Former Director General of the Dong A Bank Tran Phuong Binh was sentenced to life in prison on December 20 in the trial of 26 defendants who were involved in the loss of $153.47 million at the bank.

 The Vietnam Centre for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) is intending to take legal action against SkyMusic JS Company for copyright violation.

VietNamNet Bridge - Emulation movements aim to encourage teachers and students to improve, but the so-called achievement disease will kill national education, experts say. 

 Dog owners have become much more aware of their responsibilities in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan District since authorities began catching stray dogs in September, the district’s people’s committee has said.

Government ministries and branches all have vowed to tighten control over scrap steel imports following warnings by scientists that Vietnam may become a dumping ground for the world. But scrap imports are still on the rise.

 With only a few days left until Christmas, various activities are being held nationwide to celebrate the festive season. 

Vietnamese consumers buy on average 24 kilograms of dairy products each year, much lower than that in the region. Domestic materials can only satisfy 35 percent of demand, indicating that the figures show the fresh milk market still has potential.

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam has instructed related agencies to strictly deal with a case in which the headmaster of an ethnic minority boarding school in Phu Tho Province was accused of molesting many boy students.

With a nine-point increase over the second quarter of 2018, due to growth in confidence over employment prospects and personal finances, Vietnam’s consumer confidence level has reached a peak for the past decade

 Hanoi Sewage and Drainage Ltd. Company have recommended using water from the Red River to supply West Lake and to clean To Lich River.

 Hanoi has approved 21 infrastructure projects in the 2016-2020 period, including one to build a tunnel through the Red River dyke.

 Officials in Da Nang have raised concerns about the increased problems of flooding and environmental issues in the city.

As Christmas is drawing near, Hanoi’s streets on these days have been filled with the vibrant colours of thousands of Christmas decorations.

 Vietnam had the world’s second highest score in the consumer confidence index in the third quarter of 2018, according to the latest data of the Conference Board Global Consumer Confidence Survey and Nielsen announced on December 18. 

 Many commercial banks raised deposit interest rates in recent months, triggering worries about the increasing pressure on the lending rates.

 The BV 98869 TS fishing vessel rescued 10 foreign sailors and sent them to the Ben Da border post in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau on December 19, said the provincial Border Guard High Command.

 The Hi-Tech Business Incubator in Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony on December 18 to debut a surgical equipment using Fractional CO2 Laser – one of the most advanced technologies in skin treatment – designed and made by Vietnamese engineers.

 The third national workshop on the East Sea took place in Ha Long city in the northern province of Quang Ninh on December 19.

 About six million Vietnamese people escaped from poverty between 2012-2016, with the poverty ratio dropping from 15.9 to 9.1 percent during the period, according to a report released on December 19.

More than 2.34 billion shares of the PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power) will be listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) under the code POW on January 14, 2019.