Nguyen Thi Yen Anh from Trung An Ward, Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam carves the word ‘Tai’ (Wealth) into a watermelon to make the fruit more meaningful for Tet (Lunar New Year) display. Among stalls selling flowers and holiday gift baskets, displays of intricately carved watermelons stood out, their green rinds etched with raised characters symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. Nguyen Thi Yen Anh from Trung An Ward, Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam holds a watermelon carved with the word ‘Tai’ (Wealth) for Tet display. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi TreA stall sells carved watermelons for Tet display on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Dao Thanh Ward, Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre

That tool is a quantitative set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), where the political fate of "commanders" is tied to eloquent figures. In traditional governance thinking, a leader's position is often viewed through the lens of power and political qualities. Theory shows that without output monitoring tools such as KPIs, leaders, who possess superior information, tend to choose safe options, remain inactive, or maximize personal interests instead of the public interest. Globally, applying KPIs to senior leaders is no longer novel. To remove it, Vietnam needs a governance mindset shift, from “cadre management” to “performance management.”Based on international experience, a roadmap for building KPIs for leaders can be outlined around three main pillars.

Odd job:For 37 years, she has been hammering wooden clogs in the middle of a bustling market. A lover of traditional beauty, Suong has always been fond of wooden clogs and ao dai. I also supply ao dai shops and event organizers who need wooden clogs for performances and displays,” Ha said. As Tet approaches, Ha’s stall grows even busier, with many customers seeking wooden clogs to pair with ao dai for festive photos. Every year before Tet, Suong orders new wooden clogs to match her ao dai.

A story by Bach Dang wharfHo Chi Minh City after the merger has become a mega-urban area with long rivers, a vast sea and even mountains, growing more vibrant with projects that connect diverse resources. Ho Chi Minh City is thus on the verge of having a financial center mirrored on its riverfront, much like Shanghai or Singapore. After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City has become a mega-urban area with long rivers, a vast sea and even mountains, growing more vibrant with major and mega projects that knit resources together. Photo: Hoang HaIt was no coincidence that in the 2024 writing contest “Stories of Rivers” organized by VietNamNet, as many as five entries were devoted to the Gianh river. Invited to attend the Party Congress of Tuyen Hoa commune, I had the opportunity to hear several delegates speak candidly.

Photo: VinamilkAccording to a newly released report on Vietnam's M&A market and its 2026 outlook by Grant Thornton, the market recorded 367 transactions last year, with total disclosed value reaching approximately US$8.72 billion, up 26 percent year on year. Foreign investors represented 53.6 percent of the total disclosed transaction value during the year, underscoring their dominant role in the market. Thailand topped foreign investment in Vietnam's consumer M&A market in 2025 with $1.3 billion in disclosed deals, followed by Japan with $462 million. Grant Thornton described Vietnam's M&A market as predominantly mid-market, with an average transaction value of around $51.3 million, largely focused on medium-sized enterprises. "Against a challenging global backdrop, Vietnam's M&A activity in 2025 underscored the market's relative resilience, supported by strong GDP growth, a large domestic consumer base, and its expanding role in global manufacturing supply chains," the report said.

February 13 marks a significant milestone in Vietnam’s journey to strengthen its national digital infrastructure, as the Radio Frequency Department officially granted a license for the use of radio frequencies and radio equipment to Starlink Services Vietnam Co., Ltd. Under the issued radio frequency license granted to SpaceX, the initial deployment phase will include four gateway stations and a maximum of 600,000 user terminals in Vietnam. The scale reflects a methodical, carefully controlled rollout aligned with the national telecommunications infrastructure roadmap. Earlier media reports indicated that SpaceX, the space company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, plans to invest US$1.5 billion in Vietnam. The rollout of Starlink services is anticipated to accelerate digital transformation and narrow the digital divide in Vietnam.

From early morning on February 14, the 27th day of Tet, households across the city begin washing leaves, rinsing sticky rice, cooking mung beans and marinating pork to wrap banh chung and banh tet. From early morning on the 27th day of Tet, many families in Ho Chi Minh City begin preparing ingredients to wrap banh chung and banh tet. Around 2am, Huynh Van Phu lifts steaming banh tet from the pot to let them drain. In Gia Dinh Ward, Tran Anh Tuan’s family cooks more than a dozen banh tet for 30 to 40 hours. Pots of Tet cakes glow red through the night across many alleys of Ho Chi Minh City, as the Lunar New Year approaches.

60/2026 regulating the national security industry complex. The national security industry complex is also assigned to research and master strategic technologies, foundational technologies, core technologies and dual-use technologies; and to transfer and receive technology transfers to serve the development of security industry products and services. The complex will mobilize maximum resources from the State, organizations, enterprises and individuals to participate in security industry development. It will promote international cooperation in the security industry, focusing on countries and enterprises with advanced scientific and technological capabilities. The national security industry complex comprises a core of key security industry establishments and participating members, including organizations and enterprises both within and outside the People’s Public Security forces.

Throughout the 45-minute journey, guests listen to bilingual Vietnamese-English commentary about the landscapes, historical sites and architectural landmarks along the Saigon River. According to Cherish, the Saigon River cruise offers a different perspective of the city, allowing guests to observe the illuminated riverside scenery at night. Last Tet, passengers enjoyed classical opera performances on the Saigon River cruise. Central Highlands gong performances are introduced on the Saigon River cruise during Tet 2026. Cherish from St Lucia experiences Vietnamese Tet for the first time on the Saigon River.

Hồ Gươm là điểm thu hút đông người dân và du kháchThe Hanoi People’s Committee has issued a plan to organize fireworks displays for Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere for residents and officials of the capital to welcome the new year. Accordingly, Hanoi will host fireworks at 33 locations with a total of 34 launch sites, including 11 high-altitude displays and 23 low-altitude displays. The fireworks will last 15 minutes, from 0:00 to 0:15 on February 17, 2026, which is Lunar New Year’s Eve. Notes for watching Tet fireworksBesides choosing an ideal viewing location, residents and visitors should keep in mind:Select suitable transportation, as areas around fireworks sites are often restricted or closed to private vehicles. Consider booking seats at restaurants or hotels with good fireworks views.

The main entrance gate of the Can Tho Artistic Flower Street for the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet) during its opening ceremony in Can Tho City, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, February 14, 2026. Society-- A total of 52 traffic accidents were reported nationwide on Saturday, three days ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet), killing 34 people and injuring 31 others. This marks year-on-year reductions of 18 crashes, eight deaths, and six injuries, according to the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security. Business-- Canada is seeking to expand trade ties and attract more investment from Vietnam, citing strong potential for cooperation across multiple sectors, Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper during a recent visit to the Southeast Asian country. Global prices hovered around $5,000 per ounce, equivalent to roughly VND159 million ($6,140) per tael at the listed bank exchange rate.

Four of the 14 Vietnamese suspects in police custody in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam over their involvement in a Cambodia-based, Vietnamese-led scam ring that allegedly cheated thousands of victims across Vietnam out of nearly US$97 million. The three key suspects were arrested in late December 2025 during coordinated raids on facilities in Dong Nai, Tay Ninh Province, and Ho Chi Minh City. Exhibits seized by police in Dong Nai, southern Vietnam, including gold-colored rings, land use right certificates, and a car, from a Cambodia-based, Vietnamese-led scam ring that allegedly targeted thousands of victims across Vietnam. Preliminary findings show the ring defrauded more than VND2.5 trillion ($96.7 million) from thousands of victims across Vietnam, including around 150 in Dong Nai alone. Authorities have called on those implicated in the racket to turn themselves in for leniency and urged victims to contact Dong Nai police at 0251.3685134 to assist with the ongoing investigation.

Party General Secretary To Lam (R) receives U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre in Hanoi, February 13, 2026. Society-- Traffic police on Friday recorded nearly 100 sleeper buses speeding on the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, and issued post-violation fines. -- Police in Da Nang City are investigating a case of illegal cross-border currency transportation, involving transactions totaling up to VND10 trillion (US$385 million). -- Square-shaped and gold-bar-shaped watermelons are selling like hot cakes for the Lunar New Year holiday in the Mekong Delta region. Ho Chi Minh City-- Many gateway areas of Ho Chi Minh City were relatively clear and did not experience serious traffic congestion on Friday afternoon, even though crowds of people were leaving the city to return to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year celebration.

Under the theme “Harmony of Heritage,” the program opens a journey into the cultural landscapes of Central Vietnam through the language of contemporary stage art. This new version, staged by general director Nguyen Bong Mai, is not merely an upgrade but a shift in how heritage stories are told. Through lighting, music, choreography, costume and modern stage design, the production recreates distinctive cultural values of the region, creating a dialogue between tradition and creativity, between past and present. Elements from Nguyen dynasty rituals are distilled and reimagined within a solemn stage setting. The next segment unfolds the cultural world of Champa, where spiritual life and belief systems are revived through the Kate festival, Apsara dance and the water procession ritual.

Thus, the early Tet ritual is first and foremost an occasion to report achievements and express gratitude to the ancestors. The date for each clan’s early Tet is carefully chosen by a ritual master according to the Dao calendar. The early Tet tray is simple: backyard chicken, home-raised pork, banh chung, banh day, forest vegetables and bowls of white rice. For the Dao, celebrating Tet early is both a gesture of thanksgiving before the new year and an affirmation of their own spiritual calendar. Early Tet, as many elders note, is not only a spiritual rite but also a time for community cohesion.