Society

Vietnam Coast Guard has intercepted a fishing boat suspected of transporting more than 50,000 litres of diesel oil illegally in waters off the country’s southwest coast.

Authorities in Lam Dong Province are investigating the origin of a bag containing 24 rectangular bricks suspected to be illegal drugs that washed ashore on a local beach.

A fishing boat with two fishermen on board has lost contact while operating about 19 nautical miles northeast of Son Tra Peninsula in Danang, prompting search efforts by border guard forces.

Northern Vietnam is expected to experience rain and a drop in temperatures as a moderate cold front arrives around the night of March 8-9.

A train collided with a truck at a railway crossing in central Vietnam’s Quang Ngai Province on Friday evening, splitting the vehicle in two and damaging the locomotive.

By the end of 2026, around 30 per cent of commune-level areas and neighbourhoods are expected to meet official drug-free standards under the city’s roadmap.

Authorities in Phu Quoc Special Zone have fined a petrol station VND 15 million (approximately USD 570) for restricting fuel sales despite having sufficient supply.

A cargo vessel collided with a span of Ghenh Bridge over the Dong Nai River on March 6, causing rail misalignment and disrupting traffic on Vietnam’s North-South Railway.

Showers and thunderstorms are forecast in several regions of Vietnam from the night of March 5 to March 7, with localised heavy rain and hazardous weather conditions possible.

More than 12,000 Vietnamese citizens in the Middle East remain safe and stable, with no reports of anyone affected by ongoing regional conflicts, the Foreign Ministry said.

Vietnamese ministries and agencies are taking measures to ensure trade, economic activities and energy security amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

A Vietnamese-crewed tanker diverted its course in the Gulf of Oman to rescue 21 sailors who abandoned a burning vessel amid heightened tensions near the Strait of Hormuz.

Meat from the winning buffalo at a traditional festival in Phu Tho was sold for VND 5 million (about USD 200) per kilogramme on March 5, drawing strong demand from thousands of visitors.

Airlines from the Middle East have introduced support measures for passengers in Vietnam after flight cancellations and schedule changes caused by escalating regional tensions.

Vietnamese customs officers have seized 3.6kg of cocaine hidden in the luggage of a South Korean passenger arriving at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.

Under the plan, AI clusters will be developed under a model that combines centralised physical spaces with digital network linkages.

Customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport seized 12.3 kilogrammes of suspected gold from four passengers arriving from Taiwan on March 3, with the case transferred to police for investigation.

Vietnam has issued a high-level maritime security alert after eight cargo vessels carrying about 160 Vietnamese seafarers were reported operating near conflict hotspots in the Middle East.

Obesity is rising rapidly in Vietnam, with nearly 20 million people overweight or obese, raising mounting health, economic and social concerns, experts warned on March 4.