Khai also held the record of the highest entrance scorer in the history of the High School for the Gifted, under Vietnam National University HCMC. In grade 12, Khai continued to win the First Prize in the National Excellent Student competition. Khai has also demonstrated leadership qualities by co-organizing a programming competition that attracted more than 150 students in HCMC. So I wanted to create a playground where everyone could get familiar with programming,” Khai shared. Khai is currently studying foundational Computer Science courses and exploring his interests to find the most suitable path.

A group of international tourists pose for a photo in Hoi An Ancient Town, Da Nang City, central Vietnam on the night of December 31, 2025 amid the vibrant festive atmosphere welcoming the New Year 2026. Fireworks light up the sky over Hoi An Ancient Town in Da Nang City, central Vietnam on the night of December 31, 2025, as the city rings in the New Year 2026. “I wish all delegates, local people, and tourists, including international visitors, a healthy, happy, successful, and peaceful 2026,” he said. Tourism has remained robust during this period, with about 1.6 million tickets sold for visits to the ancient town and the nearby Kim Bong carpentry village. The Hoai River in Hoi An Ancient Town, Da Nang City, central Vietnam is filled with local and international visitors on both its water surface and banks on December 31, 2025 amid lively celebrations welcoming the New Year 2026.

New education policies take effect January 1, 2026. The law also assigns the Government the responsibility of detailing the wage framework to ensure this “highest-ranking” principle is honored. “Connecting knowledge to life” selected as the national textbook seriesThe Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) recently selected the “Connecting Knowledge to Life” series by Vietnam Education Publishing House as the official national textbook to be used uniformly across the country from the 2026–2027 academic year. Provincial education directors granted authority to hire teachersOne of the most impactful reforms involves decentralizing teacher recruitment. Middle school diploma officially abolishedThe amended Education Law, effective from January 1, 2026, also changes the structure of Vietnam’s national qualifications framework.

For the second consecutive year, sharpshooter Trinh Thu Vinh has been named Vietnam’s Athlete of the Year, securing an overwhelming lead in votes from sports journalists and experts. She was followed by athletics star Nguyen Thi Oanh (751 points), footballer Nguyen Dinh Bac (693), canoeist Nguyen Thi Huong (551), and swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang (539). At SEA Games 33, born in 2000, Trinh Thu Vinh delivered high-stakes performances that thrilled spectators and brought glory to Vietnam’s shooting team. Vietnam’s U22 national football team was named Team of the Year with 1,660 points, far surpassing the women’s 4x400m relay team (635) and the women's sepak takraw team (560). Swimmer Vi Thi Hang won the award for Outstanding Athlete with Disabilities, while her coach Nguyen Dang Vien was named Coach of the Year for athletes with disabilities.

On December 31, the Ministry of National Defense held a formal ceremony to announce the President’s and Minister of Defense’s decisions appointing four military officers to United Nations peacekeeping missions. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang presents appointment decisions to the UN-bound officers. Captain Nguyen Huy Khai, an external relations officer from Military Hospital 175, was appointed to replace Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huy Tuan as a Contingent-Owned Equipment (COE) Staff Officer at the MINUSCA mission. First Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram, from the Vietnam Coast Guard, was appointed to replace Lieutenant Colonel Bui Thi Minh Nguyet as a Training Staff Officer at MINUSCA. Photo: PVShe is the first female Coast Guard officer deployed as an individual to a peacekeeping mission.

One of the newborns who cried out at the exact moment the New Year arrived at Tu Du Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, January 1, 2026. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi TreIn the final hours of 2025, the maternity department at Tu Du Hospital was filled with a heightened sense of urgency and anticipation. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi TreAt exactly midnight on January 1, Nguyen Thi Phung Nhi, a 28-year-old resident of Ho Chi Minh City, gave birth to her first child, a baby boy. Le Thi Quynh Nhu, 32, assisted by Dr. Ho Thi Phuong, delivered her baby when the New Year 2026 arrived. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi TreFifteen minutes after midnight, another baby boy was born to Bui Thi May, 32, following a difficult labor.

Northern provinces were already experiencing light rain, with average temperatures ranging from 18 to 21°C. From January 1, the eastern mountainous areas of northern Vietnam will begin to feel the cold. Highs: 19–22°C (mountains: 17–19°C)Lows: 13–16°C (mountains: 10–13°C)January 2–4: Light rain in some areas. Highs: 16–20°CLows: 11–15°C (some areas below 8–11°C)From Thanh Hoa to HueJanuary 1: Scattered rain in the north, light rain in the south. Highs: 23–26°CLows: 16–19°CJanuary 2–4: Light rain and cold in the north.

VFF hands out a wave of disciplinary actions against U19 players. Photo: VFFThe Vietnam Football Federation (VFF)’s Disciplinary Committee has issued additional sanctions against several players in the 2025/26 National U19 Championship. “The VFF reiterates its commitment to strict, non-exceptional enforcement of discipline, ethics, and the fight against all forms of misconduct in football,” the federation said in a statement. “In the time ahead, the VFF will continue strengthening inspection, monitoring, and collaboration with relevant authorities to proactively identify and promptly address violations. This effort aims to cleanse the football environment, safeguard the core values of sportsmanship, and ensure a transparent, sustainable development path for Vietnamese football,” the statement concluded.

Tran Duc Thanh appointed acting CEO of Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services Corporation. During the ceremony, Tran Duc Thanh was entrusted with the role of acting CEO. In his acceptance speech, Tran Duc Thanh expressed his deep gratitude to the Party Committee of the Ministry of Public Security, the Party Committee, and the Board of Directors of MobiFone for their trust in assigning him this significant responsibility. Assuming his new position, Tran Duc Thanh committed to focusing on three key priorities. In June 2025, the Ministry of Public Security appointed Major General Truong Son Lam, then Director of the Ben Tre Provincial Police Department, as Chairman of MobiFone.

Vehicles moved at a crawl as they approached Hanoi’s southern gateway. Dao Thanh Ha, a native of Phu Tho, said he made an effort to arrive at the bus station early to secure a seat on his preferred ride home. Severe congestion was also observed on the elevated section of Hanoi’s Ring Road 3, especially at the intersection of Nguyen Xien and Nguyen Trai. At Nuoc Ngam Bus Station in the city’s south, traffic increased significantly compared to usual days. Crowds of residents poured out of Hanoi to return home for the 2026 New Year holiday.

The surge signals the recovery of purchasing power and rising consumer confidence, boosted by the long-standing "Vietnamese Prioritise Vietnamese Goods" campaign, encouraging support for local products. E-commerce stood out as a major success, reaching 32 billion USD, and claiming nearly 12% of the country’s retail sales. Consumption remains anchored in essentials, with food and foodstuffs at 34.1% of retail goods sales, highlighting the priority of basic needs. Services spending, covering accommodation, dining and tourism, outpaced goods, rising 12-14% annually, aligning with trends in more mature economies where consumers favour experiences and quality-of-life enhancements. A population topping 100 million, youthful demographics and rising incomes position Vietnam as one of Southeast Asia's largest retail markets.

Among the changes believed to be pivotal for Vietnam’s next phase of economic development, the first is Resolution 68, which clearly signals that Vietnam’s growth will be driven by the private sector. The article says Resolution 68 clearly signals that Vietnam’s growth will be driven by the private sector.. (Photo: VNA)Another key change is to bringing the informal economy into the formal system. Household businesses are estimated to account for around 20–30% of Vietnam’s GDP, yet tax collection from this group has historically been modest. The article also underscores tighter regulations, noting that for many years, market standards in Vietnam were relatively loose. Vietnam’s economy can accelerate meaningfully over the next five years under the 2026–2031 leadership term.

The Law on Digital Technology Industry will take effect on January 1, 2025. (Illustrative photo: VNA)The Law on Teachers, structured in nine chapters and 42 articles, mandates that teachers' salaries rank at the highest level in the administrative and public service pay scale. Preschool educators, those in ethnic minority, mountainous, border, island, or disadvantaged areas, teachers at specialised or inclusive schools, and those in select fields will receive higher salaries and allowances relative to standard conditions. It further broadens access to preferential loans for overseas contract workers, allowing all such employees to qualify for concessional credit. During its 10th session earlier, the National Assembly passed 51 laws and eight resolutions with legal force, many set to come into effect from January 1, 2026.

However, for more than a year, unstable live hog prices combined with the raging ASF forced him to narrow the scale of farming. Currently, live hog prices in Northern provinces are still in a strong upward trend to about VND68,000-VND70,000/kg. Meanwhile, live hog prices in the Central region fluctuate from VND63,000-VND69,000/kg, and in the South, they remain stable at VND60,000-VND63,000/kg. According to him, the main cause pushing live hog prices high is the outbreak of ASF. "With the current supply developments, after the 2026 New Year holiday, live hog prices may exceed the VND70,000/kg threshold," he predicted.

Both were found guilty of using computer networks, telecommunications, and electronic means to misappropriate property through stolen Vietnamese credit card information. Investigators said the pair purchased multiple iPhones from several stores in Da Nang using the stolen card details last year. Investigations revealed that Lim had met an individual named Yue Na Zhi Fu via Telegram while living in Malaysia and received data stolen from Vietnamese credit card accounts. Since the stolen card data could not be used for cash withdrawals but allowed purchases, the group devised a scheme to buy phones and laptops and resell them for cash. The group used Samsung Pay and OPPO Pay, linked to stolen credit account information on point-of-sale devices, to make the purchases.