Vietnam’s UN peacekeeping police reach top readiness level
According to the UN Department of Peace Operations, Vietnam’s Formed Police Unit 1 (VNFPU1) was approved on February 5 for promotion from Level 2 to Level 3 within the UN’s Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System. The Level 3 certification affirms not only VNFPU1’s technical performance but also its organizational maturity, command structure, operational competence, and strategic alignment with international missions. The United Nations recognized VNFPU1’s comprehensive preparedness - evaluated through rigorous on-site inspections covering equipment, staffing, training, field readiness, and mission coordination. The upgrade is also part of Vietnam’s implementation of the 14th National Congress’s resolutions on security and foreign affairs, which aim to reposition the country’s peacekeeping efforts from readiness in manpower to readiness in responsibility. This promotion to Level 3 is a clear manifestation of that strategic transition.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 10, 2026 01:29 UTC
From lilies to chrysanthemums, Tay Tuu’s Tet flower fields boom
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, growers in Tay Tuu are busy harvesting as market demand rises sharply. Tai added that his family has two plots of land dedicated to flowers, mainly dahlias and chrysanthemums. He explained that although seed costs and fertilizer prices rose significantly this year, the overall season has still been highly profitable for Tay Tuu growers. To ensure the lilies bloom at the right time for Tet, they were planted three months earlier in greenhouse conditions. Lilies, chrysanthemums and dahlias remain essential Tet flowers for many households, with a growing period of two to three months and consistently high profit margins.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 10, 2026 00:04 UTC
iPhone Fold leaks reveal nearly every major specification
The camera bump of the iPhone Fold is said to be entirely black, regardless of the device’s overall color. According to Instant Digital, the iPhone Fold will feature notable changes in hardware placement, particularly in its button system. This redesign is believed to be key to giving the iPhone Fold the largest battery ever fitted to an iPhone. While Samsung uses PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, Apple is said to be considering transparent polyimide (PI) film. If the leaks are accurate, the iPhone Fold will launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max this fall.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 23:09 UTC
AI-powered scams intensify ahead of Tet, targeting everyday users
Fake shipper schemes have become one of the most common tactics, preying on widespread online shopping during Tet. A “fake shipper” claims to have a parcel but says the recipient is not home, offering to leave the package with a guard or at the front door. They then request a small transfer - usually 30,000 to 50,000 VND - for the delivery fee. Beyond fake shipper tricks, scammers also prey on the fear of “bad luck” and disruption during Tet. If the shipper scam targets carelessness, the fake invoice scam targets the deeper anxiety many people carry near year-end - the desire to settle all debts before the new year.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 11:16 UTC
A century-old persimmon tree in Ninh Binh draws a VND500mil. offer
He noted that demand for the ancient persimmon variety has risen sharply in recent years. Cu explained that the tree belongs to the Hai Hau ancient persimmon variety, known for strong growth and easy care. Such ancient ornamental persimmons are now scarce, and therefore highly prized by collectors.”The ancient persimmon garden in Ninh Binh, where the 100-year-old tree stands. The century-old persimmon tree has a natural form with a wide, balanced canopy. The Hai Hau persimmon variety is known for easy care and abundant annual fruiting.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 10:31 UTC
Secret Garden highlights Vietnam’s Ninh Binh landscapes in tourism-promoting music video
Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry performs amid Cuc Phuong National Park in the music video ‘Song from a Secret Garden – Secret Garden in Vietnam,’ filmed in Ninh Binh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: SuppliedThe video, titled ‘Song from a Secret Garden – Secret Garden in Vietnam,’ was released last Friday and features pianist and composer Rolf Løvland of Norway and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry performing their signature piece at several heritage sites in Ninh Binh, following the group’s concert in Hanoi in October last year. Norwegian pianist and composer Rolf Løvland performs at Thuy Dinh in the Trang An landscape complex in Ninh Binh Province, northern Vietnam, in the music video ‘Song from a Secret Garden – Secret Garden in Vietnam.’ Photo: SuppliedIB Group Vietnam representative Nguyen Thuy Duong said the production team conducted multiple site surveys in Ninh Binh to select suitable filming locations. The limestone landscape of Ninh Binh Province is shown in scenes from the music video ‘Song from a Secret Garden – Secret Garden in Vietnam.’ ScreenshotSpeaking at the launch event, Le Quoc Minh, editor-in-chief of Nhan Dan (People) newspaper, said audiences had seen Ninh Binh’s landscapes featured in Hollywood films but that the music video would offer a different emotional perspective on the destination. Tran Song Tung, deputy chairman of the Ninh Binh People’s Committee, described the video as the most impressive promotional product about the province he had seen.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 09, 2026 10:11 UTC
Apple tests unprecedented camera upgrades for iPhone 18 Pro
Rumors say the iPhone 18 Pro will receive major upgrades to its rear camera system. Photo: MacRumorsApple is testing two significant upgrades for the rear camera system of the iPhone 18 Pro, including a variable-aperture main camera and a telephoto lens capable of capturing more light. In December 2024, supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was the first to reveal that both iPhone 18 Pro models would feature variable aperture. Apple has never implemented variable aperture on an iPhone before; models from the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro all use a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture. The new leak also reaffirms that Apple is testing a brighter telephoto lens for the iPhone 18 Pro.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 09:30 UTC
11 foreign motorcyclists fined for riding on expressway in northern Vietnam
Large-displacement motorcycles speed along an expressway in northern Vietnam. Officers later confirmed that the group comprised 11 male riders, including three motorcycles carrying passengers. Large-displacement motorcycles speed along an expressway in northern Vietnam. The 11 motorcycles were ridden by foreign nationals, including three from Bahrain, three from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Qatar, one from Kuwait, and one from Oman. Traffic police in Phu Tho Province booked the 11 riders for the offense of ‘operating high-capacity motorcycles on an expressway,’ an act prohibited under Vietnamese traffic regulations.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 09, 2026 04:15 UTC
Foreign diplomats in Ho Chi Minh City join Tet celebrations
In her welcoming remarks, HUFO President Ha Thanh stressed that the Lunar New Year (Tet) is one of the most sacred cultural traditions of the Vietnamese people. It is not only a moment to welcome the new year, but also an occasion for family reunions, strengthening bonds and cherishing humanistic values. The programme was a fascinating New Year experience that conveyed the positive energy and aspirations of a dynamic nation. Alexandra Smith, UK Consul General, said it was an honour to experience Vietnamese culture and to learn about the beauty of the Vietnamese ao dai, its exquisite craftsmanship and its value as a symbolic cultural heritage. The programme was described as a practical activity to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between HUFO and diplomatic missions in Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to people-to-people diplomacy while promoting traditional Vietnamese culture to international friends./.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 03:14 UTC
Homeland Spring 2026: OVs connect with roots, advance with nation
Having joined the Homeland Spring programme for several times, Thuan said each visit felt “like coming home,” as he clearly sensed the Party and State leaders’ sincere care and deep concern for overseas Vietnamese. In this context, Thuan stressed that overseas Vietnamese in Russia increasingly recognise their responsibility in the new era of development. Each individual, he said, should strive to excel and fully harness personal strengths to make tangible contributions to the homeland. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Lien, head of the Vietnamese Language Club in Malaysia and Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Women’s Association, highlighted Homeland Spring as a meeting point not only between overseas Vietnamese and their homeland, but also among overseas communities themselves. She expressed her hope for more effective policies to mobilise overseas resources, especially intellectuals and entrepreneurs, while supporting integration, cultural preservation and Vietnamese language education for younger generations worldwide./.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 02:59 UTC
Newly established businesses soar 126.8% in January
More than 24,500 businesses resumed operations during the month, up 146.2% month on month and 7.6% year on year, bringing the total number of newly established and reactivated firms to 48,700, a year-on-year increase of 45.6%, the office said. Besides, the newly established firms registered 180.9 trillion VND (6.97 billion USD) in capital and nearly 108,200 employees, up 92.3% and 32.7% from a year earlier, respectively. Additional capital injected by existing firms approximated 358.1 trillion VND, a decline of 2.5% from January 2025. The wholesale, retail, and automobile – motorcycle repair sector posted the largest number of newly established firms – 11,290, up 186%, statistics show. Besides, 4,609 completed dissolution, down 8.6% month on month but up 128.1% year on year, according to the office./.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 02:59 UTC
Global funds eye Vietnam after stock market upgrade
Fiona Bassett (R), CEO of FTSE Russell, speaks at a meeting in Vietnam on the upgrade of the country’s stock market to secondary emerging-market status. Bui Hoang Hai, deputy chairman of the SSC, said the stock market upgrade has significantly expanded Vietnam’s access to international portfolio capital. “In recent times, major global investors such as Vanguard, BlackRock, UBS, and State Street have issued positive assessments of Vietnam’s market and stepped up engagement with regulators and leading domestic financial institutions,” Hai said. The fund is co-managed by the bank and SSI Asset Management (SSIAM), a subsidiary of SSI Securities Corporation. Recent moves by U.S. and European funds, she said, nonetheless suggest that Vietnam is edging closer to broader participation by global institutional investors.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 09, 2026 02:15 UTC
Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — February 9
A Hanoi resident selects peach blossom branches at a garden in Nhat Tan Village, Hong Ha Ward, Hanoi, Vietnam, February 2026. -- Orphaned children in Da Nang received new clothes, lucky money and attended a year-end gathering with foreign volunteers on Sunday, at an event organized by the Da Nang Red Cross, its orphan care center, and local and national journalists ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year. Ho Chi Minh City-- Ho Chi Minh City police said on Sunday they had uncovered the sale of more than 10,000 counterfeit bottles of branded perfume worth an estimated VND10 billion ($385,357) at retail prices and arrested four suspects on charges of trading fake goods. -- Police in Ho Chi Minh City said on Sunday they had broken up a gang accused of stealing cats in large numbers, seized 18 cats and related tools, detained six suspects, and returned animals to 10 owners. Travel-- Global travel platform Tripadvisor on Sunday released its 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards, ranking Vietnam’s Quy Nhon fourth among 25 destinations worldwide in the ‘Trending’ category.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 09, 2026 01:24 UTC
Gold smuggling ring leader and former VGC Chair sentenced by court
The defendants at the courtThe “kingpin” behind a gold smuggling ring involving more than 546 kg of gold worth over VND1.208 trillion, along with the former chair of the Vietnam Gold Company, have been sentenced in a case involving smuggling and violations of accounting regulations “causing serious consequences”. The trial panel sentenced Tran Thi Hoan (41, gold trader) and Pham Tuan Hai (56, former director of Thang Long Trading and Services Co., Ltd.) to 10 years in prison each for the crime of smuggling. Accomplices in the smuggling charge, including Tran Thanh Hieu (39), Vang Thi Phuong (26), Luong Thi Bich Ha (32), Lieng Thi Thuc (25), Nong Thi Thuy Linh (41), and Nguyen Thi Phuong Nga (49), received sentences ranging from 3 to 5 years. Regarding this amount, the court ordered Tran Thi Hoan and Pham Tuan Hai to bear responsibility for compensating the damage. After crossing the border, she would call employees or relatives of Tran Thi Hoan to notify them of the delivery time at Hoan Hue Gold Shop or at a location near the “kingpin’s” residence.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 09, 2026 00:03 UTC
Teachers urge Tet break without homework to learn cultural values
This year’s nearly two-week Tet holiday may seem long enough for children to “recharge,” but it has left many parents uneasy as exams draw near. “I have always hoped that students could have a Tet holiday with ‘no homework,’ so they can devote 100 percent of their time and attention to ‘learning’ more about the traditional cultural knowledge and values of the nation during Tet,” Ngan said. According to Ngan, there is no need to worry excessively that students will “lose” knowledge if they are not given Tet homework. Therefore, Ngan said assigning homework during Tet is unnecessary and may create avoidable stress and pressure for students. Tet is the most natural space for students to nurture their identity and form a cultural character,” Thuy said.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 08, 2026 23:03 UTC