Below are some of the main stories published in the Vietnamese press

Politics:

- The recently-adopted amended Constitution and six new laws including the Laws on amendments and supplements to some articles of the Laws on Residence, Value-added Tax and Corporate Income Tax, the Law on Science and Technology, the Law on National Defence and Security Education, and the Law on Mediation at the Grassroots Level will come into force on January 1, 2014.

Society:

- Nguyen Kim Company and Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group have recently announced their program to sponsor 20,000 cameras for preschools and kindergartens around the country. Recently, the community has been shocked knowing a case in which nursemaids at a preschool in Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Duc District have been accused of frequently abusing and torturing preschoolers. The various types of tortures used by the nursemaids are: beating, strangling, pressing heads on the ground, holding noses with towels, slapping faces, and even holding the children upside down over a barrel of water and threatening to drop them into it.

- The Ministry of Industry and Trade has recently approved the planning to develop biomass power in the Mekong Delta region. In addition, Quang Ngai People’s Committee has also approved the Ninh Thuan nuclear power management board to examine the location and environment for the pre-feasibility study of the nuclear power factory in Mo Duc District.                                                                                    

Business:

- On December 26, Tran Nguyen Ho, owner of the Nguyen Ho quail farm in Long An informed that his farm in collaboration with Tien Giang Vegetables JSC have recently exported 1.2 million canned quail eggs, at a price which is 30% higher than in Vietnam’s market.

- A number of gas companies in Ho Chi Minh City said that the gas price from January next year could be down nearly VND45,000 per tank because the gas price in the world is in a trend to be decreased.

-  Can Tho Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism and inspectors of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism have recently checked local 10 liquor enterprises and detected 7 places which has violated the regulation of wine advertising.

Lifestyle:

- The Da Lat Culture Week will kick off tonight at Lam vien Square in the Central Highlands city. Around 15,000 visitors have flocked to the city on December 26 and the number is expected to reach 200,000. 1,7000 artists and artisans will join to perform at the festival.

- A collection featuring more than 150 Southeast Asian antiques is being displayed at the exhibition titled “Antiques from Southeast Asian countries” at Can Tho City Museum. The exhibits dating back to the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century will be on show until the end of April next year.

- The ancient city of Hoi An will launch a street festival titled “Hoi An welcomes 2014” at 8pm on December 31 at the crossroad of Nguyen Thai Hoc and Le Loi streets to welcom to new year. Also on the occasion, Hoi An and Quang Nam tourism will reach the number of 1.6 million international visitors to the province in 2013.