US midterm elections on November 3 decide control of Congress in Trump's final two years
First published Wed, Nov 4 · Updated Thu, Nov 5
Americans voted in the US midterm elections on November 3, a contest that decides the balance of power in Congress and shapes the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Campaigning ran to the last stretch, with Trump staging an intense push to draw voters.1234
Voters from small towns to cities in Washington state approached the vote with differing concerns and deep divisions over the country's future. One scenario raised in the coverage is divided power, with the two parties set to confront each other more sharply in Congress.34
Báo Tiền Phong reported that US attitudes toward Ukraine and Iran could reverse if Trump's party loses the midterms. The same outlet described a Republican 'civil war' ahead of the vote.3
Trump hit back after criticism from former president Barack Obama during the campaign. VnExpress reported that a closing move by Trump left Republicans disappointed.1
UPDATES
· New development
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, according to results reported the day after the vote.567
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US envoy sets date for three-way Russia-Ukraine talks as Moscow names its delegation
First published Wed, Nov 4
A US special envoy announced the date for three-way negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, with the talks expected about a week later, according to Vietnamese reports on Tuesday. A fresh round of dialogue on Russia-Ukraine peace was described as imminent, and President Volodymyr Zelensky was reported ready to meet President Vladimir Putin.1234
Moscow set out its focus for the three-way format and proposed initial rounds between Russia, the United States and Ukraine under a trilateral mechanism. On Thursday, Russian officials disclosed who would head the Russian delegation and indicated when Moscow would be ready to enter the talks; Putin also sent a new signal on the negotiations.5678910
The Kremlin said Putin would answer if Zelensky telephoned him. Russian and Ukrainian delegations were reported to be meeting the following week to negotiate an end to the conflict, with the US side fixing the three-way session for Abu Dhabi.111213
Ukraine set out its priorities for the three-way talks aimed at ending the conflict with Russia, as the two delegations prepared to sit down.1412
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US strikes Iran's Qeshm island and Strait of Hormuz, reviving open conflict
First published Wed, Nov 4
Ruled paragraphs are attributed to the outlet named in them, not stated as established fact.
US forces carried out "limited defensive" airstrikes at the Strait of Hormuz on the evening of November 2, US officials said, with explosions reported on Iran's strategic island of Qeshm. The strikes marked a return to open conflict between Washington and Tehran.123
President Donald Trump said he was in no hurry to strike Iran, while other reporting said Washington was signalling readiness to hit Iran's remaining nuclear targets. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published video of two supertankers struck by mines in the Strait of Hormuz.456
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied intending to strike Iran again ahead of Israel's election. In Yemen, a missile hit the presidential palace for the first time, raising concern about full-scale civil war.78
Attributed claim: The accounts differ on the target. Thanh Niên, citing US officials, reported "limited defensive" airstrikes at the Strait of Hormuz, while PetroTimes and VnExpress, relaying a Wall Street Journal report, described an attack on Qeshm island and said open conflict had returned.123
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The constitutional question was raised alongside the second session of the XVI-term National Assembly
First published Fri, Nov 6
Ruled paragraphs are attributed to the outlet named in them, not stated as established fact.
Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm called for preparing the theoretical and practical basis for studying and proposing a comprehensive amendment of Vietnam's constitution. The direction was carried by state and centrist outlets on the same day, with Tiền Phong framing it as preparing the basis for a proposal and Dân Trí quoting the call to "study a proposal for a comprehensive amendment of the Constitution."1234
Tô Lâm tied the constitutional work to long-term development, saying growth today must create more capacity for tomorrow and that immediate interests must not harm the environment, stability or the opportunities of later generations. He also asked that the quality of national decisions be raised without pause.456
Attributed claim: The constitutional question was raised alongside the second session of the XVI-term National Assembly, where delegates invoked the spirit of the 1946 Constitution in the legislature's law-making decisions. BBC News Tiếng Việt, an oppositional outlet, reported that the Communist Party wants a "comprehensive" amendment and quoted Tô Lâm saying the amendment process "must be placed under the leadership of the Party."78
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Vietnam cuts electricity price by 44 dong per kWh, first drop after four straight increases
First published Mon, Nov 2
Vietnam lowered the retail electricity price by 44 dong per kWh, a cut of about 2 percent, effective from November 1. The reduction is the first since four consecutive increases, and it took effect as the special consumption tax on petrol fell to 0 percent through the end of March 2027.1234
Economist Nguyễn Tiến Thỏa said the electricity cut helps stabilise the macroeconomy and balances the interests of the parties involved. Outlets also tied the lower power price and the petrol tax cut to easing inflation pressure at the end of the year, with Dân Trí arguing that longer-term measures are still needed to keep inflation under control.563
In Hanoi, some landlords responded to the 2 percent cut by telling tenants they would raise the rate to 4,500 dong per kWh, according to Lao Dong. The figure is a room rate set by landlords, not the new national tariff of 44 dong per kWh below the previous level.71
Docnhanh.vn asked whether the simultaneous fall in electricity and petrol prices will bring goods prices down, and VietnamNet reported that domestic fuel prices were due for adjustment after world prices fell. The sources state no measured effect on consumer prices.89
Also this week
Published earlier this week and since overtaken by bigger stories. Open one to read it in full.
US tech selloff wipes $2,300 billion in market value as Dow falls 1,800 pointsA selloff in US technology stocks erased a record 2,300 billion USD in market value, with the Dow Jones falling more than 1,800 points and the Nasdaq dropping into correction territory. The slump followed the midterm elections.
US tech selloff wipes $2,300 billion in market value as Dow falls 1,800 points
First published Fri, Nov 6
Ruled paragraphs are attributed to the outlet named in them, not stated as established fact.
A selloff in US technology stocks erased a record 2,300 billion USD in market value, with the Dow Jones falling more than 1,800 points and the Nasdaq dropping into correction territory. The slump followed the midterm elections.123
Voters' concerns about the impact of the AI data-centre boom on jobs and daily life fed the retreat from technology shares.4
Attributed claim: Accounts of the scale differ. Tin tức 24h put the loss in US market value at more than 3,000 billion USD as global markets fell, while Báo Tiền Phong said 2,500 billion USD was wiped off the Nasdaq.56
Chip stocks in the US rebounded strongly after Thursday's heavy selling. In Vietnam, bargain hunters tried to balance the market and foreign investors were net buyers.78
Vietnam's Politburo issues new organisational rules for Fatherland Front and five mass bodiesVietnam's Politburo has issued a decision setting out the organisational structure of the central agency of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and of five socio-political organisations. Outlets reported the decision on Thursday, describing it as a new regulation on how those central bodies are organised.
Vietnam's Politburo issues new organisational rules for Fatherland Front and five mass bodies
First published Thu, Nov 5
Vietnam's Politburo has issued a decision setting out the organisational structure of the central agency of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and of five socio-political organisations. Outlets reported the decision on Thursday, describing it as a new regulation on how those central bodies are organised.12345678
The ruling covers the office of the Vietnam Fatherland Front's Central Committee alongside the five socio-political organisations that sit with it at national level. Reports frame the change as a decision on the machinery of the central agencies of these organisations.124678
Coverage of the decision ran across state and centrist Vietnamese outlets, including Tuổi Trẻ, Thanh Niên, VietnamNet, Lao Dong, Dân Việt, VTC News and An ninh Tiền tệ. The reports name the Politburo as the body that issued the regulation.1234578
Fire at Kim Lien Secondary School in Hanoi kills one personA fire at Kim Lien Secondary School in Hanoi killed one person, with the victim found dead at the scene. Ambulances were sent to the school during the response.
Fire at Kim Lien Secondary School in Hanoi kills one person
First published Thu, Nov 5
Ruled paragraphs are attributed to the outlet named in them, not stated as established fact.
A fire at Kim Lien Secondary School in Hanoi killed one person, with the victim found dead at the scene. Ambulances were sent to the school during the response.123
Hanoi authorities ordered an investigation to establish responsibility for the fire at the school. The city's education department visited and encouraged a teacher in a separate assault case, while the fire inquiry is focused on the school grounds.41
Attributed claim: Lao Dong reported the fire was burning in an area near Kim Lien Primary School in Hanoi as the incident unfolded. Other outlets placed the fire at Kim Lien Secondary School and reported one death.512
Vietnam disciplines 15 officials and teachers over exam fraud at Quang Tri's Le Truc high schoolFifteen people have been disciplined in connection with irregularities in the 2026 high school graduation exam in Quang Tri province. Those punished include a series of officials and teachers accused of exam fraud, and the case centres on Le Truc High School.
Vietnam disciplines 15 officials and teachers over exam fraud at Quang Tri's Le Truc high school
First published Tue, Nov 3
Fifteen people have been disciplined in connection with irregularities in the 2026 high school graduation exam in Quang Tri province. Those punished include a series of officials and teachers accused of exam fraud, and the case centres on Le Truc High School.1234
Laodong.vn describes all 15 as party members disciplined over the Quang Tri exam, while the other accounts describe them more broadly as officials and teachers. No outlet names the individuals or specifies the penalties imposed.524
Vietnam's imports and exports pass 1,000 billion USD for the first timeVietnam's total imports and exports passed 1,000 billion USD for the first time, the highest level on record. The trade balance reversed direction, and Vietnam posted a surplus of more than 7.3 billion USD in October.
Vietnam's imports and exports pass 1,000 billion USD for the first time
First published Tue, Nov 3
Vietnam's total imports and exports passed 1,000 billion USD for the first time, the highest level on record. The trade balance reversed direction, and Vietnam posted a surplus of more than 7.3 billion USD in October.1234
Trade with three major markets exceeded 500 billion USD after nine months. Officials in the industry and trade sector pointed to weaknesses among Vietnamese enterprises even as the scale of trade broke the record.56
The government called for raising the Vietnamese value content in each export product, framing the milestone as a shift in scale that should be matched by higher value.78
The 1,000 billion USD figure and the 500 billion USD figure describe different measures: the first is total two-way trade, the second is trade with three large markets over nine months. Outlets reported the record as opening new room for growth.592
ECCO dissolves Ho Chi Minh City shoe factory, leaving more than 1,600 workers to be hiredECCO has dissolved its Vietnamese subsidiary and shut down its shoe factory in Ho Chi Minh City, a plant that employed more than 1,600 workers. The closure was reported by Vietnamese outlets on Tuesday.
ECCO dissolves Ho Chi Minh City shoe factory, leaving more than 1,600 workers to be hired
First published Tue, Nov 3
Ruled paragraphs are attributed to the outlet named in them, not stated as established fact.
ECCO has dissolved its Vietnamese subsidiary and shut down its shoe factory in Ho Chi Minh City, a plant that employed more than 1,600 workers. The closure was reported by Vietnamese outlets on Tuesday.123
Twelve businesses have come forward to take on the factory's workers, and companies have been recruiting directly at the plant. The factory had just been dissolved when the hiring activity took place.45
A separate company with 1,400 employees that is also dissolving will pay Tet bonuses to its workers, Laodong.vn reported. The report did not link that company to ECCO.6
Attributed claim: BBC News Tiếng Việt described the closure as sudden, while the centrist outlets Dân Trí, Tuổi Trẻ and VnExpress reported the dissolution and the recruitment drive without characterising it as unexpected.3512
Vietnam records its hottest October in 65 years of observationVietnam has just been through its hottest October in 65 years, with the month setting a record in the country's observation history. The national record was reported across Vietnamese outlets on the same day, describing October heat without precedent in the 65-year record.
Vietnam records its hottest October in 65 years of observation
First published Mon, Nov 2
Vietnam has just been through its hottest October in 65 years, with the month setting a record in the country's observation history. The national record was reported across Vietnamese outlets on the same day, describing October heat without precedent in the 65-year record.123
Forecasters and outlets are examining why the autumn has stayed hot, with Tuổi Trẻ asking whether a very strong El Niño will keep this winter from turning cold. PetroTimes framed the same question around the 2026 autumn, asking why the weather remains muggy.45
Vietnam's government drops proposal to let under-18s register as organ and tissue donorsVietnam's government withdrew a draft provision that would have allowed people under 18 to register to donate organs, body parts and bodies, Thanh Niên and Tuổi Trẻ reported on Thursday. The proposal had drawn public and National Assembly comment, and Health Minister Đào Hồng Lan said the revised draft had been tightened to both help patients and block organ trading.
Vietnam's government drops proposal to let under-18s register as organ and tissue donors
First published Mon, Nov 2 · Updated Tue, Nov 3
Vietnam's government withdrew a draft provision that would have allowed people under 18 to register to donate organs, body parts and bodies, Thanh Niên and Tuổi Trẻ reported on Thursday. The proposal had drawn public and National Assembly comment, and Health Minister Đào Hồng Lan said the revised draft had been tightened to both help patients and block organ trading.123
Earlier in the week the Ministry of Health defended the age limit, with the minister saying respect for a child's right to consent to organ donation must come first. VnExpress reported the ministry's position as a strict ban on taking organs from living people under 18.45
On Thursday the ministry put forward a narrower alternative: people under 18 would be allowed to donate tissue only to their own siblings, VnExpress reported. The minister also appeared before the National Assembly to explain the rules on organ and tissue donation by minors, Dân Trí reported.67
The original proposal was associated with Associate Professor Nguyễn Lân Hiếu and covered who may donate and at what age, VietnamNet reported. The ministry's revised text followed the collection of opinions from residents and deputies.83
UPDATES
· New development
The Ministry of Health submitted a formal report to the National Assembly on Monday explaining the revised draft law on donating, retrieving and transplanting human tissue, body parts and bodies, and setting out how it took in deputies' opinions.9
Vietnam finance minister defends 16 amendments to investment law as National Assembly debates reformVietnam's National Assembly discussed draft laws on investment and on organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Finance Minister Ngô Văn Tuấn told the chamber the Law on Investment has had to be amended 16 times, an average of nearly three times a year.
Vietnam finance minister defends 16 amendments to investment law as National Assembly debates reform
First published Mon, Nov 2
Vietnam's National Assembly discussed draft laws on investment and on organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Finance Minister Ngô Văn Tuấn told the chamber the Law on Investment has had to be amended 16 times, an average of nearly three times a year.123
Deputies proposed new mechanisms to block disguised and undeclared investment, with one deputy saying such tools are needed to stop money laundering and fraud. The finance minister tied the frequent amendments to the need to keep the investment rules current.45
Vietnam is targeting 30-40 billion USD a year in disbursed investment capital, the finance minister said, as the Philippines, Malaysia and India step up their own competition for foreign direct investment.6
Deputy Phạm Văn Hòa said assessing investment efficiency is necessary for enterprises that use state capital. National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn said procedures should be cut but environmental protection responsibility should not be reduced.78
Deputies said people must benefit from the fruits of development during the growth process itself, and that heritage should not be traded away for growth.910
Chu Thị Thành stands trial in Vietnam over 79 billion dong fuel fund embezzlementChu Thị Thành, a fuel trading magnate, went on trial this week on charges of embezzling money from the petrol price stabilisation fund. Prosecutors say she took more than 79 billion dong from the fund, and a former accountant in the case is accused of taking 94 billion dong of fuel money and losing it in online gambling.
Chu Thị Thành stands trial in Vietnam over 79 billion dong fuel fund embezzlement
First published Mon, Nov 2
Ruled paragraphs are attributed to the outlet named in them, not stated as established fact.
Chu Thị Thành, a fuel trading magnate, went on trial this week on charges of embezzling money from the petrol price stabilisation fund. Prosecutors say she took more than 79 billion dong from the fund, and a former accountant in the case is accused of taking 94 billion dong of fuel money and losing it in online gambling.1234
In court, Thành said she had acted unintentionally and gave her reason for selling fuel without issuing invoices. She rejected the embezzlement charge, disputing the accusation over 79.2 billion dong.514
VietnamNet reported that Thành had already paid back 99 billion dong. The figure is higher than the amount prosecutors say was embezzled from the fund.6
Attributed claim: Accounts of the sums differ. Tuổi Trẻ and Báo Công Lý put the embezzlement at 79 billion dong, while Laodong.vn reported 94 billion dong of fuel money taken and CafeF described the charge as nearly 80 billion dong. The presiding judge questioned Thành directly on the 79 billion dong embezzlement allegation.1237
