Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.
- Party General Secretary To Lam has written an article on the success of the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure, entitled "The national festival and responsibilities before the People".
On March 15, 2026, 76 million voters nationwide took part in the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure. This was an important political event of the nation, a great festival of the people, held immediately after the success of the 14th National Party Congress. The election carried special historical significance, continuing the 80-year tradition of building a rule-of-law State of the Vietnamese people since the first general election in 1946. Each ballot cast by voters not only expresses the people’s right to mastery, but also conveys their trust and expectations for a bright future for the country, while affirming the nature of our State - “a State of the People, by the People, and for the People.”Read full story
- Vietnam has cooperated with the European Union (EU) in addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on a constructive spirit of “listening with sincerity, sharing from the heart, and demonstrating commitment through concrete actions,” Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed on March 19.
PM Chinh made the affirmation while receiving an inspection delegation from the European Commission (EC), led by Director for International Ocean Governance and Sustainable Fisheries Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, who are on a working visit to Vietnam to conduct the fifth inspection of the country's fight against IUU fishing. Read full story
- Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang and his Chinese counterpart, Sen. Lieut. Gen Dong Jun visited the “Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea” historical site and the Fangchenggang International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone on March 19, as part of the 10th Vietnam-China border defence friendship exchange.
The “Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea” site, located at Fangcheng tourist port in China’s Guangxi, was built on April 30, 2015, in the shape of a lighthouse and features bilingual Chinese–Vietnamese inscriptions. In March 1968, with approval from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Fangchenggang launched the construction of a port under the codename “Guangxi Project 322” to support combat operations. The project opened a 35-nautical-mile secret sea route that pierced the US naval blockade, delivering vital supplies during Vietnam's resistance against the US. Read full story
- Vietnam reaffirms its consistent policy of respecting and safeguarding human rights, including the right to freedom of belief and religion, as clearly enshrined in the 2013 Constitution, embedded in its legal system, and upheld in practice, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on March 19.
Hang made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)’s recommendation to designate Vietnam as a “country of particular concern” on religious freedom in its latest 2026 annual report. Read full story
- Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang provided updates on consular protection for Vietnamese citizens in the Middle East at the ministry’s regular press briefing on March 19.
Hang cited information from Vietnam’s overseas representative missions and relevant domestic authorities as saying that most Vietnamese citizens travelling or in transit whose flights were cancelled due to airspace closures have either returned to Vietnam or boarded alternative flights to leave the Middle East. Read full story
- The central city of Da Nang continues to gain global recognition as Hoi An has been named among “The 51 most beautiful places in the world” by British magazine Time Out, while Da Nang International Airport has, for the third consecutive year, secured a place in the world’s Top 100 airports by Skytrax.
Time Out highlighted Hoi An’s signature golden-hued architecture, vibrant lantern-lit streets, and the seamless integration of cultural heritage with contemporary life./. Read full story
