The West Lake, which is dubbed as the lung of Hanoi, will be turned into an attractive cultural and spiritual tourist site.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in conjunction with the municipal Tourism Association and Vietnam Airlines, held a ceremony on December 24 to welcome the 4 millionth foreign visitor, a Japanese, to the city.

Vietnam and Cambodia will start the construction of Chrey Thom bridge on January 14 to meet the increasing need for transport and trade between the two countries, said the Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport on December 24.

President Truong Tan Sang urged the Supreme People’s Procuracy to accelerate the settlement of and strictly deal with economic and corruption cases at a working session in Hanoi on December 24 to review its performance this year and launch tasks for 2014.

Brunei is experimenting 10 rice varieties of Vietnam in its Wasan region under a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural cooperation signed in May between the two countries.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee concluded its 23rd meeting in Hanoi on December 24 after reviewing the outcomes of the NA’s sixth session and exchanging views on preparations for the next.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called for greater efforts to develop both domestic and foreign markets, boost exports and effectively control imports.

Vietnamese football fans will have a chance to see the 2014 World Cup trophy on January 1 in Hanoi.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in December increased by 0.51% against the previous month, contributing to a year-on-year rise of 6.04%, the lowest rate recorded for a decade.

Vietnam looks to reduce the rate of poor households by nearly 2% each year and grant assistance to 95% of needy children between 2014 and 2020.