VOV.VN- National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has begun accepting peach and apricot branches for transport as checked baggage on domestic flights to meet passenger demand during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday of the Year of the Horse 2026, with the service running through March 3, 2026.

The relationship between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) has developed into a deep and comprehensive partnership and is now among the strongest, broadest and most substantive the EU maintains in the region, EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier said.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has penned an article titled ‘Vietnam – Europe cooperation in 2025: Rising to a new height”, highlighting a surge in high-level diplomacy, with exchanges nearly doubling from the previous year across all Party, State, Government and National Assembly channels.

The 14th National Party Congress has drawn wide attention from international scholars who view it as a milestone marking a clear shift in Vietnam’s development thinking towards sustainability, a people-centred approach, deeper international integration and the deployment of breakthroughs through coherent resolutions.

VOV.VN - The Philippines, the world’s largest rice importer, reopened its international rice import market on January 1, 2026, after a four-month ban imposed in September 2025.

VOV.VN - Ambassadors from Armenia, Israel and Belarus to Vietnam have described the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam as a strategically significant political event, reflecting the country’s long-term vision, reform-oriented thinking and strong aspiration for development in the new era.

VOV.VN - Several northern provinces of Vietnam recorded hazardous air quality levels on January 27, prompting authorities to advise residents to limit outdoor activities as fine particulate pollution worsened, according to environmental monitoring agencies.

In the buoyant atmosphere following the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), overseas Vietnamese communities, including those in Japan’s Kansai region, are turning their attention towards the homeland with renewed confidence and expectations.

VinaCapital has offered an optimistic assessment of Vietnam’s economic growth prospects, projecting GDP growth of up to 10% in 2026 under an upside scenario supported by strong infrastructure spending, resilient exports and a modest recovery in domestic consumption.

VOV.VN - Vietnam has not recorded any cases of Nipah virus infection, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said on January 27, as authorities strengthen disease surveillance and preparedness following reports of suspected cases in India.