Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 25

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 25

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

- Party General Secretary To Lam has highlighted groundbreaking actions and spreading results as the guiding motto for 2026, marking a shift from the “start-up and runway” phase in 2025 to a period of acceleration in the development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.

The Party chief, who is also Head of the Central Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, made the remarks while chairing the committee’s conference on December 25 to review its performance in 2025 and set key tasks for 2026. Read full story

- State President Luong Cuong, Head of the Central Steering Committee on Judicial Reform, chaired its third meeting in 2025 in Hanoi on December 25 to review judicial reform during the 2021–2026 period and discuss orientations and key tasks for the 2026–2031 period.

At the meeting, participants also discussed the committee’s draft working programme for 2026, and the proposal on reviewing and evaluating the institution of public defenders. Read full story

- Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang held talks with Minister of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan Vugar Mustafayev in Hanoi on December 25.

Giang assured his guest that Vietnam always attaches importance to consolidating its traditional friendship with Azerbaijan, a relationship nurtured by the late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Heydar Aliyev, successive generations of leaders, and people of both nations, and elevated to a Strategic Partnership in May 2025. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra has approved a proposal put forth by the Ministry of Home Affairs for a four-day New Year holiday in 2026.

Under Official Dispatch No. 12729/VPCP-KGVX dated December 25, civil servants and public employees will have a four-day break from Thursday (January 1) to Sunday (January 4, 2026). To offset this, the working day on Friday (January 2, 2026) will be shifted to Saturday of the following week (January 10, 2026). Read full story

- E-commerce is evolving from a domestic retail channel into a strategic infrastructure for export expansion, forming a “digital runway” that enables Vietnamese enterprises to reach global consumers directly, bypassing traditional distribution chains.

With Vietnam’s total foreign trade turnover projected to near 920 billion USD in 2025, the role of e-commerce in supporting exports is no longer theoretical. The challenge now lies in accelerating execution capacity to transform digital channels into a new growth driver. Read full story

- Building on the strong recovery in 2025, when Vietnam welcomed an estimated 21.5 million international visitors, the tourism sector has set an ambitious target of attracting 25 million foreign arrivals in 2026.

The target was announced at a conference reviewing the tourism sector’s performance in 2025, held on December 24 by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Read full story

- Early on the morning of December 25, the first visitors reaching the summit of Fansipan in the northern province of Lao Cai were delighted to witness a rare and spectacular natural scene as ice coated the peak in white.

With temperatures hovering between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius, frost and ice covered the summit area, creating an ideal condition for tourists eager to admire icy scenery, clouds and experience a Christmas atmosphere amid a sea of cold mist. Read full story./.

VNA
#afternoon briefing
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 24

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 24

Outstanding domestic and international events of 2025 selected by the VNA, the Christmas atmosphere in Vietnam, and a seminar aimed at exploring cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Russia in the digital era are among news highlights on December 24.

☀️ Morning digest on December 24

☀️ Morning digest on December 24

The PM's demand for coordinated efforts to repair infrastructure and restore livelihoods following storms and floods in the central region; the establishment of the Central Steering Committee for People’s Air Defence; and the phone talks between the Vietnamese and French foreign ministers are among news highlights on December 23 evening.

See more

The appointment decision handover ceremony is held in Hanoi on March 12. (Photo: VNA)

PM appoints new leader for Vietnam’s top science academy

PM Pham Minh Chinh asked the VAST to continue to serve as the Party and State’s strategic advisory body on science – technology in key areas such as artificial intelligence, energy, marine economy, water security, and aerospace, alongside building a national sci-tech database.

Do Thanh Hai (right), Deputy Director-General of the East Sea Institute under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, speaks at the dialogue. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, India promote maritime security cooperation through blue economy development

Through four rounds of bilateral “Track 1” Maritime Security Dialogue, the two sides have outlined priority areas of cooperation, including marine scientific research, blue economy development, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, naval and coast guard cooperation, maritime law enforcement, capacity building, and maritime connectivity.

Ha Thi Nga (right), Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, meets with V.G. Kalganov, Deputy Chairman of the External Relations Committee of Saint Petersburg, in Hanoi on March 12. (Photo: mattran.org.vn)

Vietnam, Saint Petersburg step up people-to-people exchanges

The VFF will continue strengthening bilateral ties and promoting cooperation activities, while seeking closer coordination and support from Saint Petersburg to expand people-to-people exchanges in the coming period, VFF Vice President and General Secretary Ha Thi Nga has said.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Top legislator asked for thorough preparations for NA, People’s Council election

With only three days left before voters head to the polls on March 15, the top legislator described the election as a particularly important political event and a major national occasion that demonstrates the people’s right to exercise their democratic power by directly choosing qualified representatives to the NA and People’s Councils at all levels.

Ship 17 of Brigade 171 under Naval Region 2 of the Vietnam People’s Navy. (Photo: VNA)

Navy ship completes Milan 2026 multinational exercise in India

Over a journey covering more than 5,000 nautical miles, the ship’s officers and crew combined operational participation with extended sea training aimed at enhancing command coordination capabilities, combat readiness, mastery of weapons and technical equipment, and overall physical endurance.

An overview of the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly which opens on October 20, 2025. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

France-based expert suggests elevating parliamentary diplomacy to support national development

Inter-parliamentary cooperation should be closely aligned with the country’s development priorities, including institutional reform, trade and investment, digital transformation, green transition, energy security, high-quality human resources development and the implementation of international commitments, said Le Van Tranh, a Vietnamese doctoral researcher in law at Paris Panthéon-Assas University in France.

Residents visit polling stations in their wards to review the list of candidates for deputies to the 16th National Assembly and members of People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term. (Photo: VNA)

📝OP-ED: Resolutely removing discordant voices ahead of national election day

When March 15 arrives, one will see elderly voters approaching a hundred years old making their way to the polls, young voters casting their ballots with enthusiasm, and multi-generational families going together to fulfil their civic duty. Together, these moments will create a vibrant atmosphere, resembling a national celebration.

Le Thuong, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the Kansai region, Japan. (Photo: VNA)

OV in Japan place high expectations on NA, People’s Council election

Le Thuong, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the Kansai region, said overseas Vietnamese are closely following the upcoming election, viewing it as an important opportunity to strengthen the effectiveness of governance and ensure that development policies meet the country’s evolving needs.