Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae arrived in Hanoi on Friday evening for a three-day official visit at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, marking her first trip to the Southeast Asian country since taking office last October.

Two people died after a car caught fire while preparing to refuel at a gas station in Da Nang City, central Vietnam, police said on Saturday, with preliminary findings showing the vehicle was carrying multiple batteries and battery packs.

World Health Organization member states said on Friday they had extended talks on pathogen-sharing rules, casting doubt on when a pandemic treaty adopted last year can come into effect.

France and Germany sent firefighting units to the Netherlands on Friday to help battle woodland blazes flaring in several areas.

MEXICO CITY -- A holiday Labor Day weekend turned tragic on Friday as at least 11 people died and 31 others were injured when a tourist bus crashed in Mexico's western state of Nayarit.

Vietnam’s tourism sector is shifting its focus from visitor numbers to higher spending and repeat travel, as businesses and policymakers push premium products and infrastructure upgrades to drive revenue growth.

A wave of South Korean and Thai celebrities visited Vietnam in late April, sharing images from trips to destinations such as Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang that drew widespread attention on social media.

Authorities in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam have approved a zoning plan to develop eco-tourism, resorts, and recreational facilities across more than 1,300 hectares of U Minh Ha National Park by 2030.

Vietnam’s Traffic Police Department reported a significant decline in road accidents nationwide on Thursday, the first day of the four-day holiday marking Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1).

Many Vietnamese companies are moving beyond contract manufacturing and increasingly supplying components and technology to global industries including electronics, semiconductors and aviation, according to company executives.

KAMPALA -- A Ugandan court sentenced a man to death on Thursday for killing four young children this month at a nursery school, in an attack that sparked public outrage and concern for pupils' safety in the East African country.

Gold was steady in thin trading on Friday, but was on course for a weekly decline as higher oil prices fuelled inflation worries and expectations of higher-for-longer interest rates.

Happy International Workers’ Day!

Authorities in Ly Son Special Zone, an island off Quang Ngai Province in central Vietnam, have issued a warning urging visitors not to climb the volcanic rock arch known as To Vo Gate to take photos, citing risks to both tourist safety and the preservation of the national heritage site.

Two people were killed in a house fire early on Thursday at a combined residence and bakery in Son La Province, northern Vietnam, police said.

Forest rangers have returned 144 wild animals, representing 19 species, to their natural habitat at U Minh Thuong National Park in An Giang Province, southern Vietnam, officials announced on Thursday.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has proposed fines of up to VND30 million (US$1,140) for individuals who spread misleading or unverified medical information online, aiming to curb dangerous health claims circulating on social media.

The Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Beaches Management Board in Da Nang City on Thursday hosted the Da Nang International Lifesaving Championship 2026, bringing together professional rescue teams from Vietnam and abroad.

TOKYO -- Tokyo police placed a 44-year-old man on the public wanted list Thursday, a day after he attacked two high school students with a hammer and sprayed liquid at police officers responding to the incident in Fussa in Tokyo.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training has unveiled a draft circular introducing tighter requirements for the recognition of foreign-awarded academic degrees, particularly doctorates, in an effort to address inconsistencies and prevent misuse.

SEOUL - Samsung Electronics on Thursday reported record quarterly profit driven by a 49-fold jump in chip income, saying it expects the momentum to continue as clients spend on AI infrastructure and drive up prices of its memory chips.

JAKARTA -- When Harum Anjarsari's husband finally got through to her phone, he did not hear her, but instead, rescue workers who said they pulled the device from the debris of one of two ill-fated trains that collided outside the Indonesian capital.

The Vietnamese government has issued eight new resolutions aimed at cutting red tape, decentralizing authority and simplifying administrative procedures and business conditions across a wide range of sectors.

Ho Chi Minh City will continue operating temporary public parks on vacant land plots that have been upgraded into green spaces, the city authorities said.

Good morning from Vietnam!

A dolphin swam close to shore near An Vinh port on Ly Son Island in central Vietnam on Wednesday, drawing attention from residents and visitors, local authorities said.

A fire broke out at a restaurant in central Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam on Wednesday, with five foreign nationals escaping safely and no casualties reported, authorities said.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will pay an official visit to Vietnam from Friday to Sunday at the invitation of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday.

TOKYO -- Sexual abuse of patients has occurred at 15.5 pct of hospitals and other medical facilities in Japan, a government survey found.

TOKYO -- Japan's House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to raise the ceiling on fees for immigration procedures, making it likely to be enacted during the current parliamentary session ending in July.

Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday morning simultaneously broke ground on four major infrastructure and urban development projects, while also granting a decision approving the investor for the Can Gio international transshipment port project to mark the 51st anniversary of national reunification.

Australian consumer prices surged in the first quarter as tensions in the Middle East drove up energy costs, while core inflation stayed uncomfortably high for policymakers, keeping pressure on for a rate hike next week.

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on Tuesday sent condolences to Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto following a deadly train collision in Jakarta that left 15 people dead and 88 injured.

Ho Chi Minh City aims to become a global cultural city by 2045, with cultural and creative industries contributing at least 10 percent of its economy, under an action plan issued by the city’s Party Committee.

VANCOUVER - FIFA will increase payments to teams taking part in the 2026 World Cup to almost $900 million, world soccer's governing body said on Tuesday, citing the commercial success of its expanded flagship men's tournament.