Pulling crackers, clinking glasses, or setting puddings on fire – mere traditions or more important? Tom Stafford explains that rituals may date back to early human history, and can even change the flavour of food.

Mobile network operators, which, ignoring users’ complaints in deciding on raising 3G service fees two months ago, have cut down the fee again in an effort to retain 3G subscribers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – In Viet Nam, even with its nationwide tradition of horticulture, if you play a word-place association game and mention "flowers", you know what the place is going to be.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Dap has turned his fishing job into a successful tourism service on a coastal village, 3km away from the country's renowned Hoi An City.

 VietNamNet Bridge – To date, 280,000 hectares of the total 15.3 million hectares of forests have been allocated to local people for forestry production and 513,000 hectares have been allocated for management and protection.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The surveys conducted by the Pre-school Education Faculty of the Hanoi University of Education all showed big problems in the training of teachers for nursery schools.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The unreasonable non-tariff policies, the inconsistency in tax policies and investment incentives have all driven the Moc Bai Economic Zone (EZ) to death.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Mikhail Samarsky is something of a wunderkind. Now 17, he began writing when he was only 12 years old, beginning with two books on the visually impaired that have been translated into Vietnamese.

 VietNamNet Bridge – At present, the salary of domestic helpers is about VND3 million ($150) per month, while newly graduated bachelors receive only about VND2 million ($100).

 VietNamNet Bridge - The people in Vietnam will observe a total of 18 exotic astronomical phenomena in 2014, according to the Vietnam Young Astronomers’ Association (VACA), as follow:

 Universities urged to raise calibre of part-time courses; Vietnam to increase labour export quota in 2014; Odorous garbage clogs local roads; UNICEF praises Vietnam’s primary education for all

 Viglacera's IPO to take place in February; Thaco to produce diesel engines; Central Province eyes 75 capital projects; Japanese firm NIDEC to expand VN venture; Gov't delays slow housing projects

 VietNamNet Bridge – Freelance model Mau Thi Thanh Thuy has won Viet Nam's Next Top Model 2013, beating Le Van Kien, Cha Mi and Tuan Viet in the final round.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games closed yesterday (Dec 22) in Nay Pyi Taw, marking the end of a prestigious tournament for which athletes spent two years in training.

 FIFA World Cup trophy to visit Viet Nam; Vietnamese athletes shine at World Kurash Championships; Vietnam takes silver at SportAccord World Mind Games

 Vietnamese awarded at Miss ASEAN contest; Traditional Japanese culture on display in Hanoi; Hanoi hosts Fashion Week Spring Summer 2013; Beethoven Symphony No. 9 concert prepares for debut

 Cold spell continues in northern areas; Man killed in road accident; Two miners die at stone mine rockslide; Former taxi drivers put in jail for fraud; Health Ministry cracks down on food safety; Ha Noi launches new online bus map

 VietNamNet Bridge – Veteran painter Do Duc will again display his love for the rugged region of Ha Giang through his artworks, which are on display at his latest show opening on Friday.

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam will launch a carbon-finance programme that will help green the country's national electricity grid in a commercially sustainable manner.

 VietNamNet Bridge – With Christmas right around the corner, many families in Ha Noi are rushing to welcome the festive season.

 VietNamNet Bridge - They are the ones who created memorable moments for Vietnam at the 27th SEA Games, with gold medals and excellent records.

 VietNamNet Bridge - The first store of McDonald's in Vietnam is located at the Dien Bien Phu - Nguyen Binh Khiem rotation, District 1, the gateway to the East of HCM City.

In the afternoon of December 20, tens of judges who were attending trials had to run away from the court when a 10sq.m hole suddenly appeared in front of the HCM City People's Administrative Court.

 VietNamNet Bridge – In the evening of December 21, thousands of young people flocked to the East Sea Park in the central city of Da Nang to participate in the first Carnival Night.

The Phu La ethnic minority people in Nam Sang village, Nam Sai commune - one of the poorest communes in the district of Sapa, Lao Cai province are suffering from the terrible cold, which repeats after decades.