Apple Inc said it will launch its payment service in China as soon as 2016, pitting it against entrenched Chinese rivals Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings.

 Indonesia will deploy more than 150,000 security personnel and several religious organizations to safeguard churches and public places around the country during Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations, the military chief said late on Friday.

A string of investment preference policies on corporate income tax, land lease, finance, export, as well as loss carryforward have been introduced with a view to luring investors to encouraging investment areas and fields.

 Fifteen leading Vietnamese Xiangqi (Chinese chess) masters and five invitees from China, Malaysia and Singapore are challenging themselves in the unprecedented 2015 International Stars Tournament.

 Hanoi People's Committee launched a Facebook page at the beginning of December and said it would establish a presence on other social networks to better promote its policies and connect with the public.

 Le Thi Ha Thu, a Vietnamese beauty, who listed in the top-17 most-beautiful beauties around the world in the final round of Miss Intercontinental 2015 and received the title of ‘Most Favorite Contestant’.

 The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines is launching promotional program on local routes from now until December 30.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Situated at an altitude of nearly 1,400 meters above sea level, Suoi Giang in Van Chan district, Yen Bai province is the home to the oldest tea trees in Vietnam.

 HSBC consolidated all of its business in Vietnam into HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd. (HSBC Vietnam) and liquidated the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Hanoi Branch (HBAP Hanoi) on December 16.

VietNamNet Bridge - Foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) account for less than 25 percent of total number of footwear enterprises, but make up 77 percent of total export value. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Art calendars showcasing personal photos and memorable moments have recently become popular among Vietnamese.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung has sought clarity from the Department of Information Security on the Information Security Law, passed on November 19.

 Top Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh moved into the quarter-finals of the Mexico Grand Prix this morning (December 18).

 Vietnamese cuiest Nguyen Quoc Nguyen entered the main round of the ongoing three-Cushion Billiards World Championship in Hurghada in Greece.

 Viet Nam's top swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien was named one of Asia's five best female swimmers by US based Swimswam magazine on Thursday.

 Christmas is coming to town and the capital city is covered with sparkling and splendid Christmas decorations.

 Electronic versions of various historical and folk legends of Viet Nam have been widely launched via international e-book channels and libraries in Europe and the United States.

 Viet Nam's greatest wartime artist Huynh Phuong Dong passed away yesterday, leaving behind thousands of paintings and sketches and a huge number of unfinished works.

 Vietnam’s economy has started to thrive while most of Asian economies is slowing economically and moving towards consumer-led growth, the Standards & Poor (S&P) fund said in its recent report.

Countries must act beyond their borders and join together to stop the illicit trafficking of irreplaceable cultural heritage, said Edouard Planche, secretary of the UNESCO's Convention for the Fight Against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property.