Three Vietnamese volleyballers play for Thailand; Vien leaves for training in the US; Tuan fired on New Year's Day; Vinh to shoot in Kuwait

 Party says no Tet gifts for senior officers; Land from tardy projects used to build public schools; Cold snap sickens elders, children; Major challenges dog education reforms; Hundreds of elite graduates to help poor communes

 Gov’t intensifies crackdown on trade fraud; Restrictions on foreign currency tightened; No gov't back up for foreign loans; Manufacturing output rises at fastest pace, says HSBC; Vietnam attracts nearly US$22 bln in FDI

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese chess player had the best record in table one and helped the chess team of the Webster University win the championship of the prestigious annual tournament, which closed on January 1.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam would work towards building a trademark and also focus on trade promotion for the Vietnamese rice product exports, experts said.

 Disputes over territorial sovereignty of the seas between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) became more tense on November 23 after Beijing unilaterally declared an air defence identification zone (ADIZ),

 The number of overweight and obese adults in the developing world has almost quadrupled to around one billion since 1980, says a report from a UK think tank.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on December 30, 2013, issued a decision to recognize 37 more national treasures.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Customs officers at the HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport have uncovered two drug trafficking cases, totaling nearly 5kg, worth approximately VND15 billion ($700,000).

 VietNamNet Bridge - Quadrantids - one of the largest meteor showers in 2014 will reach its maximum at dawn on January 4, with up to 50 tracks per hour.

 VietNamNet Bridge – On the morning of January 2, the Hanoi Kilo submarine was unloaded from the Rolldock Sea vessel. The Azimuth tugs of the Vietnam Navy will pull the submarine to the Cam Ranh military port.

 VietNamNet Bridge – In the evening of January 2, Trinidad & Tobago striker - Dwight Yorke – unexpectedly appeared in Hanoi as a FIFA ambassador during the journey around the world of the FIFA trophy.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) reports 2013 saw a total of 29,385 traffic accidents that killed 9,369 people and caused 29,500 injuries.

Following the “fellow-countrymen,” McDonald’s will surely turn up in Vietnam in February 2014. Other well-known foreign brands, including  Anheuser-Busch InBev and Dairy Queen will also arrive.

Experts believe that smart phones will completely replace feature phones and they will have the features to be used like personal computers. The smart phones running on Android are believed to dominate the market.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese students’ high achievements at the international competitions in 2013 have once again, affirmed the “Vietnamese brainpower” in the international tribune.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Lau tha, which can be translated simply as hotpot, appeals to the taste buds of sophisticated diners because this special dish of Phan Thiet City in Binh Thuan Province not only looks beautiful but also tastes delicious.

 Residents of the north-eastern US have been warned to stay indoors, as the region braces for a storm expected to dump up to 14in (35cm) of snow.

Vingroup’s President Pham Nhat Vuong, has for the fourth consecutive year, topped the 2013 list of the 100 richest stock millionaires with the stock assets worth VND19.924 trillion, which makes him 14 percent richer than the last year.

Being famous as the “lead recycling metropolis” in the north, Dong Mai village in Van Lam district of Hung Yen province is the place where rice is mixed with lead and blood is mixed with lead because of the existence of lead everywhere.

Cambodian NA chair to visit Viet Nam; Deputy PM calls for further red tape cuts; PM asks for more from local agriculture sector; Solidarity – source of strength of Vietnam-Cuba ties 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam yesterday, Jan 2, said the nation must increase efforts to improve food safety, especially as the Tet holiday draws near.

 British economy is expected to increase 2.4 percent for this year with the economic recovery and sustainability of the uprising gaining momentum, according to a poll of economists issued on Thursday.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have announced the top ten fine arts and photographic events of 2013.

 VietNamNet Bridge – It is very difficult now for open end funds to attract capital from investors, who have become more cautious in the economic recession.