Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.
- As of 22:00 on March 15, the nationwide voter turnout had reached 99.64%, said Ta Thi Yen, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Deputy Affairs and Standing Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Election Council.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported that according to updated data from the Office of the National Election Council, by 20:00 on March 15, a total of 76,043,527 voters had cast their ballots in the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term, accounting for 99.38% of all registered voters nationwide. Read full story
- Party General Secretary To Lam, also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, cast his vote on the morning of March 15 at polling station No. 2 in Ba Dinh ward of Hanoi, to elect deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure.
Amid the vibrant atmosphere of Election Day – a nationwide festival of democracy, the Party leader expressed his pleasure at exercising his voting right and seeing a strong turnout of voters. Read full story
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh cast his ballot at 7:00 on March 15 at Polling Station No. 21 in Tay Ho ward, Hanoi, joining nearly 79 million registered voters nationwide in electing deputies to the 16th National Assembly (NA) and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term.
The polling station took on a festive atmosphere from early morning, with red flags, banners and slogans on prominent display. Local residents began arriving promptly to exercise their voting rights and fulfill their civic duties. Read full story
- State President Luong Cuong attended the opening ceremony and cast his vote in the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure at Polling Station No. 26 in Hoan Kiem ward, Hanoi, on the morning of March 15.
The event also saw the presence of General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and Chairman of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA). Read full story
- Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) and Chairman of the National Election Council Tran Thanh Man cast his ballot at Polling Station No.14 in Hoc Mon ward, Ho Chi Minh City, on March 15 morning, marking the start of nationwide voting for deputies to the 16th NA and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term.
Joining him were Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Tran Luu Quang, NA Secretary General and Chairman of the NA Office Le Quang Manh, other central and local officials, along with numerous local voters, all exercising their civic rights and duties. Read full story
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 14 chaired a meeting between the permanent Government members and leaders of Hanoi to review and provide feedback on the draft Hanoi Capital Master Plan with a 100-year vision.
The meeting was attended by Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Duy Ngoc, deputy prime ministers, leaders of ministries and central agencies, and representatives of the Hanoi municipal government. Read full story
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Ambassador of Thailand to Vietnam Urawadee Sriphiromaya in Hanoi on March 13 to discuss measures for promoting the two countries' Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as well as cooperation in ensuring energy security for both sides.
The PM stressed that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand (1976–2026), noting the two sides are actively coordinating to develop and implement an action plan for implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2026–2030 period. Read full story
- Nearly 40 children from disadvantaged backgrounds across Vietnam received free cleft lip and palate surgeries at Hue Central Hospital from March 8–13 under a humanitarian programme jointly organised by the hospital’s Odonto-Stomatology Centre and the Interplast volunteer surgical team from Germany.
The initiative helped restore smiles and improve confidence for young patients, enabling them to better integrate into daily life. Read full story
- National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced the launch of a new direct air route between Hanoi and Amsterdam of the Netherlands, alongside a series of market promotion activities and business connectivity programmes with leading European travel partners to introduce the new service and promote Vietnam as a destination.
Under the plan, the Hanoi–Amsterdam route will commence operations on June 16, 2026, with an expected frequency of three return flights per week using modern wide-body Airbus A350 aircraft. This will be the first direct air link between Vietnam and the Netherlands, helping to shorten travel time and enhance connectivity between Vietnam and one of Europe’s key economic, logistics and aviation transit hubs. Read full story
- The Military Industry and Telecommunications Group (Viettel) has been ranked the world’s strongest telecommunications brand by Brand Finance, the world's leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.
Viettel achieved a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 89.9 out of 100 and was awarded the highest possible AAA+ rating, the firm said on March 13./. Read full story
