Exports to Africa, South-West Asia beat annual target; Dalat sets new fresh flower export record; MB Bank opens branch in Cambodia; Volatile retail climate to last through 2012; Foreign banks face asset threshold  

French Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry Francois Baroin approved Tuesday the indicative medium and long-term financing program of borrowing 178 billion euros (232 billion U.S. dollars) next year,

VietNamNet Bridge – One day after the 33-storey tower of the Electricity of Vietnam Group in Cua Bac Street caught on fire, Hanoi authorities had an urgent meeting with top officials of related departments.

Space and the Fragments of Space; Exhibition “The World”; VNSO Ensemble II; Screening of “Andalucia”; Cozy Xmas Party at Rooftop; Yamaha Christmas Concert; Exhibition “Colour – Wool”; Concert “Beethoven’s Symphony Project”

South Korea has decided to allow civilians and private organizations to send their condolences on the death of Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Seoul's Unification Ministry said Wednesday.

U.S. stocks soared on Tuesday after Spain debt auction met strong demand and German business and consumer confidence data rose unexpectedly despite ongoing debt crisis in the region.

VietNamNet Bridge – Anti-flood solutions for urban areas are one the priorities for Ha Noi's water drainage plan for 2030, which is currently being compiled.

Vietnam is still considered a potential market for car manufacturers despite the recent decisions by state management agencies to restrict private cars.

VietNamNet Bridge – A 26-year-old woman who looks like an old lady, a man with a 80-kg tumor on his leg, a man whose body covered by hair… are among odd diseases detected in Vietnam this year.

VietNamNet Bridge – Not only classical music but also paintings and installation art will be brought to street.

VietNamNet Bridge – Artist Dao Anh Khanh performed a half-naked dance, showing off strange patterns on his body, at the “Flavors of Heaven and Earth” show in Hanoi on December 19.

VietNamNet Bridge – More than 150 Heroic Mothers (mothers of war martyrs) and their relatives met at the Southern Women’s Museum in HCM City on December 20. HCM City has 1,963 Heroic Mothers but only 165 of them are alive.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport’s inspectors on December 20 suspended the operation of the Petrolimex and Festival taxi firms at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

VietNamNet Bridge – The Hydrometeorological Forecast Station of the Southern Region--forecast that the year-end flood tide will happen from December 21-28.

VietNamNet Bridge – Strengthening international co-operation is one of the ways to develop the study of mathematics in countries like Viet Nam, experts have said.

VietNamNet Bridge – Phan Thi Ha Thanh made the nation proud by winning a bronze medal in the vault at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Competition in Tokyo, placing her on the team for London.

The Government has decided not to cut down on capital sources for poverty reduction to ensure sustainability and stability in this activity, although public investments are being scaled down across the board, said the labor minister.

The deputy governor of the Bank of England (BOE) said on Tuesday that the economic prospects for Britain in 2012 are grim, with a possibility that the British economy could sink back into recession, and that the eurozone could break up.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III will declare a state of national calamity following the extensive destruction to lives and property by tropical storm Washi (local name Sendong) in central and southern part of the country.

 Reproductive medicine society founded; HCMC seizes 1.6 tons of mostly rotten pork; Dietary supplements lack nutrients; Hanoi’s Tet gifts for the poor worth nearly VND240 billion

VietNamNet Bridge – Archaeologists have unearthed a section of the relics of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel wall dating back to the Le So dynasty (the 15th-18th century), saying it would help with research into the citadel.

he circular that guides the establishment and management over open investment funds has been issued, which is hoped to create a “set of new investment tools”.

VietNamNet Bridge – For Nha Trang-based artist Nguyen Lieu, the conical hat of Viet Nam has more than iconic value.

Hollywood shoe designer Christian Louboutin visits Vietnam; Boy singer boasts talent in int’l television channels; 5D World Rider offers discount tickets; Japanese conductor to wield baton in Hanoi; Hoi An Day to take place in town  

Smuggling and illegal trading have increased along the borders and coastal regions as the Lunar New Year approaches.