VietNamNet Bridge – The first edition of the dance-music fest on picturesque island revealed shortcomings that organisers are determined to avoid; Eizode 2 is set to get feet tapping and hearts thumping, 

 Traditional UK Boxing Day sales will suffer owing to spending on Black Friday and the squeeze on incomes, a survey suggests.

 Lying peacefully in the heart of HCMC for more than one century, Tan Dinh Church has been a convergence point for not only Catholic pilgrims to practice their religious belief but also for tourists.

 A bus left a road in Moscow before ploughing into a subway entrance, leaving four people dead and 11 injured, Russian officials say.

Vietnam’s total information and communications technology (ICT) revenues in the year to date have exceeded VND2,136 trillion (US$94 billion), up 9.34% compared to the same period last year.

Despite high growth in the past few years, Vietnam’s tourism still lags behind other ASEAN countries, especially in terms of competitiveness, due to poor products and strict visa requirements, heard a seminar in Hanoi City last Friday.

 The Tourism and Culture Week 2017 will take place on December 23 to 31 in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

 The International Football Federation (FIFA) has recognised four Vietnamese referees as meeting its Elite 2018 level, after considering the proposals from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF)’s Referee Committee.

 The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has announced the auction of shares in five of its companies, with earnings estimated at more than VND1 trillion ($44.05 million).

The Foreign Investment Agency has announced that disbursement of foreign direct investment had reached a new record for this year as at December 20, of $17.5 billion, up 10.8 per cent year-on-year.

 The number of newly-established enterprises in 2017 was estimated at 153,307, setting a new record against the 110,100 recorded in 2016, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Agency for Business Registration.

HCM City residents are increasingly concerned about the number of heavy trucks, construction vehicles and container trucks entering the downtown area during peak hours, affecting the quality of living

Sapa, Da Lat and Nha Trang have become top destinations of young tourists in recent years.

 Vietnamese designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam’s new collection “Women in love” will open Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture 2018 on January 23 in France.

VietNamNet Bridge - The M&A deals made in 2017 are expected to have the value of $2 billion, and the same value or higher has been predicted for 2018.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A superhero film coming to cinemas nationwide during the Christmas and New Year season is expected to do well at the box office and possibly surpass earnings of its competitors.

 Vietnam Airlines plans to reduce State ownership to 51 per cent of the charter capital in the next three years.

 Nguyen Cong Chung, Executive Chef at the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, has been named as Chef Hotelier of The Year at the Hotelier Awards 2017 - Asia.

 More and more investors and large economic groups have shown interest in the Vietnamese market due to the success of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in November. 

 The Vietnamese market will see more state-owned enterprises (SOEs) equitised in 2018, following the State’s divestment from the Sai Gon  Beer Alcohol Berage Joint Stock Company (Sabeco) and Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk).