VIETNAM TODAY

Hanoi police held a large-scale rehearsal on Wednesday morning to prepare escort and traffic arrangements for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party.

At least four people were killed and six others injured after three vehicles collided on a major expressway in Thanh Hoa Province, causing lengthy traffic disruption, police said.

Authorities in Quang Ninh Province are considering turning Cai Lan Port into a tourism port, while the Con Ong and Hon Net ports are to be developed as multipurpose facilities.

Many Asian economies have tapped into foreign direct investment (FDI) to fuel economic growth, with Vietnam standing out as a notable success.

Vietnam consumed 4.6 billion litres of beer in 2024, ranking eighth globally, as emerging markets drove growth while consumption fell in China and the United States, according to Kirin Holdings.

Eight rare wild animals have been released back into nature at Bu Gia Map National Park in the southern province of Dong Nai since the beginning of this year.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for accelerated efforts to remediate land contaminated by bombs and mines left from past wars, aiming to complete cleanup nationwide by 2045.

Standard Chartered has maintained a positive view of Vietnam’s economic outlook in 2026, although its growth forecast remains more cautious than the Government’s ambitious 10 per cent target.

Nearly 2,000 AI-powered traffic cameras in Hanoi issued penalty notices for 6,300 violations in their first month, with running red lights accounting for more than two-thirds, police said.

Vietnam ranked 38th worldwide in artificial intelligence diffusion, according to the AI Diffusion Report 2025 published by the Microsoft AI Economy Institute (AIEI).

A banh mi shop in Ho Chi Minh City has been fined VND 15 million (USD 577) after a suspected mass food poisoning incident sent 125 people to hospital, local authorities said.

Visitors to Thailand Week 2026 will be able to enjoy a variety of attractive promotional programmes, lively trade promotion activities and daily lucky draws offering numerous quality Thai products.

Business confidence among European companies operating in Vietnam rose to its highest level in seven years in the fourth quarter of 2025, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) said.

Northern localities in Vietnam are forecast to experience a very strong cold air surge around January 21-22, bringing widespread severe cold across the region.

A street vendor in Hanoi has been fined after allegedly trying to overcharge foreign tourists for a traditional conical hat in the Old Quarter, police said.

Average per capita income rose to VND 5.9 million (USD 227) a month in 2025, up 9.3 per cent year on year, reflecting improving jobs, wages and effective social security policies, official data shows.

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested the owner of a food production facility accused of using banned chemicals to make fresh noodles.

Vietnam customs have seized more than 1,000 fake AirPods in transit shipments, exposing serious breaches of intellectual property and customs regulations.

A pod of about 15 dolphins has been spotted swimming unusually close to the shoreline off Sam Son Beach in Thanh Hoa Province.