VIETNAM TODAY

Police in Quang Ngai Province have caught a couple allegedly trading more than 50,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes worth about VND 2 billion (USD 76,000).

Authorities in Quy Nhon have begun marking dedicated pedestrian lanes on pavements and ordered businesses to stop encroaching on pavements.

The Ministry of Construction has ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to work with German authorities to investigate a Vietnam Airlines incident and strengthen aviation safety oversight.

Hung Yen Province plans to develop a social housing project worth more than VND 2.5 trillion (USD 95 million), providing nearly 1,300 apartments as it seeks to expand affordable housing supply.

Vietnam's military has ordered round-the-clock emergency duty and readied personnel and equipment as heavy rain raises flood and landslide risks across northern and north-central regions.

Authorities in Quang Tri Province have uncovered a major drug trafficking case involving a shipment smuggled from Laos into Vietnam through the Lao Bao International Border Gate.

Prime Minister has ordered northern and north-central localities to prepare evacuations as 150-300 mm of rain, exceeding 450 mm in places, raises flash flood and landslide risks.

A crocodile weighing more than 10kg has been captured near Cay Xanh Bridge stream, easing nearly a month of concern among residents in Dak O Commune.

A tropical depression formed over the northern East Sea early on August 18, with forecasters saying it is unlikely to strengthen into a storm but warning that its path remains uncertain.

Ho Chi Minh City is seeking IFC support to mobilise international capital for its metro network, Can Gio transshipment port and other major infrastructure projects.

Cho Lach Commune has become the first locality in Vinh Long Province to launch an e-commerce commune model, bringing its seedlings, ornamental flowers and other local products to TikTok Shop.

Vietnam's peak power demand rose 8.8 per cent week on week as widespread heat across the north and north-central region drove up electricity use.

Hanoi is preparing drainage systems, pumping stations and emergency teams as prolonged thunderstorms are forecast to bring 10-50 mm of rain a day, raising the risk of localised flooding.

Police in Khanh Hoa Province are investigating the owner of a motorbike allegedly ridden by a foreign girl, believed to be about 10, while carrying an older man on a busy road in Nha Trang.

HCM City is accelerating health checks for students and workers after screening nearly 2.6 million people, or 19.6 per cent of its population.

Widespread hot weather across central Vietnam is expected to ease on August 19, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.

Mature purple jacaranda trees near Dalat Night Market have been heavily pruned, raising residents' concerns, while authorities said the work was needed for safety ahead of the rainy season.

Hanoi has ordered passenger transport operators not to raise fares without approval as it prepares for increased travel demand during the five-day National Day holiday.

HCM City has recorded more than 25,700 dengue cases this year, with infections remaining high and doctors warning that patients can deteriorate rapidly even after their fever subsides.