In these busy days leading up to the Lunar New Year, Thanh Ha pottery village in Hoi An is in full swing, with craftsmen working tirelessly to create the Year of the Horse zodiac figurines for Tet 2026.
With the theme 'Connecting Prosperity – Welcoming a Glorious Spring,' the First Spring Fair 2026, held from February 2–13 at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre in Dong Anh Commune, Hanoi, is showcasing spring flowers, ornamental plants, and traditional Tet cultural items in a festive journey where economic, cultural, and creative values converge.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on February 6 that a woman had died in January after contracting the Nipah virus. She was reported to have consumed raw date palm sap, a known high-risk source of infection.
The Lunar New Year is not an official public holiday in Thailand. However, with relatively large Chinese-Thai and Vietnamese communities, Bangkok and several other cities across the country are filled each year with festive celebrations welcoming spring in line with the traditional Lunar New Year customs of Chinese and Vietnamese culture.
Market research reports indicate that Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector still has large room for growth if the special mechanisms under Resolution 98, Resolution 260 and Resolution 62/2025/NQ-HDND on incentives for attracting MICE visitors are effectively implemented. These policies are considered practical, helping enhance competitiveness, service quality and the city’s standing as a destination.
The robust performance was attributed mainly to an improvement in new orders and a longer working month, as January 2026 had six more working days than the same period last year.
Retail sales of goods in January was estimated at 487.4 trillion VND, accounting for the largest share and increasing 9.3% year-on-year. Growth was driven by many categories, including household appliances and equipment, which rose 9.4% thanks to early-year shopping demand and promotional programmes by retailers.
Under a recently approved provincial resolution, the support will be disbursed once a year. Total funding for the three-year programme is estimated at more than 12.2 billion VND from the provincial budget, benefiting around 1,360 vessels across the province.
With cruise tourism identified as a strategic growth segment, Quang Ninh has refreshed its tourism products to appeal to high-spending travellers. Newly designed short tours include Ha Long city sightseeing, visits to the provincial Museum–Library, local culinary experiences, and cultural and spiritual attractions.
Nguyen Thi Huong, head of the Standing Group of the Steering Committee of the 2026 Economic Census and Director of the National Statistics Office (NSO), said the first phase of data collection was underway nationwide and was scheduled to conclude on March 10.
Schäfer-Gümbel praised the strong commitment of Vietnamese partners to sustainable energy goals. He noted that the long-standing development cooperation between Germany and Vietnam is evolving, with energy transition emerging as a strategic area of collaboration in addressing global challenges.
At around 16:20 the same day, the lane was activated at Bac Luan II Bridge area to allow an ambulance bearing license plate 15N-049.80 to transfer 63-year-old Chinese man Zhang Huizhong, who had suffered a cerebral infarction, to China for immediate treatment.
The adjustment came after Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 6.9% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025. The full-year growth estimate for 2025 was also raised to 5% from an earlier projection of 4.8%, while the 2024 figure was revised up to 5.3% from 4.4%.
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📝OP-ED: Decree 46 - Not proof of distorted “systemic failure”