Service providers come under scrutiny

 VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai has ordered the ministries of Finance, and Industry and Trade to monitor telecom fees by three giant providers, in compliance with the Competition Law.

Vietnam to play AS Roma

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam will play AS Roma in an international under-19 football tournament, the Nutifood Cup, which will kick off in HCM City on January 6.

Hiphop dancers to perform at HCM City universities

 VietNamNet Bridge – Leading Vietnamese hiphop dancers will participate in performances starting on Wednesday at several universities in HCM City.

Political Headlines December 25

President: prosecutors need to make changes; VN, China links see steady growth; Vietnam-Laos army ties praised; Implementation key to fulfilling goals of new Constitution

In pictures: Millions of people welcome a peaceful Christmas

 VietNamNet Bridge - Millions of people throughout the country had a peaceful Christmas Eve in relatively favorable weather: dry and cold in Hanoi and the central region and cool in HCM City.

All airlines get profit, says Transportation Minister

 VietNamNet Bridge - Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang said that instead of Vietnam Airlines alone reporting profits as previous years, this year domestic aviation grew well and all airlines were profitable.

Public universities reject new enrolment policy

 VietNamNet Bridge – Universities will have more discretion over student enrollment procedures following a draft regulation announced by the Ministry of Education and Training last week.

Dozens of families in Binh Phuoc panicked of wells full with gasoline

 VietNamNet Bridge - Many households in Village 9, Long Ha commune, Bu Gia Map district in the central province of Binh Phuoc are living in fear because their wells can ignite at any time since they are full of gasoline.

Voters unpleased with short question & answer session for the PM

Assessing the results of the year-end NA session in October, several members of the NA Standing Committee said that the question and answer session for PM Nguyen Tan Dung was too short and constituents wanted to listen more from him.

Notre Dame de Paris opera hits city stage next month

VietNamNet Bridge – Notre Dame de Paris (Thang gu nha tho Duc Ba) opera, which has taken its composer Huy Tien almost 30 years to perfect, will be unveiled to audiences on January 13-14 at the HCMC Conservatory of Music in District 1.

EC launches polyester subsidy probe against VN

 VietNamNet Bridge – The European Commission has initiated an anti-subsidy investigation into polyester staple fibre imported from Viet Nam, according to the Viet Nam Competition Authority.

VN, UNICEF join to combat child violence

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam and the United Nation Children's Fund are jointly working in a study on drivers of violence against children with a view to helping develop evidence-based policies for better child care and protection.

Celebrating Christmas during crunch time

 VietNamNet Bridge – The economic slowdown is taking a heavy toll on Christmas celebrations this year. Businesses, souvenir shops, and even Santa Clauses are under pressure.

Submarine cable repair will take a week

 VietNamNet Bridge – It will take at least a week to repair the broken Asia-America Gateway (AAG) undersea cable which connects Viet Nam with other countries for Internet access.

HCMC airport tops 20 million arrivals

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City has become the first airport in the country to receive 20 million passengers in one year, airport authorities announced yesterday, Dec 23.

UN Security Council authorizes thousands more peacekeepers to South Sudan

 The UN Security Council on Tuesday approved a recommendation to almost double the UN peacekeeping forces in conflict-torn South Sudan to better protect civilians from violence.

Tycoons run away from banks

 VietNamNet Bridge – 2013 is a year worth remembering for bankers as it witnesses the leave of a lot of big shareholders from commercial banks. The trend is believed to continue in 2014.

Vietnamese dancing robot among best toys this Christmas in US

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese made dancing robot ‘Tosy DiscoRobo’ has been named among the best toys this Christmas Season by the American Parent Association.

Wild elephants turn up in Dak Lak, rejoicing conservators

 VietNamNet Bridge – Dak Lak people feel both worried and glad when seeing wild elephants in the areas near residential quarters. This means that the wild elephant populations there have been growing well.

Nursery schools shut down, where will children go?

Hanoi and HCM City authorities have vowed to shut down the unlicensed nurseries, or the household run classes which fail to meet the requirements on safety for babies. But this means that the children from poor families would have nowhere to go.

OTT battle field: Zalo combats against Viber and Line

 VietNamNet Bridge – A new chapter has begun in the history of the OTT (over the top) app market. As some service providers have left, the market is now controlled by the three big guys Zalo, Viber and Line.

Complicated playing rules “help” businesses evade tax

 VietNamNet Bridge – It is the legal loopholes existing in complicated laws which have lent a hand to businesses in evading taxes.

In the largest pilot and flight attendant training base in Vietnam

 VietNamNet Bridge - Most pilots, flight attendants and flight operators of Vietnam Airlines – the national carrier - are trained at the training center based in HCM City.

Cyclo tour around Hanoi’s Old Quarter

VietNamNet Bridge – I have been on countless cyclo trips in HCMC but they were nothing compared to a cyclo tour around the ancient, bustling Old Quarter on a winter’s day with a northeastern monsoon blowing through my hair and chilling my body.

Social Headlines December 25

 Human traffickers jailed for 80 years; Man killed in road accident; Hanoi acts to ensure traffic safety; Border crackdown targets illegal birds; Treatments empower HIV-positive mothers