HCM City approves metro line extension to Dong Nai, Binh Duong
Ho Chi Minh City has approved the extension of the city’s first metro route, which links Ben Thanh Market with Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9, to the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai.
An elevated section of the city’s first metro line along Hanoi Highway in HCM City’s district 2. (Source: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City has approvedthe extension of the city’s first metro route, which links Ben Thanh Marketwith Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9, to the neighbouring provinces of BinhDuong and Dong Nai.
The metro line will extend to Dong Nai province’s Bien Hoacity and Binh Duong province’s Di An town as proposed by Japanese consultantjoint-venture Nippon Koei – Tokyu.
The cost of extending the line will be 21.23 trillion VND (nearly950 million USD), including 2.32 trillion VND (103 million USD) for the sectionfrom the Suoi Tien Station to Binh Duong Station.
Tran Thanh Liem, Chairman of the Binh Duong People’sCommittee, said the extension would create favourable conditions urban developmentand public transportation.
Along with preparations for the metro extension, Binh Duonghas also earmarked land along the planned metro line for new urban areas underthe TOD (transit-oriented development) mode.
The provincial Dong Nai and Binh Duong People’s Committeeshave also agreed to the project, which is in line with the city’s transportdevelopment plan to 2020, approved by the Prime Minister.
The extended metro line will ease travel in the twoprovinces and HCM City, attract more passengers and enhance urban developmentalong the route, reducing traffic overload in the northeastern part of HCMCity.
HCM City will work with agencies in the two provinces todevelop the project and put it into operation on schedule.
HCM City’s metro route No 1 connects Ben Thanh Terminal in district1 with Suoi Tien Terminal in district 9.
The metro line will have 19.7km of track, of which 2.6kmwill be underground (with three stations) and over 17km above ground (with 11stations).
Construction began in August, 2012, with the line expectedto open in 2020.
After years of delays due to numerous adjustments, the costof the project has risen to more than 47 trillion VND (2.49 billion USD),according to the HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways.-VNA
A Japanese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) began carving out a tunnel for the metro line 1- Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien section in Ho Chi Minh City on May 26.
Progress on the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City continues, but a tax dispute has left some necessary equipment languishing at port, Le Nguyen Minh Quang.
The first metro tunnel running from Ba Son Station to the Municipal Theatre in District 1 is expected to be completed by the end of this month, two months ahead of schedule.
The first set of rail tracks and sleepers were installed on October 24 on the above-ground stretch of HCM City’s first metro line from Ben Thanh Market to Suoi Tien Theme Park.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
An elevated section of the city’s first metro line along Hanoi Highway in HCM City’s district 2. (Source: VNA) 
