Drought-hit Ben Tre bears no festival fruit

Ben Tre has called off all fruit exhibitions and festivals scheduled for this year, with authorities saying drought and saline intrusion have decimated its orchards and there is nothing more to show.
Drought-hit Ben Tre bears no festival fruit ảnh 1Ben Tre has called off all fruit exhibitions and festivals scheduled for this year. (Source: laodong.com.vn)

Ben Tre (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre has called off all fruit exhibitions and festivals scheduled for this year, with authorities saying drought and saline intrusion have decimated its orchards and there is nothing more to show.

Nguyen Huu Lap, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said a proposal by Cho Lach district to cancel an annual festival of good and safe fruits which would have been held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month has been approved.

Unlike in previous years Ben Tre has no more good fruits or high-quality young fruit trees to exhibit, he said.

The Cho Lach People’s Committee said saltwater has damaged some 8,000ha of arable land, affecting the output and quality of 2,000ha of orchards, while over 350,000 small trees have withered from drought, causing losses of over 32 billion VND (1.43 million USD).

A spokesman for the People’s Committee said some of Ben Tre’s specialities have also been affected: mangosteen trees are not flowering while durian trees have withered and their fruits are falling off.

There are not enough young trees and bonsai for exhibitions and festivals, he said.

Besides farmers in the province are busy combating the effects of the prolonged drought and salinity, he added.-VNA

VNA

See more

The festival’s most moving highlight is the moment when over 1,000 Vietnamese participants form a giant Vietnamese national flag. (Photo: VNA)

Great national unity festival held abroad for first time

This is the first time the a great national unity festival, and a pilot project of great national unity festival initiated by the VFF Central Committee, have been held for the Vietnamese community abroad, aiming to strengthen solidarity, and promote the power of national great unity bloc in the new era.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

ASEAN, China strengthen joint efforts to combat cross-border cybercrime

In recent years, China has intensified law-enforcement cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, establishing suitable coordination frameworks and achieving notable results. A series of joint operations have effectively disrupted online gambling and scam networks operating across borders.

Fallen tree at Nguyen Hong Son Secondary School, Xuan Dai ward, Dak Lak province removed. (Photo: VNA)

Emergency funding allocated to storm-hit localities

Under Prime Minister’s Decision No. 2485/QD-TTg dated November 14, Hue city will receive 100 billion VND, Quang Ngai province 100 billion VND, Gia Lai province 300 billion VND, and Dak Lak province 200 billion VND.

Representatives of the Vietnam Journalists Association and the RoK's Hankook Ilbo newspaper pose for a group photo. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, RoK step up journalism cooperation in AI era

The Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) and the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK) agreed to continue promoting journalist exchanges, thematic workshops, and professional training programmes, particularly in the fields of digital transformation, multi-platform journalism, and professional ethics in the new media environment.

Fisheries resources surveillance officers disseminate anti-IUU fishing regulations to fishermen at the An Hoa fishery port in Da Nang city. (Photo: VNA)

Da Nang tightens fishing vessel management to have EC's IUU yellow card lifted

Under the official dispatch, commune and ward-level authorities must closely monitor every non-compliant fishing vessel within their jurisdiction. Vessel owners are prohibited from taking their boats to sea without complete legal documents and are required to remove all fishing gear and equipment from vessels that are not eligible to operate.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the ground-breaking ceremony for the Yen Khuong Primary and Lower Secondary Boarding School in Thanh Hoa province on November 10, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam breaks ground on 72 boarding schools in border areas to advance equitable education

The simultaneous groundbreaking ceremony for 72 inter-level boarding schools combining primary and lower secondary education in land border communes took place on the morning of November 9. The event was broadcast live and connected with 14 locations via teleconferencing. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the main ceremony held at the Yen Khuong Primary and Lower Secondary Boarding School in Thanh Hoa province.

Visitors at the Vietnam Licensing Expo 2025 (Photo: VNA)

Over 100 brands gather at Vietnam Licensing Expo 2025

The event is being held in parallel with the Vietnam–Korea Character Licensing Festival (VKCLF 2025), bringing together over 100 companies, including producers, creators, retailers, investors, and leading intellectual property (IP) holders from both Vietnam and abroad. ​

Party General Secretary To Lam speaks at a working session with Dong Nai province's representatives on the construction of the Long Thanh International Airport on November 13, 2025(Photo: VNA)

Long Thanh int’l airport must serve as smart aviation infrastructure model: Party chief

To maximise the airport’s role, authorities at all levels must clearly consider national, regional, and international competitiveness, Party General Secretary To Lam stressed, noting that Long Thanh International Airport must be built and operated with a pioneering spirit, overcoming challenges and differences, and serve as a new model of modern, sustainable, and smart aviation infrastructure.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tuan Cuong (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese scholar elected news academician of French academy

Author of more than 20 books and 100 studies in Vietnamese, English, Chinese, Japanese, French, and Korean, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tuan Cuong is regarded as a leading expert on Sino-Nom texts, textual scholarship, and Vietnam’s intellectual heritage.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Police seek victims in Australian-Vietnamese fraud probe

Ranjit Thambyrajah, a 65-year-old Australian who heads Berhero company operating under the name Acuity Funding based in Australia, while serving as General Director of Nam Song Hau Petroleum Trading and Investment JSC; and Nguyen Viet Anh, 43, a dual Vietnamese-Australian national running Acuity Funding Vietnam and Deputy General Director of the same Vietnamese company, allegedly defrauded multiple businesses and individuals.

At a mobilse trial in Song Doc commune, Ca Mau province on November 12. (Photo: VNA)

Ca Mau holds mobile trials related to IUU fishing violations

The People’s Court of Ca Mau province held two mobile trials in Song Doc commune on November 12, tackling cases of related to the organisation of illegal exit and the unlawful cross-border transport of goods, both linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.