These risks are expected to persist in 2026, making the landscape more unpredictable - offering both opportunities and challenges, especially for highly integrated economies like Vietnam. Fiscal measures such as tax and fee reductions, monetary policies to stabilize interest rates and exchange rates, debt restructuring, and credit accessibility were implemented. These policies helped citizens and businesses navigate unprecedented hardships, drive recovery, and establish a legal framework for fast, sustainable, and inclusive growth. Fiscal sustainability is a concern, with over 20% of budget revenue coming from land use - projected to reach 25% in 2026. This raises the urgency for restructuring the economy and state budget in the context of high growth.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra. Performance and processor: A leap forward with SnapdragonOne of the most anticipated enhancements in the Galaxy S26 Ultra is its processor. This change could address complaints about dust and fabric fibers collecting around the exposed lens rings of the S25 Ultra. The Galaxy S26 Ultra offers meaningful improvements: faster performance, enhanced low-light photography, better battery, faster charging, and a more refined design. If you own a device older than the S25 Ultra - or if you need the very best in mobile performance and photography - the S26 Ultra is worth strong consideration.

On average, the university system aims to increase its PhD staff by about 300 people per year. In terms of research, the entire VNU-HCMC system targets publishing 41,200 international scientific papers and owning 100 international patents. In addition, the university plans to build one to two hospitals serving training, research, and medical examination and treatment. In the fourth year, they will be supported with laboratory investment for scientific research worth up to VND10 billion. VNU-HCMC is also piloting PhD training under international standards, allowing doctoral candidates to defend their dissertations in as little as two years.

Photo: VNAHere, the quiet white of plum blossoms arrives subtly - toward the end of winter, as spring breathes in. Photo: CHAVFor the Mong people, who have long lived among these orchards, plum blossoms need no poetic name. Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismThe beauty of Moc Chau’s plum blossoms doesn’t lie in how many there are or how far they reach. In a world full of motion, the plum blossoms of Moc Chau still bloom their own way. That quiet white simply says: Here is a different Vietnam - quiet, deeply human.

From then on, “Chuoi Chien Soc Trang” - his banana fritter brand - began to spread rapidly on TikTok. Le Quoc Truong’s banana fritter shop in Can Tho became famous after livestreams went viral. His banana fritter recipe is a blend of glutinous rice flour, wheat flour, turmeric starch, and sugar. He’s a teammate, a friend, and a key part of the warm, unforgettable experience they’ve created at their little banana fritter shop. Photo: T.TThis four-year-old pup is the “cashier” at Truong’s banana stall.

New Zealand will offer the highest number of scholarships ever to Vietnamese students. Photo: ENZNew Zealand will offer 56 government scholarships to Vietnamese students in grades 8, 9, and 10 for the 2026 academic year - the highest number ever awarded under its secondary school scholarship (NZSS) program. Ben Burrowes, Regional Director for Asia at ENZ, noted: “The increasing number of NZSS scholarships offered each year allows Vietnamese students to explore a wider range of schools that match their strengths and personal goals. Students will be considered for government scholarships based on their two preferred schools in New Zealand. These schools follow either the New Zealand National Curriculum or international programs such as Cambridge and the International Baccalaureate.

Scene of the accident. Photo: Phieng Pan communeThe accident occurred at Km472 of National Highway 37, in the area of Mat Sang village, Phieng Pan commune. Photos from the scene show the bus lying on its side with significant structural damage. Local emergency services and traffic police quickly arrived on the scene, coordinating with commune officials to carry out rescue operations. The 11 injured passengers were immediately transported to the Phieng Pan Commune Medical Station for emergency care.

Companies such as Dell, Lenovo, Raspberry Pi, and Xiaomi are feeling the heat, reporting mounting pressure on production costs. UK-based computer maker Raspberry Pi described current cost pressures as “painful,” after it raised prices at the end of last year. Lenovo, the world’s largest PC maker, said it is stockpiling memory chips and other vital components in anticipation of prolonged supply risks. Macquarie estimates electronics prices could rise by 10% to 20% in 2026, while Nomura suggests the increase may be around 5% - if companies can cut costs elsewhere. In the short term, analysts say electronics manufacturers face a difficult choice: raise retail prices or sacrifice profit margins.

Electric scooter Honda Active e: is expected to enter Vietnam ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year. The Honda Activa e: shares several similarities with the CUV e:, which is currently offered in Vietnam under a leasing scheme. Notably, both models feature a removable battery system. In terms of design, the Activa e: remains faithful to the styling cues that have made the Activa name popular. The most notable highlight of the Honda Activa e: is its removable battery solution.

A screenshot from a video circulating on Facebook shows a man raising a shovel to threaten two foreign tourists during a confrontation on Nha Trang Beach in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam. The Nha Trang Ward People’s Committee on Sunday said it had instructed local police to verify and clarify the incident shown in a video clip recorded at Nha Trang Beach, one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations. The clip, more than one minute long and circulated on Facebook, shows a heated argument between a group of Vietnamese youths and several foreign tourists at the seaside park along Nha Trang Beach. According to the footage, two foreign tourists were standing near a pedestrian walkway inside the beach park area when they became involved in a verbal dispute with the group. Responding to public concern, a leader of the Nha Trang Ward People’s Committee said local authorities take the matter seriously and are committed to handling the case strictly in accordance with the law.

In the event of severe pollution (VN_AQI ≥ 301), schools must suspend or reschedule in-person activities to safeguard students and staff. This department is also tasked with strengthening surveillance and enforcement to prevent open burning practices such as waste burning, straw burning, and agricultural byproduct incineration. Health ministry outlines public safety measuresThe Department of Health will develop public health communications in collaboration with media and local authorities. Ward leaders will be held personally accountable by the city's chairman if serious pollution incidents occur within their jurisdiction. Local police are instructed to lead enforcement operations to eliminate illegal waste burning, straw incineration, and agricultural byproduct fires.

Police from Quang Ninh Province, working with units from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, inspect fishing boats during an operation that uncovered an illegal gambling ring in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Quang Ninh PoliceCriminal police from Quang Ninh, working with the Ministry of Public Security, carried out the inspection on January 2 and found groups gambling aboard the vessels. Police identified Nguyen Dinh Minh, 69, a local resident with four prior gambling convictions, as the alleged ringleader. Nguyen Dinh Minh (R), whom police identified as the suspected organizer of an illegal gambling operation, is seen at a police station in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Quang Ninh PoliceOfficers seized gambling tools and more than VND430 million (US$16,350) in cash.

A traffic police officer stops and checks a sleeper bus in south-central Vietnam. Photo: SuppliedAn officer from the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security said on Sunday night that his team had handled a serious case involving a sleeper bus operating illegally. At around 2:10 pm the same day, officers were conducting inspections of commercial transport vehicles on Nha Trang - Cam Lam Expressway when they stopped a sleeper bus for a routine check. In addition, he was booked and fined VND5 million ($190) for driving a vehicle that did not have a valid inspection certificate. The sleeper bus was temporarily impounded for seven days, and its transport badge was revoked for two months.

A forest ranger receives a great hornbill that was voluntarily handed over by a resident of Xuan Thoi Son Commune in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi TreRead what is in the news in Vietnam today:Society-- A new cold air mass moves into northern Vietnam on Monday, bringing colder weather, while parts of central Vietnam see heavy rain and the south experiences unseasonal showers. -- Authorities in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam are investigating after a construction worker was killed on Sunday when a large steel column fell on him at the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh Expressway expansion project. Travel-- Vietnam recorded an estimated 3.5 million tourist visits nationwide during the New Year holiday, with Ho Chi Minh City accounting for more than 30 percent of the total, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. -- Authorities in Dong Thap Province said on Sunday at the closing ceremony that the second Sa Dec Flower Festival drew an estimated 1.2 million visitors over nine days.

From April through early September, real estate stocks were among the main drivers of the VN-Index’s impressive rally. For the year, the average price increase across the real estate group still lagged behind the VN-Index’s 40% surge. Not all stocks kept paceOther real estate stocks struggled despite solid operational recoveries. FLC Group reversed a previous year’s loss with an estimated 2025 real estate profit of VND 635 billion (USD 26 million). Outlook for 2026Despite real estate prices and transaction volumes rising sharply in the first three quarters of 2025, the stock market performance remained highly selective.