Vietnam becomes EU’s 1st comprehensive strategic partner in ASEAN
Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong (R) holds talks with European Council President António Costa in Hanoi, January 29, 2026. During the talks, Cuong, on behalf of the Vietnamese state and people, warmly welcomed Costa on his official visit to Vietnam from Wednesday to Thursday, describing it as historically significant. President Cuong said the visit opened a new chapter in Vietnam-EU relations, with both sides agreeing to elevate ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi TreCosta said he was honored to be the first European guest to visit Vietnam following the 14th National Party Congress. An overview of the talks between Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong and European Council President António Costa in Hanoi, January 29, 2026.
Source:Tuoitre News
January 30, 2026 04:35 UTC
Holiday scams go high-tech: Vietnam’s cybercrime unit issues Tet alert
AI becomes a tool for deceptionVu Duy Hien, Deputy Secretary-General and Chief of Office of the NCA, noted that 2025 saw a surge in online scams using AI, deepfakes, and identity fraud. These technologies are now being used to impersonate individuals, organizations, and businesses - especially during peak shopping and travel seasons. Four major online scams to watch for this TetLieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Binh from the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05) outlined four key tactics cybercriminals are expected to use over the holiday:1. Fake travel websites and social media pagesFraudsters create websites, Facebook accounts, or even verified fanpages that mimic reputable homestays, travel agencies, or ticket sellers. Malware via fake booking emailsScammers impersonate well-known booking platforms and send emails to hospitality providers with subjects like booking confirmations, customer complaints, payment updates, or cancellation requests.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 30, 2026 04:05 UTC
Thailand win sends Vietnam into Asian futsal quarterfinals
A screen grab shows the Group B standings at the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup, confirming Thailand and Vietnam have both qualified for the quarterfinals. Thailand’s players celebrate after scoring during their 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup match against Kuwait in Indonesia, January 29, 2026. Vietnam’s futsal team at the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Indonesia. Thailand currently top Group B on goal difference, with a +7 margin compared with Vietnam’s +3. The 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup is being held in Indonesia from January 27 to February 7, featuring 16 teams from across the continent.
Source:Tuoitre News
January 30, 2026 04:00 UTC
Vietnam outlines commitment as founding member of Board of Peace
Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang. Photo: Ministry of Foreign AffairsA day earlier, the official Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam and the X account of the Board of Peace stated that Vietnam had become a founding member of the Board of Peace, an American government-led international organization. Screenshots of posts by the Board of Peace and the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam regarding Vietnam’s founding membership in the Board of PeaceIn that spirit, Vietnam supports the peace plan for ending the Gaza conflict, adopted by the UN Security Council in Resolution 2803 on November 17, 2025, and it has accepted the invitation to join the Board of Peace to implement this plan. “Vietnam will actively cooperate with members of the Board of Peace in implementing the peace plan, thereby ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip and promoting sustainable peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution in line with international law, the UN Charter, and relevant UN resolutions,” Hang added. On January 16, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to Party General Secretary To Lam, inviting him and Vietnam to join the Board of Peace as a founding member, together with the international community, to promote a sustainable peace solution to the Israel–Palestine conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Source:Tuoitre News
January 30, 2026 03:40 UTC
Vietnam considers limiting IELTS-based point boosts for college applicants
The policy is part of broader reforms aimed at promoting fairness in admissions by limiting the excessive advantages some applicants gain through international test results. Photo: Pham HaiBonus points are typically awarded for national and international academic achievements, special talents, or qualifications such as foreign language certificates. He noted that while certificates like IELTS are valuable indicators of certain skills, they should not overshadow core academic performance. "Excessive bonus points for language certificates introduce inequities." A standardized national approach to conversion tables, coupled with a reasonable bonus point cap, would ensure consistency across the system.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 30, 2026 03:30 UTC
Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — January 30
Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam (R) and President of the European Council (EC) António Costa. -- To date, Vietnam has had 15 comprehensive strategic partners spanning Asia, Europe, and the Americas, with the most recent being the EU. Ho Chi Minh City-- The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has issued a decision to establish the Planning and Architecture Center under the municipal Department of Planning and Architecture, based on the merger of several units. -- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has licensed 91 sidewalk locations for electric battery-swapping cabinets on several downtown streets, and is currently announcing eligible sites. Education-- Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City plans to roll out multiple incentives to attract leading scientists and top experts for research and teaching in the coming months.
Source:Tuoitre News
January 30, 2026 01:30 UTC
Nam Dinh cruises into semifinals with 3-0 victory over Lion City
Xuan Son celebrates his second goal against Lion City Sailors. Lion City played with a deep defensive setup while Nam Dinh focused on slow, deliberate build-up play. In the 25th minute, Tuan Anh was brought down in the box, but VAR denied Nam Dinh a penalty. The second half saw Lion City push forward in search of an equalizer, but their commitment upfield exposed gaps at the back. With this win, Nam Dinh remains at the top of Group B with a perfect 12 points from four matches.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 29, 2026 23:04 UTC
Vietnam becomes EU’s first comprehensive strategic partner in ASEAN
President Luong Cuong and European Council President Antonio Costa during their bilateral meeting. President Cuong reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening ties with the EU, which he called one of the country’s most important diplomatic partners. He emphasized Vietnam’s desire to build a deeper and more comprehensive relationship with both the EU and its member states. He commended Vietnam’s impressive development achievements and emphasized the country’s central role in the EU’s ASEAN and Indo-Pacific strategies. He said the EU sees tremendous potential for expanded cooperation with Vietnam in trade, sustainable development, innovation, ocean economy, governance, security, and people-to-people exchange.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 29, 2026 16:00 UTC
Gold rush grips Vietnam as prices soar past $7,700 a tael
(Photo: T.C)But when she arrived, the shop had already run out of queue numbers for gold rings - with dozens still waiting inside. "Gold prices are sky-high right now. As for SJC gold bars, buyers are now required to register online in advance. SJC’s 1–5 chỉ rings were quoted at 186.8–189.8 million VND per tael (buy–sell), a surge of 6.1 million VND on both ends. Back home, even as domestic gold prices repeatedly smash previous records, Vietnamese investors show little interest in taking profits.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 29, 2026 15:40 UTC
Vietnam beat Lebanon to reach AFC Futsal Championship quarterfinals
Vietnam’s futsal team celebrates a second straight win at the AFC Futsal Championship 2026. With two early goals in hand, coach Diego Giustozzi's players shifted to a more controlled pace, prioritizing structure and defensive stability. In the second half, despite being reduced to four men after a red card for Ngoc Linh and having to face Lebanon’s power-play tactics, Vietnam maintained their discipline and organization. Coach Giustozzi: "Focus shifts to Thailand"Speaking after the match, coach Diego Giustozzi expressed satisfaction with the result and the team’s overall composure. The players handled the 3-on-4 situation excellently, keeping our goal safe.”Despite the early goals, Giustozzi admitted Vietnam could have scored more with better final passes and sharper finishing.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 29, 2026 14:50 UTC
Vietnamese man charged with stealing his own motorbike
Khanh is charged with stealing his own motorbike in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. Notably, the motorbike involved was registered in the suspect’s own name. On the afternoon of December 14 last year, Khanh rode his motorbike to the former Mo Duc District to visit friends, where he consumed beer and alcohol. After discovering the incident, police in Nghia Hanh Commune immediately launched an investigation to identify and track down the perpetrator. Police in Nghia Hanh Commune urged the public to strictly comply with the law, particularly regulations on handling administrative violations in road traffic.
Source:Tuoitre News
January 29, 2026 12:56 UTC
Samsung confirms Galaxy S26 to feature anti-peeping display
The Galaxy S26 will feature a new pixel-level privacy screen to block side-angle views. The underlying mechanism keeps the display clear when viewed head-on, but it dims or becomes unreadable when viewed from side angles. Samsung positions this privacy screen as part of its broader Knox and Knox Vault security ecosystems. At this time, it remains unclear whether the feature will be available across the entire Galaxy S26 lineup or only in the high-end Ultra model. Samsung is expected to officially launch the S26 series near the end of February, most likely on February 25.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 29, 2026 11:29 UTC
Vietnam’s diplomacy in 2025: Pivotal, persistent, pioneering
Tied closely to high-level diplomatic engagements, economic diplomacy achieved record-setting results in agreements, market expansion, investment promotion, and regional-global supply chain integration. Science and technology diplomacy also emerged as a key pillar - focused on innovation, digital transformation, and green transition - advancing Vietnam’s 11 strategic technology sectors. Cultural diplomacy and overseas Vietnamese engagementVietnam also amplified its soft power through strategic cultural diplomacy, notably hosting the 2025 Vesak Day celebrations and successfully securing seven new UNESCO recognitions. General Secretary To Lam meets with the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, September 2025. People-to-people diplomacy continued to serve as a crucial bridge - forming the foundation for Vietnam’s broader external relationships.
Source:VietNamNet News
January 29, 2026 11:09 UTC
European Council president visits Hanoi metro line project
European Council President António Costa visits the underground section of Hanoi’s metro line No. European Council President António Costa speaks with engineers working on Hanoi’s metro line No. European Council President António Costa expressed hope that metro users would clearly feel the significance of the Vietnam-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. Photo: Pham HaiAfter receiving an overview of the project, Costa expressed satisfaction at witnessing firsthand the results of cooperation between Vietnam and European partners. Costa is paying an official visit to Vietnam from Wednesday to Thursday, at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong.
Source:Tuoitre News
January 29, 2026 10:21 UTC
Ford Bronco expected to make debut in Vietnam
A Ford Bronco car. Images of the Ford Bronco and its exterior design details have appeared in Vietnam’s latest industrial property gazette. The China-spec Ford Bronco appears in Vietnam’s latest industrial property gazette. The fully electric version is equipped with dual electric motors and all-wheel drive, producing a combined output of 445 horsepower. The interior of the Ford Bronco.
Source:Tuoitre News
January 29, 2026 10:21 UTC