All three victories came against strong rivals and, notably, on hostile away grounds - highlighting the new identity, stature, and maturity of Vietnamese football. Winning on Thailand’s home turf not only secured the championship but also reaffirmed Vietnam’s status as Southeast Asia’s top football team at present. At the youth level, the U23 team brought home pride by winning the Southeast Asian U23 Championship. The emotional climax of the year came with Vietnam’s men’s football team winning gold at the 33rd SEA Games. The South Korean tactician made history as the first coach to guide Vietnamese football to three major titles in a single calendar year.

Vietnam’s National Assembly in 2025 marked a watershed year of legislative achievement, passing 89 laws and 91 resolutions, amending the Constitution, and pioneering first-ever national forums and digital innovations, setting records in both volume and substance. To mark the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Assembly, on August 27, 2025, Party General Secretary To Lam met with nearly 2,000 current and former deputies in a gathering that symbolized continuity, unity, and gratitude across legislative generations. In 2025, the Assembly passed 38 laws and 37 accompanying legal documents to restructure Vietnam’s political-administrative apparatus, officially rolling out a comprehensive two-tier local government model. 244-QĐ/TW to formally establish the National Assembly Party Committee, replacing the Party Delegation - a key step to consolidate leadership and boost effectiveness. Vietnam’s parliamentary diplomacy also made significant strides, contributing to national foreign policy objectives.

At present, the use of HCMC’s shared data repository mainly stops at aggregation and has not effectively supported in-depth analysis or forecasting. Currently, there is still no sufficiently reliable intermediary platform to promote data sharing and exploitation among agencies, organizations, and businesses. Currently, student data includes about 1.86 million records; teacher data more than 142,000 records; and school data about 441,000 records. Resolution 57 identifies data as a “primary means of production” and sets the requirement to form a data exchange. HCMC has a great opportunity to move one step ahead in building a Data Exchange.

In 2019-2024, real estate prices increased by nearly 60 percent. At the same time, the housing and real estate market information system must be improved to assist in future policy planning. Luc emphasized that the focus should be on continuing to improve the efficiency of institutions’ implementation, and controlling and gradually stabilizing real estate price levels. At the same time, there is a need to diversify capital sources and accelerate digital and green transformation in the field of land and real estate. "If the real estate market faces issues, the economy will take about 4-5 years to recover," Luc noted.

Approaching the 160 million VND markOn January 1, 2025, SJC gold bars were listed at 82.2–84.2 million VND/tael (approx. On April 16, SJC gold jumped by nearly 3 million VND in a single session, closing at 113–115.5 million VND. On August 30, SJC bars closed at 129.1–130.6 million VND, while gold rings from both SJC and DOJI hovered around 122.5–125.5 million VND. Over the year, SJC bars rose 68.6 million VND (81.5%), while 1–5 chi gold rings gained 64.9 million VND (77.3%). Some stores limited purchases to one chi per customer - primarily plain gold rings - to prevent hoarding and speculative buying.

Dr Nguyen Quan, President of the Vietnam Automation AssociationOn December 27, the VAA held its 6th National Congress for the 2025–2030 term. Former Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan was elected VAA’s President for the 6th term. Quan, VAA’s President for the 5th term, said the country is implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No57-NQ/TW on the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation. The Association will provide consultancy and support to enterprises in scientific research activities, project development, and the growth of science and technology enterprises. Resolution 57 has fostered a strong consensus and determination within the technology business community, opening up a strategic space for enterprises to engage more deeply in the advancement of science and technology.

The Prime Minister issued a list of 11 groups of strategic technologies and 35 strategic technology products. Core technology: national strategic capabilityAccording to Binh, amid complex global fluctuations, technology plays an increasingly pivotal role, not only for economic development but also directly linked to sovereignty, security, and national self-reliance. The corporation focuses on investing in strategic technology fields such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technology, data, and digital infrastructure, step by step mastering high value-added technologies. FPT University students are involved in technological research from their first year. Finally, regarding railway infrastructure, Binh stressed that absorbing and mastering technologies for operation, control and system protection is vital.

Residents in Ho Chi Minh City take a free metro ride, January 1, 2026. -- A total of 49 traffic accidents occurred nationwide on New Year's Day, resulting in 18 deaths and 41 injuries, down 24 cases and 23 deaths year on year, according to the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security. Ho Chi Minh City-- Ho Chi Minh City offered free public transportation, including metro and bus services, on Thursday to welcome the New Year 2026, attracting large numbers of passengers and creating a lively atmosphere on the first day of the year. -- Many residents in the city and tourists flocked to entertainment venues and shopping malls on Thursday to celebrate the New Year holiday, making these sites crowded and vibrant. -- The People’s Committee of the central city of Hue held a ceremony at Ngo Mon Square in the Hue Imperial Citadel on Thursday to announce its signature Hue Festival 2026.

U23 Vietnam had a successful 2025. Photo: S.NThe year 2025 marked a milestone for U23 Vietnam, who clinched the ASEAN U23 Championship for the third time, secured a ticket to the AFC U23 Championship 2026, and capped off the year with a gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand. As 2026 opens, Kim Sang Sik’s squad is set to compete in the AFC U23 Championship in Saudi Arabia. Dinh Bac and his teammates are determined to write another historic chapter on the continental stage. In the group stage, U23 Vietnam will face Jordan on January 6, Kyrgyzstan on January 9, and hosts Saudi Arabia on January 12.

Photo: Hong Quang / Tuoi TreNationwide, 49 traffic accidents were recorded on Thursday, killing 18 people and injuring 41 others. Vehicles line up on the elevated Ring Road No. 3 toward the Phap Van-Cau Gie and Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressways in northern Vietnam, January 1, 2026. Photo: Hong Quang / Tuoi TreThousands of cars queue at the Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway toll station in northern Vietnam on the morning of January 1, 2026. Photo: Hong Quang / Tuoi Tre

The café menu focuses on Vietnamese coffee classics - milk coffee, black coffee, egg coffee, and coconut coffee - made from freshly ground beans. The signature drink, egg coffee, is made from a blend of egg yolk, condensed milk, and espresso, served at 50,000 VND (≈ USD 2). Coffee by Hoan Kiem LakeAnother captivating café sits inside alley 9A Hang Khay, near Hoan Kiem Lake. The drinks are all homemade recipes, developed by the café owner’s family - ranging from egg coffee to rich cocoa, fruit juices, and herbal teas. The menu revolves around chicken: shredded chicken salad, boiled chicken, pho ga (chicken pho), and chicken vermicelli - served dry or with broth.

As the country’s economic engine, Ho Chi Minh City has significant opportunities to realize these ambitions sooner and more fully, provided it acts decisively. New growth momentum must come from productivity gains driven by the digital economy, which is expanding at three times the pace of overall GDP. Identifying most critical bottlenecksDespite its strong potential, the city’s digital economy faces serious constraints, primarily in hard infrastructure and institutional frameworks. When state seed capital is blocked, digital infrastructure and key projects stall, discouraging private investment in turn. Ho Chi Minh City is developing a legal framework to allow fintech and digital asset companies to operate in a controlled environment.

Authorities say families can choose child belts, child seats, or booster cushions suitable for the child and vehicle. 118/2025, which amends several laws related to security and public order, new child safety regulations for automobiles will take effect on July 1, 2026. In addition, children must use appropriate safety devices such as child safety seats or child safety belts. Changes to drivers’ working hoursA traffic police officer inspects a commercial car driver during a roadside check. 118/2025 is the expansion of eligibility for upgrading to a CE-class driver’s license, effective July 1, 2026.

All signs point to the debut of the first foldable iPhone not being far off. If Apple succeeds in delivering a completely smooth foldable screen in its very first generation, it will instantly redefine industry expectations. With a foldable device that constantly shifts form, aligning your face with Face ID can become inconvenient. Current leaks suggest the foldable iPhone will start at $2,000 to $2,500. Apple may even skip the name “iPhone Fold” entirely and go with “iPhone Ultra” to emphasize its elite status.

Chuangzhou, revisitedEight years ago, under coach Park Hang Seo, U23 Vietnam stunned Asia by reaching the final of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship in Chuangzhou, China. Heading into the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, fans are hopeful - especially since the team enjoyed a relatively stable 2025 season and benefited from long-term, methodical preparations backed by the Vietnam Football Federation. A dream within reachKhuat Van Khang and his teammates are aiming high at the AFC U23 Asian Cup. Still, a closer look at U23 Vietnam today suggests that chasing a new miracle isn’t just wishful thinking. This wealth of experience gives U23 Vietnam a solid foundation as they enter the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.