VietNamNet Bridge – On the morning of December 23, more than 200 members of the Laughter Yoga Club wore the Santa outfit to participate in the Christmas Smile festival on the Hoan Kiem lakeside, Hanoi.

 Australia's most senior Catholic cleric on Monday apologised to those who "suffered at the hands" of priests and religious teachers after a turbulent year for the Church.

A lot of people, who have just graduated universities, or finished schools many years ago, now rush to attend training courses to obtain higher degrees before the State tightens the postgraduate education management.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The central bank must apply an appropriate interest rate policy and control bad debts to ensure the banking system’s liquidity while taking appropriate measures to help businesses access loans,

Mobile network operators have affirmed that they have no involvement in the wiretapping operation or call and message copying, and that all the personal information of subscribers have been kept confidential.

 VietNamNet Bridge – It will be easier for foreign people to travel to Vietnam by up-to-nine-seat cars and motorbikes if a draft decree on managing foreign visitors’ vehicles of the Ministry of Transport is approved by the Government.

Carlsberg, the Danish brewery, shows its determination to buy another 13 percent of stakes of Vietnamese Habeco. Sabeco has been looking for someone to become its strategic shareholder.

After the Central Herbal Medicine Institute stated that the sample of xao tam phan (Paramignya trimera) found in Hon Heo mountain can inhibit the development of five types of cancer cells, people have been rushing there to look for panacea.

The Son La hydro-electric power plant, the largest of its kind in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, was inaugurated three years ahead of schedule in Son La province on December 23.

 Car registration fees to fall to 10 per cent next year; Semen Gresik acquires 70 per cent stake in Thang Long; Tough times hit city firms in IZs; Thousands of social enterprises in need of legal recognition

 VietNamNet Bridge – The southern coastal Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province could become a major centre of tourism, industry and seafood processing.

VietNamNet Bridge - When the landscape is embellished, an ancient pagoda in the southern province of Soc Trang has attracted thousands of bats, including endangered bats.

The Government should grant an exclusive license for casino operation to a big investor, or issue licenses to a limited number of foreign investors in order to successfully attract foreign direct investment into this sensitive field.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Renewable energy developers will be offered a clearer and specific mechanism for setting up electricity purchasing prices of their projects in Vietnam.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been ordered to conduct more inspections on hydro-power dams and reservoirs nation-wide with a view to ensuring the safety of residents downstream.

VietNamNet Bridge – Foreign businesses have withdrawn investment capital and stopped pouring money into the real estate market without any statements about the plans to come back to the market.

VietNamNet Bridge - Patients with cancer are increasing rapidly in Vietnam. The sad thing is that most patients are in the later stage when they see doctors, so the cancer cure rate in Vietnam is not as high as desired.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam would be able to reduce over 50 per cent of total carbon dioxide emissions from agricultural production by 2020 if the country managed to take full advantage of potential reduction measures.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, on Dec 18, advised HCM City to restructure the real estate sector towards removing weak and ineffective players and providing housing to meet real demand.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The number of smartphones in Vietnam had reached the highest level so far in the third quarter of this year, with considerable market shares belonging to local companies, market research company IDC Vietnam reports.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s tourism has proposed cooperating with Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar to develop a travel program with a joint visa for Chinese tourists in an effort to attract more tourists from China.

People-founded schools, which are in the danger of getting dissolved because of the lack of students, have been vocal about the indifference of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to their difficulties.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A photo book by Nguyen Van Ku about Cham cultural heritage has been first published in five languages, including Vietnamese, Cham Latin script, English, French and ancient Cham.

The disagreement among the relevant ministries on the wood import licensing has made enterprises suffer, because they cannot import materials for their production plans until the ministries can reach a consensus on the issue.

More firms seek to get delisted; Electronics short circuits; Gov’t to adopt specific resolution to unfreeze real estate market; Wind power projects must be 300 metres from residential areas; Sugar industry mired in troubles, awaiting help