VIETNAM TODAY

HCM City has approved a 15.6-kilometre extension of a metro line linking Binh Duong Province with the city centre, enabling direct services to Tao Dan Station.

A container train carrying nearly 1,000 tonnes of PVC is en route from Qinghai Province in China to Dong Nai, marking the first direct rail freight connection between the two localities.

A Korean cosmetics distributor in Vietnam has been fined VND 147.5 million (approximately USD 5,700) for multiple violations related to cosmetic product labelling and compliance.

The first tropical depression of 2026 has formed over the East Sea and is unlikely to make landfall in Vietnam, according to meteorologists.

Rescue teams are searching for a missing tourist after two visitors were swept away in a stream in Lao Cai Province, with one body already recovered.

A resident in Tay Ninh has voluntarily handed over a rare water monitor weighing 6.5 kilogrammes to forest rangers after discovering the animal near his home.

A woman has been fined after scattering cash and joss paper onto a street in central HCM City in an apparent attempt to ward off bad luck.

More than 53,100 Vietnamese workers went overseas under labour contracts in the first five months of 2026, reaching 47.5 per cent of the annual target, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

A lighting system on the Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway is being rebuilt after more than 13 kilometres of electrical cable was stolen, causing an estimated VND 9 billion (USD 343,000) in losses.

Electricity demand in northern Vietnam has surged by more than 28 per cent, pushing the region's power system close to its operating limit, Industry and Trade Minister Le Manh Hung.

Hanoi has ordered local authorities to complete land clearance and utility relocation for nine bridge projects spanning the Red River and Duong River by June 30.

Traffic police in HCM City detected 107 drug-positive drivers and nearly 21,900 drink-driving violations during the first month of a 45-day crackdown.

Strong foreign investment, a rebound in manufacturing and resilient consumer spending helped drive Vietnam's economic recovery during the first five months of the year.

Police in HCM City have uncovered two separate cases of residents growing cannabis at home, seizing more than 100 plants and launching investigations.

Higher electricity and water consumption during a prolonged heatwave contributed to a rise in Vietnam's consumer prices in May.

Police in Bac Ninh have arrested three bean sprout producers accused of using a banned chemical to accelerate growth and improve appearance, with nearly 1,000 tonnes of products sold to the market.

A rare yellow-headed tortoise was released into a protected forest in Dong Nai City after being found by a local resident and handed over to authorities.

Seven emergency flood-control projects in Hanoi are expected to be completed by June 30, strengthening the capital's drainage system ahead of the 2026 rainy season.

HCM City and southern Vietnam are expected to see more frequent rainfall in June, with rain forecast on 17-23 days during the month, according to the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Centre.