Key Events
- Việt Nam Floods Kill Four, Swamp 16,000 Homes and Halt Trains;
- Hà Nội to Take Land Before Replacement Homes Are Ready, Sparking Anger;
- Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines Records Found in Exposed Database, Researchers Say;
- Rights Groups Urge Rubio to Press Việt Nam to Free Four Jailed Journalists;
- Young Vietnamese Embrace Chinese Culture Despite Political Tensions.
Floodwaters Rise, and Citizens’ Daily Life Grinds to a Halt
Flooding and landslides killed at least four people across northern and central Việt Nam as of Sept. 18, leaving more than 16,000 homes inundated and disrupting transport, farming, and daily life after days of heavy rain.
Three people died in a landslide in Đà Bắc, Phú Thọ Province. In Hà Nội, authorities recovered the body of a university student near a drainage entrance after he disappeared during the flooding. This additional death brought the toll to four, above the three reported earlier that day, according to AP.
Rainfall reached as much as 653 millimeters in some locations during the week, according to government figures cited by Bloomberg. The downpours overwhelmed roads and railway infrastructure, extending the disruption beyond flooded residential areas.
Eleven landslides and flooding at 30 locations affected national and provincial roads. Water reached about one meter deep on a section of the Hà Nội–Sài Gòn railway, and several north-south train services were suspended Sept. 17 and 18. More than 29,000 officials and soldiers were mobilized for emergency assistance in Thanh Hóa, according to the South China Morning Post.
An official assessment recorded 16,310 flooded homes by late afternoon Sept. 17. Thanh Hóa accounted for 8,419, followed by Ninh Bình with 4,787 and Hà Nội with 2,204. Four houses collapsed, while another 29 sustained damage.
Agricultural losses added to the burden on affected communities. The authorities reported flooding or damage to 22,499 hectares of rice, vegetables, and other crops, plus 2,172 hectares of additional plantings. Flooding affected more than 1,175 hectares of aquaculture, damaged fifteen school sites, and caused damage to nearly two kilometers of irrigation canals.
Swelling waterways—including the Tích and Bùi rivers near Hà Nội and the Hoàng Long and Đáy rivers in Ninh Bình—surged past alert level three, triggering widespread inundation and transport disruptions.
Officials called for closer monitoring of dikes, stronger warnings, and evacuations from areas threatened by flash floods, landslides, and rapidly rising water. The railway disruption also forced passengers to transfer to road transportation around the flooded Bỉm Sơn–Đò Lèn area, according to the Báo Chính phủ (Government Report) newspaper.
In Hà Nội, streets were submerged under water approaching one meter deep on Sept. 17, making commutes and school journeys difficult. Some high schools and universities closed or moved classes online. The authorities in Thanh Hóa also told students to stay home because travel had become unsafe.
Hundreds of soldiers were deployed along the rising Bùi River to help residents move belongings to higher ground. Earlier assessments had already identified more than 1,000 isolated households across affected areas.
The threat was not confined to the north. Forecasters warned that a southward-moving cold air mass would bring widespread rain to southern Việt Nam through Sept. 21. Sài Gòn was forecast to receive 100 to 200 millimeters of rain, with higher totals possible locally.
The authorities warned of flooding in low-lying neighborhoods and along waterways. The emergency follows repeated destructive floods in 2025, underscoring the continuing exposure of homes, transport networks, and agricultural production to severe weather.
Hà Nội to Allow Land Takeovers Before Resettlement, Stirring Public Anger
Authorities in Việt Nam’s capital will be allowed to acquire land for certain projects before completing permanent resettlement arrangements, under a decision taking effect Sept. 26 that has prompted anger and anxiety online.
Signed by Hà Nội Chairman Vũ Đại Thắng on Sept. 16, Decision 127/2026/QĐ-UBND permits the authorities to issue land acquisition decisions once a compensation, assistance, and resettlement plan has been approved and temporary accommodation has been arranged or temporary housing assistance paid.
The provision applies to specified projects under the Capital Law. These include public investment projects, certain public-private partnerships, and projects requiring immediate implementation under directives from designated party bodies. It also covers land adjoining roads, urban railway stations, and depots acquired alongside planned transport construction or expansion, according to an official announcement released by Hanoi.
The measure has drawn scrutiny because of assurances Chairman Thắng gave three months earlier. Speaking on June 17, he said residents would be relocated only after new resettlement areas were completed with adequate infrastructure and public services. Their new living conditions, he said, must be better than those they left behind.
At that event, Thắng described major infrastructure and redevelopment projects as central to the capital’s growth. He also acknowledged that their extensive land clearance and resettlement requirements would directly affect residents’ lives. Those projects included metro lines, bridges across the Red River, and the riverfront landscape boulevard.
In a Sept. 19 report, Luật Khoa documented social media criticism focused on the uncertainty of temporary housing. One Facebook user questioned whether rental assistance would allow the authorities to remove families before replacement homes were ready, leaving residents unsure how long they would have to rent.
Other commenters expressed resignation or concern that an approved resettlement plan would no longer mean a completed home was available before they surrendered their land.
The dispute comes amid continuing unease over the Red River redevelopment project. Luật Khoa reported that residents remained unclear about compensation, resettlement arrangements, and the construction timetable despite public consultation beginning Sept. 7.
A separate national proposal could widen the debate. According to the publication, draft Land Law amendments released in July would permit earlier land acquisition for certain projects, including before compensation and resettlement plans receive approval. The draft was expected to go before the National Assembly in October.
That proposal remains distinct from Hà Nội’s adopted decision, which still requires an approved plan and temporary housing arrangements before acquisition.
220 Million Airline Records Exposed in Việt Nam-Linked Database, Researchers Say
A database containing well over 220 million passenger and crew records linked to travel through Việt Nam was exposed through unchanged default login credentials, cybersecurity researchers say, raising questions about responsibility and the potential misuse of sensitive personal information.
Kinryū Labs (a cybersecurity research group specializing in space systems security and cyber threat intelligence) disclosed the findings on Sept. 9, saying the database contained approximately 210.3 million passenger records and 10.5 million crew records spanning January 2017 through April 2026. It identified 1,008 airlines in the data, with Vietjet Air accounting for about 45.8 million records and Vietnam Airlines for 43.2 million.
The figures represent records, not individual people. A traveler taking multiple flights could appear repeatedly. The information reportedly included names, birth dates, nationalities, passport details, flight itineraries, seat numbers, and baggage references.
In its Sept. 19 coverage, Luật Khoa reported that no organization had publicly accepted responsibility. The publication said its Sept. 16 calls and emails to the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam, the Ministry of Public Security’s Immigration Department, and Viettel had produced no response by the time of publication.
The researchers said they discovered the exposure on June 3 and notified the authorities and affected parties. Access was closed within days. Although direct connections were rejected, the system could be reached through cloud infrastructure and accepted default credentials.
Its network address was associated with Viettel infrastructure in Hà Nội, but the researchers could not establish who operated it. Hosting on that network does not establish responsibility for managing the database.
Internet scanning records showed the server’s presence from October 2022. The researchers could not determine whether passenger information was accessible throughout that period or whether others had copied it.
Cybersecurity specialist Nguyễn Tiến Trung told Luật Khoa that the combination of identity documents and travel histories created risks of impersonation, document forgery, and tracking people’s movements.
He warned that detailed travel profiles could pose particular dangers to journalists, activists, witnesses, and diplomats whose safety depends on keeping their movements confidential.
Tiến Trung also questioned whether system logs existed that could establish who had accessed or extracted information. Closing access, he said, did not resolve uncertainty over earlier misuse.
According to Luật Khoa, the records came from an Advance Passenger Information System, through which airlines provide traveler information to border authorities. The reported exposure therefore concerns sensitive border-screening data, rather than simply a commercial customer database. Questions about accountability and the consequences for affected travelers remain unanswered.
Four Journalists Remain Behind Bars in Việt Nam. Can U.S. Diplomacy Help Free Them?
Ten human rights and press freedom organizations have urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make the release of four imprisoned Vietnamese writers and journalists a priority in upcoming high-level talks with Hà Nội.
In a Sept. 16 joint letter published by PEN International, the coalition named Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn, Phạm Chí Dũng, Nguyễn Tường Thụy, and Phạm Đoan Trang, saying they were imprisoned for peaceful journalism, writing, and human rights advocacy.
The signatories include PEN America, PEN International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Legal Initiatives for Vietnam.
The appeal highlights concerns about Tuấn’s health. In a separate June 2025 statement, PEN America said he had developed serious intestinal problems and repeatedly been denied adequate medical care despite his family’s requests for independent examinations.
The organization said Tuấn reported internal bleeding during calls to his family that month and said antibiotic injections had not improved his condition. It urged the Vietnamese authorities to permit an independent medical examination and called on international partners to demand his release on humanitarian grounds.
Tuấn, Dũng, and Thụy were sentenced together in January 2021 under Article 117 of Việt Nam’s Penal Code, which criminalizes producing, possessing, or distributing materials deemed hostile to the state. Dũng received 15 years; Tuấn and Thụy each received 11.
According to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Dũng was a reporter and blogger for Voice of America’s Vietnamese service and helped establish the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam. The agency’s account says the defendants maintained that their organization promoted freedom of expression, democracy, and human rights within permitted regulations.
Trang, meanwhile, is serving a nine-year sentence. Legal Initiatives for Vietnam identifies her as a co-founder of its publications, The Vietnamese Magazine and Luật Khoa Tạp chí. Trang, who was arrested on Oct. 6, 2020, immediately after a U.S.–Việt Nam Human Rights Dialogue, received the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award in 2022.
The coalition also emphasized Thụy’s six years contributing commentary to Radio Free Asia’s Vietnamese service and Tuấn’s family ties to U.S. citizens.
Beyond seeking the four prisoners’ immediate humanitarian release, the groups asked Washington to press for prison visits, independent medical examinations, fair legal representation, and due process for all jailed journalists, writers, and dissidents.
The letter argues that securing their freedom would turn diplomatic discussions into a tangible humanitarian result and demonstrate Hà Nội’s willingness to address longstanding U.S. human rights concerns.
China Is Winning Young Vietnamese Fans. Political Trust Is Another Story
Chinese entertainment, consumer brands, and career opportunities are drawing young Vietnamese closer to China, even as historical grievances and territorial disputes continue to shape relations between the two countries, according to a recent analysis.
The South China Morning Post describes a generational shift playing out through everyday consumption, education, and employment. It points to enthusiasm for Labubu collectibles, Chinese social media content, language-related jobs, and university study in China.
SCMP identifies four forces behind the trend: cultural appeal, digital connectivity, government support, and economic incentives. The analysis suggests China’s influence increasingly reaches young Vietnamese through activities far removed from formal diplomacy.
Entertainment is one prominent channel. Chinese streaming services, including iQiyi, Tencent Video, and Youku, distribute content through Vietnamese platforms such as VieOn and FPT Play. Chinese reality-show formats have also been adapted locally, while Vietnamese celebrities have reached broader audiences through appearances on Chinese programs.
Education provides another avenue for closer contact, with both governments offering financial support for Vietnamese students pursuing degrees in China.
A Vietnamese government scholarship announcement for the 2025 intake offered 34 places for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral study under a bilateral agreement. China’s contribution included tuition, accommodation, health insurance, study materials, and monthly allowances.
Việt Nam offered additional assistance covering travel, passport and visa expenses, and supplementary living costs. Programs could be taught in Chinese or English. Such arrangements provide practical routes for students to gain qualifications and experience abroad, extending bilateral cooperation into their daily lives.
However, regional survey findings indicate that political confidence in China remains a separate question.
In the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute’s 2026 State of Southeast Asia survey, 59.2% of Vietnamese respondents chose the United States when asked which power their country should align with if forced to choose between Washington and Beijing, CNA reported. Skepticism of China also outweighed trust among Vietnamese respondents.
The survey, conducted from Jan. 5 to Feb. 20, gathered responses from 2,008 people across 11 Southeast Asian countries, including researchers, officials, business representatives, and civil society participants. It was not a dedicated survey of Vietnamese youth, so its results cannot directly establish how younger people’s political attitudes are changing.
Together, the cultural analysis and survey findings suggest that growing engagement with Chinese products, education, and employment can coexist with continued strategic caution. Cultural popularity alone does not establish broader political trust.
Quick Takes:
U.S., Vietnamese Firms Plan Deals As Hà Nội Faces Tariff Pressure
U.S. and Vietnamese companies are expected to announce agreements during President Tô Lâm’s New York visit, as Hà Nội seeks to ease tariff tensions with Washington, Reuters reported.
An internal planning document lists 29 potential agreements for a Sept. 23 business conference, spanning energy, technology, aviation, and finance. Many are expected to be nonbinding.
Murphy Oil and Chevron are slated to announce deals with Petrovietnam, while Vietjet could announce leases for 22 aircraft.
The agreements form part of Việt Nam’s efforts to reassure the Trump administration, which has threatened new tariffs against the country’s export-dependent economy, according to the Reuters report.
Five Jailed For Smuggling Vietnamese Migrants And Holding Passports As Debt Collateral
Five men have received prison sentences totaling nearly 40 years for smuggling Vietnamese migrants into Britain and laundering more than £1.6 million, the BBC reported.
The National Crime Agency said the group confiscated passports in France before migrants crossed by small boats or trucks, using the documents to enforce repayment of smuggling debts.
Investigators traced more than £1.65 million sent to Việt Nam through 740 transactions between July 2024 and October 2025.
Police recovered 220 Vietnamese passports and over £16,700 from a car in Birmingham. The longest sentence handed down at Liverpool Crown Court was 12 years and six months.
Việt Nam Faces Power Shortage Risks As Clean Energy Becomes Key To Investment
Việt Nam faces potential electricity capacity shortages from 2027 to 2030 as power projects fall behind schedule, Tuổi Trẻ newspaper reported, citing the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
A GE Vernova report projects peak demand could rise from 58 gigawatts to nearly 90 by 2030. Experts warn that expanding wind and solar generation alone cannot ensure adequate supply without stronger transmission networks, battery storage, and flexible generation.
Phùng Ngọc Lân, GE Vernova’s Việt Nam general director, said reliable, affordable, low-carbon electricity increasingly determines foreign investment decisions. The company estimates the power sector will need 500,000 workers by 2035, up from 300,000 today.
Việt Nam’s Deputy Assembly Chair Calls For An End To Textbook Shortages
National Assembly Vice Chair Nguyễn Thị Thanh called textbook shortages alarming and demanded a lasting solution at a Sept. 20 education hearing, Tuổi Trẻ newspaper reported.
Thanh said enrollment data and the use of a unified textbook series should make adequate printing predictable and manageable. Lawmakers also raised concerns about school meals, examination irregularities, and rising university tuition.
Education Minister Hoàng Minh Sơn reported that Việt Nam lacked 104,516 teachers compared to staffing standards as of June 2026. Following school restructuring and enrollment reviews, an additional 43,267 authorized positions were needed for 2026–2027, while 44,770 existing positions remained unfilled by local authorities nationwide.
