VietNamNet Bridge - While economist warn that state-owned enterprises’ debts will pose a threat to national financial security, SOEs say that the big debts have been unavoidable.

 Vietnam has pledged to remove the economic needs test (ENT) requirement for retailers from the European Union (EU) five years after a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides takes effect.

VietNamNet Bridge - Trung Nguyen Coffee’s owner – Dang Le Nguyen Vu, who is called the ‘Vietnamese Coffee King’, challenged Starbucks to a duel when the US café chain entered Vietnam.

 VietNamNet Bridge - The fifth national stamp exhibition (VietStampex 2015) kicked off in Hanoi on December 11 with 138 sets of stamps on display, including many rare collections.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Nearly two months before the Lunar New Year (Tet), many kumquats and peach trees have blossomed in Hanoi’s most famous flower garden of Nhat Tan, due to abnormal weather.

 VietNamNet Bridge – People in the communes of Que An and Que Tho of Hiep Duc district in Quang Nam province on December 10 caught a python 5m long and nearly 30kg in weight after it had just swallowed a calf.

 A dispute has been identified as the main cause of Trung Nguyen Corporation’s recent supply interruption of G7 3-in-1 instant coffee on the domestic market.

 Vietnam won 10 gold medal at the Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships, which wrapped up in HCM City yesterday.

 Saigon Heat suffered another defeat in the ASEAN Basketball League after losing 60-62 to Singapore Slingers on Saturday on home turf at the HCM City's CIS Stadium.

 The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) will reduce the reserve requirement ratio for banks that take part in the restructuring of the banking system.

VietNamNet Bridge - A series of water reservoirs in the upper course of Mekong River could lead to a loss of 90 percent of alluvium in Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta.

VietNamNet Bridge - Four commercial banks have taken over finance companies, and other banks are consulting with their shareholders about buying such firms to expand their consumer lending.

 Telecom company Viettel has begun trialling 4G wireless services in the southeastern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

 A ceremony was held in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on December 13 to launch the Tam Dao 05 offshore oilrig, the largest ever locally manufactured jack-up rig.

  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong urged the defence ministries of Vietnam and Cambodia to strengthen their close cooperation at a reception on December 13 for Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tia Banh.

  The Indian state of Andra Pradesh wishes to step up cooperation with Vietnam in various areas, especially in agriculture, fisheries and education, said the state’s Governor N.Chandrababu Naidu. 

 Vietnam requests that Taiwan (China) immediately end its actions that violate Vietnam’s sovereignty and not to repeat such violations, said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh on December 13.

VietNamNet Bridge - Three years ago, a 4K 42-inch TV cost VND300 million, but now sells for VND12 million.

VietNamNet Bridge - Experts have expressed concern over the increasingly high number of students suspended for misconduct and poor marks, who have become a burden for families and society.

  Inventories have been falling over the last few years but many projects still have significant numbers of vacant units.