The economic downturn, which has dealt a strong blow on businesses, has made the local budgets become empty.

Luxurious goods bearing well-known brands have been available at many high end shops or shopping malls in Vietnam. However, only a few of them sell genuine products.

Being considered one of the most beautiful Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples in the Mekong Delta, Ghositaram pagoda in Bac Lieu province has unique decorations, reflecting unique Buddhism cultural identity of the Khmer.

When the exam season comes, university students whisper in each other’s ears that an envelope with 500,000 dong inside would be enough to buy 10 marks, while 400,000 dong would bring 8 marks .

Travel firms have complained that unreasonable tax policies, labor force shortage and social security problems have all put them in a stir and hindered their business.

VietNamNet Bridge – E-government has not only been existing on paper, but it has become true when local authorities have been making every effort to implement the model in their localities.

VietNamNet Bridge – About 60 hectares of forests in the core area of the Yok Don National Park in Dak Lak province would be eliminated when the Drang Phok hydropower plant is built.

The HCM City Tourism Association has petitioned the Viet Nam Administration of Tourism and concerned authorities not to increase the security deposit collected from travel firms that offer inbound and outbound tours.

The special ambience of Christmas has warmed up big cities like Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh. In many corners of the capital, from streets to family homes, from churches to shops, decorations with lights, snow, Santa Clauses

Sugar import tax to rise 40%; Small banks strive to survive; Sales via mobile offer new market; Viet Nam in top competitive list; New circular eases administrative burden for foreign investors; Over 15,460 businesses go bankrupt

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday expanded the approved use of Johnson & Johnson's cancer pill Zytiga to treat men with late- stage castration-resistant prostate cancer prior to receiving chemotherapy.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The smuggling of large quantities of rejected chickens is the main reason for the high incidence of bird flu in Viet Nam, says Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam.

The tragic deaths of four children in Vinh Long Province last week served as a timely reminder of the deadly legacy of the unexploded ordnance left throughout rural Vietnam after the American withdrawal of the mid 1970’s.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Despite economic woes, sales via multilevel marketing in Vietnam have steadily increased with over one million people involved in network marketing.

In the third quarter of 2012, Samsung and Apple increased their shares and continued their lead in the worldwide market of smart connected device, a category that combines personal computer (PC), smartphone and tablet computer, 

VietNamNet Bridge - On the final day of the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Tunja, Columbia, the Vietnamese team won its first and only gold medal in the team’s event.

 Japanese Manga comic series marks 20th anniversary in Vietnam; Artist unveils work at her studio; Film of B52 blitz marks anniversary; Ha Noi team wins dance contest

VietNamNet Bridge - Despite the difficult economic situation in Vietnam, the highest year-end bonus in export processing zones (EPZ) and industrial parks (IP) in HCM City is at VND217 million (over $10,000).

A General Department of Taxation's official confirmed that it is no such thing as the tax authorities are powerless and they would conduct tax inspection at these companies.

VietNamNet Bridge – Lace and chiffon will be the major materials in the spring-summer 2013.

 More support needed in fight against HIV/AIDS; Vietnam, India strengthen IT cooperation; Ireland increases scholarships for Vietnamese students; Train booking system crashes

VietNamNet Bridge – On the afternoon of December 10, an earthquake of 4.6 on the Richter scale occurred at the border between Vietnam and Laos.

Patrolling the Serepok River, rangers of the Yok Don National Park found a lot of rare wood floating on the surface. They said it is highly possible that the timber was illegally exploited by loggers in the Yok Don National Park.

VietNamNet Bridge – Mrs. Nguyen Thi Vung, known as the strange woman who did not eat grain for nearly half a century, died on December 7, at the age of 95.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Dang Chau Anh is the only Vietnamese to join with four foreign famous artists in the jury board of the International Choir Festival scheduled for December 12-16 in the central city of Hue.