Localities across Hanoi and the central province of Quang Tri are accelerating final preparations for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and local People’s Councils for the 2026–2031 tenure, with a focus on communications and logistics readiness to ensure the vote is conducted smoothly.

VOV.VN - Drought and water shortages during the 2025-2026 dry season are expected to occur mainly in localized areas, while saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta is forecast to remain at levels comparable to the multi-year average.

Businesses and socio-economic entities across the southern province of Dong Nai have been urged to rearrange production timetables and shifts so that every employee can hit the polls on Election Day (March 15), without missing out on their legal right to vote.

Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee Tran Chi Hung on March 10 hosted a delegation from Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Finance and National Planning, who came to study the Mekong Delta city’s experience in agricultural transformation and sustainable rice production.

Efforts to expand science communication on digital platforms are being stepped up to implement the Politburo's Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, which aims to create breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.

A delegation led by Etienne Ranaivoson, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, visited the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on March 10 to discuss enhancing cooperation in health care and education.

A rare parasitic plant species, the Himalayan sapria (Sapria himalayana), has been recorded in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, according to the park’s management board.

VOV.VN - Tensions in the Middle East have disrupted international aviation links after several countries closed or restricted parts of their airspace, affecting about 20,000 passengers travelling to and from Vietnam.

VOV.VN - Officers and soldiers serving aboard vessels of the Vietnam Coast Guard Region 2 Command cast their ballots on March 8 in early voting for deputies to the National Assembly and local People’s Councils for the 2026–2031 term while on duty near the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands.

VOV.VN - A sleeper bus carrying 10 people overturned on National Highway 19 traversing Gia Lai province during heavy rain late on March 9, leaving two passengers injured and causing property damage estimated at around VND250 million.

Preparations for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure have been carried out comprehensively, featuring notable advances in modernisation of procedures and digital transformation to ensure transparency and facilitate voter participation.

Vietnam has for the first time entered the top 10 markets outside the US by certified floor area under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building standard, reflecting the growing momentum of sustainable development in the country’s real estate sector.

Hanoi’s residents will soon be able to complete most administrative procedures without leaving home as the city accelerates efforts to modernise governance and expand fully online public services.

VOV.VN - Vietnam ranks among the top 15 countries with the highest male smoking rates in the world, according to information discussed at a social criticism conference on the draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms held in Hanoi on March 9.

VOV.VN - Authorities in several detention facilities in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces in central Vietnam are stepping up preparations to ensure that people held in temporary custody can exercise their right to vote in the country’s upcoming elections.

VOV.VN - Vietnamese maritime rescue forces have safely brought 34 fishermen ashore after their fishing vessel suffered engine failure and drifted in rough seas about 90 nautical miles northeast of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province.

VOV.VN - A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha is attending the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), which opened at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, USA, on March 9.

Amid the joyful atmosphere of spring and the International Women’s Day, the General Union of Vietnamese in Belgium (UGVB) organised a grand music programme on March 8, drawing a large number of overseas Vietnamese from across Belgium and neighbouring countries such as France and the Netherlands.

VOV.VN - As Vietnam prepares for elections to the National Assembly and local People’s Councils, Buddhist monks and followers across the country are demonstrating their civic responsibility by actively participating in the electoral process and disseminating official election information within their communities.

VOV.VN - A team of students from the University of Engineering and Technology (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), has won third prize in the themed creative software category at the NAPROCK Procon 2026 international programming contest.

The Vietnamese community in Japan’s Kyushu region marked International Women’s Day on March 8 with a programme themed “Preserving Vietnamese Culture – Preserving the Vietnamese Language in Japan,” creating a warm space that brought Vietnamese families together far from home.

VOV.VN - Salmonella bacteria were detected in patient samples following a food poisoning incident linked to banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) sold on Do Chieu Street in Vung Tau area, Ho Chi Minh City, after 108 people were hospitalised with gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.

VOV.VN - A workshop titled “Next Generation ASEAN Future Forum 2026: Strategy and Skills for Regional Leadership” was held in Jakarta on March 9, bringing together promising young leaders from Southeast Asian nations.

VOV.VN - Border guard forces in the mountainous province of Dien Bien have coordinated with relevant units to arrest a Vietnamese man for illegally transporting a large quantity of synthetic drugs in a border area between Vietnam and Laos.

VOV.VN - The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism’s Tourism Information Centre has recently launched a multimedia e-brochure on Vietnam’s rural tourism, offering readers an immersive way to explore the country’s countryside through interactive digital content.

VOV.VN - Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China is looking to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) with Vietnamese localities, building on close geographic links, cultural similarities and growing economic and technological exchanges.

VOV.VN - Several organisations and associations in France have launched a fundraising campaign to build a memorial plaque for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin at Choisy Park in Paris’s 13th arrondissement.

Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities have ordered tighter inspections and enforcement against illegal modifications that obstruct emergency exits in apartment buildings, as the city steps up fire safety measures.

Amid a worsening conflict in the Middle East, no casualties or property damage have been recorded among the Vietnamese community in Israel so far, and Vietnamese people have complied with the host country's guidelines, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel.

Nearly 5,000 volunteers, mostly university students and youth union members in Ho Chi Minh City, participated in a blood donation drive on March 8 under the 18th “Chu Nhat Do” (Red Sunday) Campaign.