Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 6

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 6

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

- A national ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the country’s first general election took place in Hanoi on January 6, featuring a keynote speech by Party General Secretary To Lam.

In his address, General Secretary Lam described the milestone as an opportunity to honour a pivotal historical event and reflect on the evolution of Vietnam’s revolutionary democracy. He saluted preceding generations for establishing the people’s right to mastery and reaffirmed the Party’s and nation’s political resolve to pursue institutional reform and drive rapid, sustainable growth in a “new era of national rise.” Read full story

- Over its 15 tenures in the past 80 years, the National Assembly (NA) has significantly contributed to the Party and the nation’s glorious revolutionary cause, deserving as status as the highest representative body of the people, the supreme organ of State power, and a forum where the nation’s intelligence, will, and aspirations are crystallised, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man has said.

The top legislator made the statement at a national-level ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the first General Election to elect the Vietnamese NA (January 6, 1946–2026) in Hanoi on January 6. Read full story

- With creative and responsible approaches, the central city of Da Nang is on track to complete the goal of repairing and building more than 500 houses for local residents affected by flooding under the Quang Trung campaign initiated by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The houses are scheduled to be put into use before the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet), supporting the restoration of sustainable livelihoods for local people. Read full story

- A key highlight of Vietnam’s economic performance in 2025 was the strong acceleration of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth across many localities, with Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho and Bac Ninh emerging as national leaders, recording growth rates of between 10.27% and 11.89%, well above the national average.

Data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on January 5 show that these high-performing localities share common strengths, including development strategies tailored to local conditions and comparative advantages, solid industrial and service bases, and effective institutional reforms that have improved the investment and business environment and strengthened governance efficiency. Strong mobilisation of domestic resources, coupled with the attraction and effective use of investment capital, particularly foreign direct investment (FDI), has been a key driver of robust GRDP growth. Read full story

- Vietnam’s tourism sector marked a milestone year in 2025, with international arrivals reaching nearly 21.2 million, up more than 20.4% from 2024 and the highest level on record, highlighting the sector’s strong recovery.

The surge in visitor numbers and tourism revenue made a significant contribution to growth in the services sector and the broader economy. Read full story

- Vietnam’s U23 national football team will begin their campaign at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 with their opening match against Jordan U23 on January 6. The match is considered crucial for head coach Kim Sang-sik and his squad, who need a positive result to gain an early advantage in the race for a quarter-final place.

Football fans can watch the Vietnam–Jordan clash live on TV360, the entertainment platform of Viettel Telecom. The AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 is the first major tournament to be broadcast on TV360 since the platform announced that it had secured broadcasting rights for AFC competitions for the 2026–2029 period. Read full story./.

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