VIETNAM TODAY

Ho Chi Minh City authorities are seeking approval to convert more than 4.5 hectares of protected forest land for the Ben Thanh-Can Gio metro project.

Authorities in Nghe An Province have urgently evacuated 169 residents from a remote village after identifying a high risk of landslides in the surrounding mountains.

Authorities in Lam Dong Province have declared a natural disaster emergency after a 300-metre-long ground crack appeared along a hillside and residential area, threatening dozens of households.

Vietnam has become the United States' fifth-largest trading partner, climbing five places from a year earlier as bilateral trade continues to expand.

A bulk carrier transporting nearly 175,000 tonnes of iron ore to Vietnam's Dung Quat Port has suffered damage off the coast of Quang Ngai Province, with seawater entering several ballast tanks.

Severe coastal erosion in Quang Tri Province has forced 12 businesses to evacuate from My Thuy Beach, while dozens of nearby households face relocation as waves continue to eat into the shoreline.

Mountain rats have damaged nearly 8,500 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants in Quang Ngai Province, causing estimated losses of VND 3-4 billion (USD 115,000-153,000).

A job fair for people with disabilities will be held in HCM City on September 23, offering a range of positions aimed at helping jobseekers find suitable work and earn a stable income.

Volunteer divers in central Gia Lai Province regularly remove rubbish from the seabed, helping protect coral reefs, marine ecosystems and livelihoods that depend on the sea.

Nearly 400 mm of rain pounded Vinh in the centrla province of Nghe An Saturday, the heaviest September daily rainfall in 40 years, causing severe floods and landslides.

Torrential rain sent large rocks and soil tumbling onto Prenn Pass in Dalat on Saturday, disrupting traffic on one of the city’s main southern gateways.

Heavy rain is forecast to persist across HCM City and southern Vietnam through September 24, with some areas expected to receive more than 170 mm over 48 hours.

Hand, foot and mouth cases are rising in HCM City and southern Vietnam, with several children severely ill and requiring ventilator suppor

Construction of the Cat Lai Bridge, an eight-lane link between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, is expected to begin in late September 2026.

Repairs are under way at five major landslide sites on Khanh Le Pass, linking Nha Trang and Dalat, with completion targeted for October.

A 114-kilometre railway linking My Thuy with the Lao Bao border area in central Quang Tri Province is under study, with investment planned after 2030 under the national railway development plan.

Heavy rain flooded streets and apartment basements in central Vietnam's Nghe An Province on September 19, leaving vehicles partly submerged as water poured into buildings.

Authorities have erected warning signs along Tri An Lake in Dong Nai City after falling water levels exposed dozens of deep holes believed to be wartime bomb craters.

Vietnam is expected to experience a warmer winter as a very strong El Nino weakens cold-air activity, with average temperatures forecast to be 1-2.5C above long-term averages.