VN receives UNESCO certificate for Vi Dam folk singing; Vietnam Culture Year in Czech Republic announced; Nguyen Anh 9 live show celebrates golden wedding; Two books recounting history of Vietnam’s military introduced

Foreign students enjoy New Year gathering in Hanoi; Food safety inspections increased ahead of Tet; Vietnam targets multi-dimensional poverty approach; NGOs offer 300mln USD-plus aid to Vietnam in 2014

Updated information about cultural events in major cities of Vietnam.

 Hanoi, on December 30, welcomed its record-setting 3 millionth international tourist for 2015 — a man from Greece — with special gifts and an all expense paid tourist package.

 Mobile carrier VinaPhone has marketed its new app VietTalk to provide customers with more options for calling and texting via the Internet.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Ms. Dao Thi Thuy, an independent member of Ocean Bank Board of Directors, is appointed Chairman of Ocean Bank to replace Ms. Nguyen Minh Thu.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ambassador Ted Osius made his first visit to Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday after taking office. His first destination was the Ben Thanh Market.

 A Vietnamese woman named Cyndi Duong, 37, was found dead in a related 'mass murder' in Canada on December 30.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xung, Vice Party Chief and Vice Chair of Thanh Hoa Province, on December 30, was elected the province’s Chair for the term from now to the end of 2016.

 Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien remains undefeated in the bid for the Best Athlete of 2014 title.

 Transport Minister Dinh La Thang has decided to demote a top official working on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway project, following the recent scaffolding and cement collapse.

 A young man was killed in a huge blaze that broke out in a karaoke parlour in downtown HCM City on Tuesday night, destroying three buildings and badly damaging five others.

 As many as 10,000 doses of oral cholera vaccine manufactured by the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No1 under the Ministry of Health will be shipped to the Philippines, according to the company’s Director Do Tuan Dat.

 Seven adults and two children have been found dead in the Canadian city of Edmonton after a man carried out what police called a "senseless mass murder" linked to "extreme domestic violence".

Thanh Hoa province to have new airport; Each Vietnamese bears over US$950 public debt; Red River Delta lures 5,207 FDI projects; Fruit and vegetable trade surplus hit US$956 mil; Vietnamese firms invest over US$1.6 bil abroad in 2014

VietNamNet Bridge – Da Nang International Airport on December 30 welcomed its five millionth passenger, who arrived on VietJet flight VJ511 from Hanoi.

 The first online shopping day, locally known as Black Friday of Vietnam, generated 154 billion VND (7.3 million USD) in revenue, up 2.48 times compared to normal days, reported the Vietnam E-commerce and Information Technology Agency (VEITA).

The Government has abolished a regulation requiring foreign teachers to have at least five years of experience to work at foreign-invested kindergartens and general education schools as well as facilities offering short-term training courses.

 Efforts to locate victims and wreckage of AirAsia flight QZ8501 which crashed into the Java Sea in Indonesia on Sunday are being hampered by stormy weather and strong tides.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Private film companies that invested large amounts of money into making comedies for Christmas and New Year holiday releases are laughing all the way to the bank.