Vietnam News
Several major laws in Vietnam take effect on New Year
The Law on Teachers, comprising nine chapters and 42 articles, stipulates that teachers’ salaries will be ranked at the highest level within the public administrative and non-business pay scale.
Chinese digital blueprint for Vietnam’s social engineering
Vietnam apparently importing Chinese governance tech almost verbatim, raising questions about who really controls the machine
Ho Chi Minh City to restrict student phone use in over 500 schools from 2026
More than 500 secondary, high schools and vocational schools in Ho Chi Minh City will restrict student phone use during recess starting 2026, aiming to curb passive screen time without imposing a full ban.
Vietnam’s competition watchdog asks Zalo to revise user terms, allow opt-out
Vietnam’s competition watchdog has asked tech unicorn VNG to revise how it implements the terms of service on its messaging app Zalo, saying users must not be forced to accept data collection and usage conditions in order to continue using…
No bonus, no jobs : Thousands of Vietnam garment workers struggle as Korean factory shuts down before Tet
More than 2,700 workers at Panko Vina in Ho Chi Minh City are bracing for uncertainty as the garment factory prepares to shut down in mid-January, leaving many without a year-end bonus and unsure how they will find work with…
Vietnam faces shortage of 1.3 million marriage-age women within 20 years
Vietnam’s General Statistics Office expects the country to face a shortage of 1.3 million women of marriageable age by 2049 due to the long-term consequences of sex imbalance at birth.
Vietnam’s censorship lawfare enters the AI age
Vietnamese regime using foreign lawsuits, anti-state provisions and now AI-related criminal charges to stifle dissent
Higher fines for failing to declare foreigners’ temporary residence in Vietnam
On October 30, the Vietnamese government issued Decree No. 282/2025/ND-CP introducing a series of tougher deterrent measures, notably higher fines for accommodation establishments that fail to declare foreigners’ temporary residence as required by law.
Vietnam military mobilizes forces to contain oil spill at Dung Quat
Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense has deployed equipment and more than 200 personnel to contain and clean up an oil spill at the Dung Quat Economic Zone in central Quang Ngai Province, officials said at a press briefing on Saturday.
Vietnam proposes 4-day New Year break to boost travel and spending
Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed a plan to extend the New Year 2026 holiday to four consecutive days, up from the single day currently mandated.
Hundreds of dead pigs exhumed from graves and sold as pork in Vietnam
Police in Khanh Hoa Province in central Vietnam on Dec. 25 accused a man and six others with exhuming hundreds of dead pigs infected with African swine fever and selling the meat illegally.
Over 100,000 Vietnamese die each year from tobacco use
The Ministry of Health estimates that tobacco use claims more than 100,000 lives in Vietnam each year, with annual healthcare costs and economic losses reaching approximately VND108 trillion (US$4.2 billion).
Vingroup withdraws bid as Vietnam weighs high-speed rail plan
Vietnam’s biggest conglomerate, Vingroup withdraws bid for the country’s $67-billion railway project Vietnam is planning: the North–South high-speed railway project linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, according to Reuters. The company said the move will let it concentrate on other…
The brutal cost of academic pressure
Two major education-related crises are weighing heavily on parents at the same time.
Why Ho Chi Minh City’s air quality is deteriorating
With 12 million cars and motorbikes, a slew of transportation and urban development projects and outdated waste-treatment technologies, Ho Chi Minh City’s air is becoming increasingly polluted, experts warn.
Vietnam looks to center VNeID ‘super-platform’ for digital economy push
Vietnam wants a digital future and it wants it soon. The Southeast Asian country is pushing hard for digital transformation, seeing digital identity and governance as central to its plans. Now, it’s training its sights on a unified digital economy…
First bicycle lanes take shape in Ho Chi Minh City
After more than two months of construction, Ho Chi Minh City’s first dedicated bicycle lanes along Mai Chi Tho Boulevard in An Khanh Ward are gradually taking shape, marking a milestone in the city’s push toward greener and safer urban…
To Lam, reformist risk-taker, seeks to extend his hold on Vietnam
Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam, who is seeking a new mandate as the country’s top leader, has earned a reputation as an ambitious risk-taker whose brief initial tenure was defined by rapid, sweeping reforms and a commanding leadership style.
More than 60 hospitalized after suspected banh mi food poisoning in HCMC
More than 60 people were hospitalized in Ho Chi Minh City after suspected food poisoning linked to banh mi bought from a local bakery, authorities said.
AI cameras detect over 1,000 traffic violations in Hanoi after 1 week of operation
Hanoi’s AI-integrated traffic surveillance camera system detected 1,020 traffic violations after one week of its full-scale operation in mid-December, the city’s traffic police division announced on Sunday.
In Vietnam, many forced out of homes by karaoke noise, call for thorough enforcement
Many residents in Vietnam are being driven out of their own homes by relentless karaoke noise, urging authorities to respond swiftly, enforce the law rigorously, and protect the identities of those who report violations.
Inside Vietnam’s leadership transition
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party will convene its 14th five-yearly congress from January 19–25, a tightly choreographed political event that will determine the country’s top leadership and policy direction through 2030.
Air quality in Ho Chi Minh City deteriorates in 2025
Air quality in Ho Chi Minh City has shown signs of decline in 2025 compared to previous years, driven primarily by rising fine dust pollution and traffic.
Noi Bai Airport unveils expanded Terminal 2 with improved passenger services
The expanded Terminal 2 for international passengers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi has embraced a modern, highly automated operating model, allowing faster, seamless passenger flows to boost its capacity and improve service efficiency.
Police probe dam releases in Vietnam’s Dak Lak, where historic floods killed 113
Historic floods that struck Dak Lak Province, south-central Vietnam, late last month left 113 people dead and caused massive damage, provincial authorities said, adding that the Ministry of Public Security is investigating whether the discharge of the Song Ba Ha…
Vietnam : New media restrictions tighten controls on independent journalism
Two new legislative amendments passed by Vietnam’s parliament will pose significant safety risks for journalists, with media outlets forced to disclose their sources and further controls on content through amendments to the country’s state secrets law. The International Federation of…