Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on February 26

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on February 26

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

- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam attended a meeting on February 26 between Hanoi’s voters and candidates for deputies to the 16th National Assembly for the 2026–2031 term in election constituency No. 1, where he set out major strategic orientations focused on international integration, education reform, environment protection and innovation.

The election constituency No. 1 includes General Secretary Lam and four other candidates. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has stressed that the guiding principle of developing real estate market and social housing must be “accurate awareness of its importance, breakthrough thinking, appropriate policies, a controlled market, bottlenecks removed, procedures streamlined, inclusive development, harmonised interests, and benefits for all citizens”.

PM Chinh made the statement while chairing the sixth session of the Central Steering Committee for Housing and Real Estate Market Policies in Hanoi on February 26, which went hybrid, linking up live with officials in 34 cities and provinces. Read full story

- National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man, who is also Chairman of the National Election Council (NEC), has stressed the need to organise voting and ballot counting in a strict and objective manner, and to announce general election results on schedule, no later than March 25.

The NA leader made the request while chairing a national teleconference on February 26 to look into preparations for the election of deputies to the 16th NA and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure. Read full story

- As of now, 3,320 out of 3,321 commune-level units nationwide have applied the software in voter list compilation, heard the national online conference on preparations for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term on February 26.

At the conference, relevant agencies reported steady progress, with key tasks largely on track and digital application expanding rapidly. Read full story

- Despite scattered showers early on February 26, a large number of voters, including officers, soldiers, and workers on long-term offshore duty, gathered at early polling stations to exercise their civic right and obligation – electing deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2026–2031 tenure.

These voters come from the naval, coast guard and fisheries resources surveillance units, permanent militia marine squadrons, along with oil and gas enterprises headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City. Due to their prolonged assignments at sea, they will be unable to return to shore in time for the nationwide Election Day on March 15. Read full story

- Vietnam’s Internet speeds, particularly 5G mobile broadband, recorded strong growth in January 2026, with the upward trend expected to continue thanks to synchronised infrastructure investment.

Data from the i-Speed platform, operated by the Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, showed marked improvements in mobile broadband quality nationwide, especially 5G services. Read full story

- Hue city in central Vietnam has been named among the world’s top 25 honeymoon destinations in the Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards by online travel platform Tripadvisor.

The title represents the highest level of excellence in travel. It is awarded to destinations that receive a high volume of outstanding reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Of the platform’s eight million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this distinction. Read full story

- The Yen Tu Spring Festival 2026 opened in the northern province of Quang Ninh on February 26 (the 10th day of the first lunar month), marking an important milestone following the July 2025 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage inscription of the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Khang stressed that Yen Tu is a place where not only sacred mountains and rivers converge but the distinctive values of Vietnamese culture and Buddhism also crystallise. More than seven centuries ago, King Tran Nhan Tong chose this sacred mountain to pursue monastic life and founded the Truc Lam Zen sect – a uniquely Vietnamese school of Zen that upholds service to humanity and the nation as its guiding principle. Read full story./.

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