietnam, CEO of Trung Nguyen Coffee spoke scornfully of the American coffee brand, so people have asked: what has Trung Nguyen done in the "homeland" of Starbucks?

 Deputies of the HCMC People’s Council have voiced concerns that the city lacks proper policies to attract investments in science and technology.

Local experts have suggested provinces in the Mekong Delta region consider applying Israel’s agricultural production models and technologies to create farming breakthroughs in the biggest rice producing region of Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge – The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced that the usefulness and quality of Vietnam’s transportation infrastructure in 2014 was ranked 74 amongst 138 countries, compared to 90 in 2012 and 103 in 2010.