Viet Nam has become the second Asian country to achieve a fine flavour cocoa (FFC) designation from the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO).

 A concert titled  “Winter Concert” celebrating the 60th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music will be held on December 12.

 Authorities of Quang Nam Province’s Hoi An Town and Thailand’s Index Living Mall will jointly organize the Light Festival to welcome the Year of the Rooster 2017.

Despite the uncertain future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, US companies are planning to continue expanding their investments and business in Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam is going through a construction boom, with apartment and office buildings mushrooming, and energy efficiency is imperative, 

 The Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) on Monday announced it successfully issued non-convertible bonds worth VND2 trillion (US$88 million).

 Shares declined for the second day in a row on both national stock exchanges as investors continued to offload local stocks, especially those of large-cap firms.

 It is only one more Sunday left before Santa Claus comes to Hanoi but Christmas atmosphere with brightly coloured lights has warmed up all Hanoi streets.

 Two students from Tran Cao Van and Le Quy Don schools in Danang central city have clinched two first prizes at the International Robothon Competition 2016 held in Malaysia recently.

 The Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) submarine fiber optic cable line will be operational in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT).

 Pho bo vien thap cam (Vietnamese noodle soup with mixed beef meatballs) in Ho Chi Minh City has been described as the best street food in Asia by Australia’s Traveller website.

 An exhibition featuring the royal treasures of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) opened on December 6 in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

An international workshop is being held in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss disputes in the East Sea, and the enforcement of the Permament Court of Arbitration in the Hague’s ruling on the Philippines’s lawsuit against China’s claims in the waters.

 Da Nang has been preparing for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which will take place in November, 2017, in the central city.

 Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy and his Argentinean counterpart Carlos Foradori chaired the seventh political consultation between the two countries in Buenos Aires on December 5.

 Vietnam and India have reiterated their desire to increase bilateral cooperation, especially in the field of defence, for mutual benefits and peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The first photographic book covering all of Viet Nam’s primate species was launched last week, kicking off a project initiated by business leaders turned conservation pioneers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many new regulations regarding school personnel have made it hard to ensure safety and quality in teaching,

VietNamNet Bridge – A supposed Vietnamese king’s seal discovered in central province of Nghe An has been sealed off and stored for authenticity verification, according to Nguyen Duc Kiem, the general director of Nghe An Museum. 

VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Preventive Health Centre is piloting the use of thermal foggers to kill mosquitoes, replacing the ultra-low volume (UTL) cold fogger, as the number of Zika incidences continues to increase.