Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on January 16 chaired the first meeting of the Steering Committee for Vietnam’s International Financial Centre (IFC), reviewing the implementation of the Politburo’s conclusions and directives, as well as plans to build, operate and develop the IFC in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
The meeting also examined proposals on special mechanisms and policies, working regulations of the IFC Executive Council, and operating regulations for the IFC in Vietnam. Read full story
- With less than a month to go before the Lunar New Year (Tet), a sense of urgency still permeates villages across central Vietnam, a region battered by an exceptionally harsh year of natural disasters. Tens of thousands of newly built or repaired houses are nearing completion, offering renewed hope to families preparing to welcome the Year of the Horse under safer roofs.
The year 2025 is remembered as one of the most devastating in terms of natural disasters, with successive storms and floods sweeping from northern mountainous areas to the central and the Central Highlands regions. In the stretch from Quang Tri to Lam Dong provinces, nearly 1,600 houses were completely destroyed or swept away, while more than 34,700 others suffered severe damage. Nationwide losses from natural disasters were estimated at nearly 100 trillion VND, leaving 420 people dead or missing. Read full story
- The 14th National Party Congress is expected to continue reaffirming the role of culture as the spiritual foundation of society, a driving force for sustainable development, and an important pillar of national soft power amid deep international integration.
Talking to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Paris, Le Y Linh, a music researcher living and working in France, said culture should be placed on an equal footing with other sectors in the country’s development strategy. According to her, investment in culture should go beyond preservation and be closely linked with creativity, so that cultural values are not only safeguarded but also continue to evolve in contemporary life. Read full story
- Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu has written an article ahead of the 14th National Party Congress, affirming that diplomacy has laid a solid foundation for Vietnam’s entry into a new era of development.
Vu wrote that during the Party’s 13th tenure, the world has undergone profound, epoch-shaping changes, generating significant opportunities and favourable conditions, while also posing unprecedented challenges. Read full story
- The National Assembly (NA) on December 11, 2025 passed Resolution No. 257/2025/QH15, greenlighting investment policy for a sweeping National Target Programme on new-style rural development, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas through 2035.
The resolution underscores the NA and the Government’s strong determination to realise the Party and State’s goal of elevating living standards and delivering shared prosperity to every citizen, especially those in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Read full story
- The Vietnam Digital Asset Investors Community (VIDA) was officially launched by the Vietnam Blockchain and Digital Asset Association (VBA) in Hanoi on January 15.
VIDA is set to share knowledge and create a space for in-depth exchange, aiming for a responsible cryptocurrency investment community that contributes to the sustainable development of the market. Read full story
- Under targets assigned by the Prime Minister, Vietnam will develop 973,471 social housing units nationwide during the 2026-2030 period, including 158,723 units in 2026 alone.
According to Decision No. 338/QD-TTg dated April 3, 2023, the Government leader approved the scheme on investing in the construction of at least one million social housing apartments for low-income earners and workers in industrial parks during the 2021-2030 period. Read full story
- An international conference on the delineation of the proposed nomination area and the identification of outstanding universal value criteria for the UNESCO world heritage nomination of the Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex and the Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve was held recently in Ninh Binh province.
Speaking at the January 14 event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Song Tung described the Tam Chuc – Van Long complex as a rare convergence of unspoilt nature, striking landscapes and distinctive spiritual culture. Together, they represent the tropical karst region at the southern edge of the Red River Delta. With interconnected limestone mountains, valleys and wetlands, the area has preserved the integrity of geological and geomorphological processes as well as hydrological ecosystems. More than a scenic landmark, it is often likened to a paradise garden rich in both scientific and aesthetic value. Read full story./.
