VIETNAM TODAY

Fireworks lit up the sky over Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday as the city marked the 50th anniversary of being named after President Ho Chi Minh.

Three protected wild animals have been voluntarily handed over to authorities in Haiphong City for rescue and eventual release into the wild.

More than 13,500 pigs have been culled in Dong Nai City after outbreaks of African swine fever surged during the first half of the year.

A tropical depression in the East Sea is forecast to strengthen into this year's first storm within 24 hours, with potential impacts on coastal waters off Haiphong and Quang Ninh.

Ho Chi Minh City's economy expanded 8.55 per cent in the first six months of 2026, driven by resilient consumer spending, steady industrial output, a tourism recovery and strong foreign investment.

Police in Thanh Hoa have dismantled a transnational diamond smuggling network, charging 22 suspects and seizing 1,100 diamonds in a case involving estimated revenue of approximately USD 10.7 million.

Northern Vietnam is expected to see heavy rain from Thursday night as Storm No. 1 approaches, with some northeastern areas forecast to receive more than 350 mm over three days.

Dong Nai Province plans to start a nearly VND 1.3 trillion (about USD 49.4 million) drainage project in October to prevent flooding at Long Thanh International Airport.

Vietnam has lowered retail fuel prices, with petrol falling by up to VND 1,050 per litre from 4 pm on July 2 following a decision by the ministries of Industry and Trade and Finance.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has estimated that VND 334.6 trillion (about USD 12.7 billion) in state funding will be needed between 2026 and 2030 to develop 12 expressway projects.

Police in Khanh Hoa Province have fined more than 210 foreign nationals for traffic violations as part of a campaign to improve road safety and urban order in Nha Trang's wards.

HCM City will spend more than VND 179 billion (about USD 6.8 million) on cash gifts for vulnerable groups to mark the 50th anniversary of the city being named after President Ho Chi Minh.

Hanoi has proposed adding Hoa Lac as a potential dual use airport while retaining Gia Lam Airport in Vietnam's revised national airport development plan.

Singapore has become the latest country to connect with Vietnam's cross-border QR payment system, allowing visitors to pay by scanning VietQR codes without using cash.

Vietnam has officially been reclassified as an upper-middle-income economy by the World Bank after its gross national income per capita reached USD 4,970.

Police in Quang Ngai Province are investigating a construction materials company accused of dumping more than 1,800 tonnes of waste and discharging untreated wastewater.

Authorities in Vinh Long Province have banned the illegal breeding, transport and release of palm weevils to protect coconut plantations and prevent the spread of the destructive pest.

Vietnamese search and rescue teams have recovered 23 earthquake victims from collapsed buildings in Venezuela as humanitarian operations continue in one of the country's worst-hit disaster zones.

A tropical depression in the East Sea is expected to strengthen into the first storm of 2026 overnight, with Quang Ninh and Haiphong among the areas likely to be affected later this week.