The northern province will elect 17 deputies to the 16th National Assembly and 85 to the provincial People’s Council for the 2026-31 term.

Stressing Việt Nam’s wish to further strengthen and deepen its Comprehensive Partnership with Canada, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính called on both sides to step up cooperation, especially in trade and investment as the main pillar of the bilateral relations.

Viêt Nam marked the 80th anniversary of its first General Election on January 6, affirming the National Assembly’s role in shaping the country’s democratic institutions and making vital decisions that laid the foundation for the country’s development.

The Việt Nam Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command on January 5 held a workshop to gather feedback on the proposed format for piloting the regional finals of the “I Love My Homeland’s Seas and Islands” contest.

Recalling the 80-year tradition of Việt Nam's legislature, National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn emphasised that the first General Election on January 6, 1946, marked a brilliant milestone heralding a new period of national development.

Across 80 years and 15 legislative terms, the National Assembly has steadily matured, cementing its role as the core of Việt Nam’s political and legal life and a vital constitutional body in building a socialist rule-of-law state, said Party chief Tô Lâm at the event.

The success of the first general election firmly testified to the people's right to mastery as the nation rose from a history of subjugation to claim independence and establish its own state with a full legal basis to represent all citizens at home and internationally, becoming the first democratic state in Southeast Asia, said National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

From the first general election in 1946 to the present, Việt Nam has successfully held 15 National Assembly elections.

As much of the world was still expanding the franchise after World War II, Việt Nam adopted universal suffrage nationwide in its first election, setting a broad legal framework for representation and state authority.

Vietnam’s total trade hit USD 930.05 billion in 2025, an 18.2 percent jump from a year earlier, with a trade surplus of USD 20.03 billion, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

According to the NSO, agriculture, forestry and fisheries grew 3.78 percent in 2025, contributing 5.3 percent to overall growth. Industry and construction expanded 8.95 percent, accounting for 43.62 percent, while the services sector rose by 8.62 percent, contributing the largest share at 51.08 percent.

PM Phạm Minh Chính emphasised that Vietnam deeply values its long-standing friendship with Russia and is committed to strengthening it.

These 13 laws will become operative in 2026.

At a ceremony in Hà Nội marking six decades of the Party’s internal affairs system, top leadership reiterated the role of anti-corruption and oversight institutions in shaping governance as economic, social and security pressures intensify.

The draft action program of the Party Central Committee to implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress identifies the shift to a new growth model, economic restructuring, and accelerated industrialization and modernization, with science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as the core engines, as key tasks.

The regulations are defined in the Government’s Decree 363/2025, governing policies to attract and utilise talent for the Việt Nam People's Army, effective from last Wednesday.

Implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW on renewing law building and enforcement to meet the country’s needs in the new era, the NA in 2025 continued to push ahead with changes in legislative thinking and processes.

Vietnam’s tourism sector got off to a lively start during the New Year holiday, with many localities simultaneously welcoming their first visitors of the year, signalling strong growth prospects.

The overseas Vietnamese population has expanded from 2.7 million in 2004 to nearly 6.5 million in over 130 countries and territories, sending home about USD 15 billion in remittances annually, while expatriates have invested in 457 projects worth USD 1.729 billion nationwide.

Vietnamese citizens currently in Venezuela should leave dangerous areas, closely monitor developments, and strictly comply with local authorities’ regulations on travel as well as advisories issued by the ministry, including those by the Consular Department and the embassy in Venezuela.