Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 3

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 3

Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- The first extraordinary session of the 16th National Assembly (NA) kicked off in Hanoi on August 3, with lawmakers set to consider and decide on a series of items, including 15 draft laws, four draft normative resolutions and a range of major issues concerning national development.

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A view of the opening ceremony of the 16th NA's first extraordinary session (Photo: VNA)

NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, which is broadcast live by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and Vietnam Television. Read full story

- The Government has proposed special mechanisms to address legal and procedural obstacles facing projects serving the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2027 in Phu Quoc special zone, the southern province of An Giang.

Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan, authorised by the Prime Minister, presented the proposal on August 3 at the ongoing first extraordinary session of the 16th National Assembly (NA). The draft resolution is designed to provide a legal basis for handling difficulties arising in the implementation of urgent infrastructure projects while ensuring the event’s preparations remain on schedule. Read full story

- Vietnam attracted 38.06 billion USD in registered foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first seven months of 2026, up 58% year-on-year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance reported on August 3.

The figure includes newly registered capital, additional investment for existing projects, and capital contributions through share purchases. Read full story

- Vietnam's total import-export turnover reached 659.58 billion USD in the first seven months of 2026, up 28.1% year-on-year. However, imports outpaced exports, resulting in a trade deficit of 20.52 billion USD, largely driven by stronger demand for imported raw materials, machinery and production inputs.

According to the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance, merchandise exports totalled 319.53 billion USD between January and July, an increase of 21.7% compared with the same period last year. Read full story

- Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic product exports were estimated at 6.67 billion USD in July 2026, up 1.3% from the previous month and 11.9% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

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A worker processes clams for export at a processing facility of Thanh Hoa Seafood Import-Export JSC in Thanh Hoa province. (Photo: VNA)

In the first seven months of 2026, the country's total exports of agro-forestry-aquatic products reached nearly 42.8 billion USD, up 7.5% from the same period last year. Read full story

- Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.12% month-on-month in July, mainly driven by lower domestic fuel prices in line with global trends and falling food prices amid abundant supply, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance.

The July CPI increased 3.08% from December 2025 and 4.45% year-on-year. Average CPI in the first seven months rose 4.39% year-on-year, while core inflation increased 4.19%. Read full story

- Season four of the reality show Top Chef Vietnam 2026, themed "Bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the world's dining table", will air on VTV3 every Monday evening from August 3, aiming to discover culinary talent and promote Vietnamese cuisine on the global stage.

After three seasons, the programme has become one of Vietnam's leading culinary reality shows, honouring talented chefs while highlighting the country's agricultural produce and spices through contemporary cuisine and inspiring creativeness. Read full story

- Thousands of residents, visitors and enthusiasts were treated to a spectacular parade of martial arts masters and practitioners at the opening ceremony of the 9th International Festival of Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts in Quy Nhon ward, Gia Lai province, on the evening of August 2.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan said Vietnamese traditional martial arts have been forged through thousands of years of history. From the nation's founding and defence to its struggles to safeguard sovereignty, martial arts have become an integral part of the Vietnamese people's resilience, spirit and cultural identity./. Read full story

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