Vietnam hopes to further cooperate with NASA; Deputy PM urges focus on basic science education; Cuban veterans visit Vietnam; Hanoi, Luang Prabang enhance cooperation

The special ambience of Christmas has warmed up Hanoi. In many corners of the capital, from streets to family homes, from churches to shops, decorations with lights, snow, Santa Clauses and Christmas gifts are appearing.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Scores of customers failed to book railway tickets online for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday yesterday, Dec 11, – the very first day the service was opened. The failure was put down to "persistent overload."

VietNamNet Bridge – Chairman of the Office of the National Assembly Nguyen Hanh Phuc said the NA will allocate half a day for the first-ever vote of confidence for high-ranking officials in the 5th NA session in May 2013.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Cigarette smoking is blamed for a high 7 per cent per cent rate of chronic bronchitis in Vietnamese men.

The Vietnam Register (VR), the national registration agency, has requested enterprises to have sample cars of every consignment of import cars to test their safety.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam's Xiangqi (Chinese chess) team will compete in the SportAccord World Mind Games which kick off today in Beijing, China.

Launching the construction of the first subway route in the country, completing the renovation of the dirtiest canal in Saigon, opening the Rach Chiec Bridge are the outstanding results of the transport sector in Ho Chi Minh City in 2012.

A Cham tower complex has been found in Hoa Vang District after a three-month excavation, including 629 objects dating from the 10th-14th centuries, archaeologists from the National Museum of Vietnamese History announced yesterday.

A victorious message of "Four more years" accompanied by a picture of US President Barack Obama hugging his wife topped a collection of Year 2012 Twitter highlights released Tuesday. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has put into circulation at the United Nations a report on its implementation of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the occasion of the 30 th anniversary of the signing of the Convention.

 North Korea successfully launched a long-range rocket on Wednesday, in defiance of UN sanctions threats over what Pyongyang's critics have condemned as a disguised ballistic missile test.

Not only commercial banks, but some enterprises have also set up the divisions in charge of collecting debts.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Young composers are proving some long-held assumptions wrong by writing and selling songs and music for film soundtracks.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly’s Standing Committee opened its 13th meeting in Hanoi on Dec. 11.

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