BERLIN -- Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed growing calls in Germany for controls on access to social media platforms by children, saying he had become increasingly persuaded of the need for compulsory limits by evidence of the harm done by the deliberate spreading of fake news and other forms of online manipulation.

Vietnam has been ranked the world’s cheapest country for travel and expatriate living for the fifth consecutive year, with 89 percent of foreign respondents satisfied with the cost of living there, according to French news outlet Journal du Net, citing global surveys of foreign residents.

The domestic market has become more vibrant on the second day of the Lunar New Year (Tet) as shopping activity increases compared to the first day, reported the Agency for Domestic Market Surveillance and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Pauline Tamesis, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, has affirmed that the country’s growing diplomatic network and balanced foreign policy position it as a bridge-builder in an increasingly divided world, while deeper cooperation with the UN will focus on climate action, inclusive development, and the transition toward a high-income, sustainable economy.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Police in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, have arrested two 18-year-old suspects just 16 hours after they allegedly robbed a jewelry shop on Monday, the eve of the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet).

TOKYO -- Japanese convenience store chain Lawson Inc. will expand into India, seeing high growth potential in the world's most populous country, officials have said.

HIROSHIMA -- The main tower of Hiroshima Castle will close on March 22 due to aging, marking the end of public access inside the building after it was destroyed by the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing and restored as a symbol of reconstruction of the western Japan city.

With a compound annual growth rate forecast to reach nearly 40 percent during the 2025-31 period and ranking sixth worldwide in trust and adoption, Vietnam is rapidly emerging as a new ‘golden land’ in the global artificial intelligence race.

FRANKFURT -- European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde plans to leave her job before next year's French presidential election to allow Emmanuel Macron to have an input into picking her successor, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Microsoft on Wednesday said it is on pace to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to help expand AI to countries across the 'Global South'.

Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam welcomed 2,400 international tourists arriving on two luxury cruise ships on the first day of the Lunar New Year, marking a festive start to the tourism season at Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.

After celebrating the Lunar New Year (Tet) with family, many people like to start traveling on the third day of the holiday, with early-spring festivals being popular and meaningful spots to visit to start a new year.

A Hanoi bus driver was caught with alcohol in his breath while operating a bus on the first day of the Lunar New Year, police said.

Vietnamese traffic police detected 1,570 drunk driving violations nationwide on Tuesday, the first day of the Lunar New Year, despite early warnings and public advisories, underscoring persistent risks on the roads during the Tet holiday period.

Police in Da Nang City, central Vietnam have detained a foreign national accused of stealing more than US$5,800 in cash, bank cards, and personal belongings from two diners at a local restaurant.

Tu Du Hospital, based in Ho Chi Minh City, presented gold gifts symbolizing good fortune to five babies born at the stroke of the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026.

Foreign tourists visiting the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet) Book Street Festival on Le Loi Boulevard in Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City say the blend of music, vibrant decorations, and book displays has given them a warm and memorable impression of Vietnam’s Tet.

Several of Europe’s leading football clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur, have extended creative Lunar New Year greetings to fans in Vietnam through their official social media channels.

From learning how to recycle old clothes to bringing end-of-life garments to collection points, students in Ho Chi Minh City are being guided toward responsible fashion consumption from an early age.

After years working in the American music industry, Dr. Tran Tuan An returned home carrying little more than a guitar, years of training and a determination to help strengthen Vietnam’s music scene.

The CEO of the Vietnam International Finance Center in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC) stated that VIFC's success in the next 3-5 years should first be measured by the level of institutional maturity, followed by the depth of the market.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam will travel to the United States for a three-day working visit to attend the inaugural session of the Gaza Board of Peace, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In late 2025, international technology, finance, and media corporations held working sessions with Da Nang authorities to explore investment opportunities in the city’s proposed International Financial Center. A figure familiar to overseas Vietnamese communities was among the delegation: Peter Hong (Nguyen Hong Hue).

Fireworks lit up the skies across Vietnam as people gathered in cities and provinces nationwide to welcome the Lunar New Year 2026, celebrating with vibrant displays, cheers, and a festive atmosphere at the stroke of midnight.

Ho Chi Minh City launches fireworks at 17 locations on the 2026 Lunar New Year’s Eve, including four high-altitude displays combined with 13 low-level shows.

Foreign visitors gathered alongside thousands of local residents in cities and resort destinations across Vietnam on Monday evening, filling flower streets, public squares and waterfront promenades as they awaited Lunar New Year’s Eve fireworks displays.

Australian police have recovered a trove of stolen Egyptian artefacts and charged a 52-year-old man with a nighttime smash-and-grab at a museum.

A woman from Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam has returned more than US$19,000 mistakenly transferred to her bank account by a stranger, with assistance from local police just one day before the Lunar New Year (Tet).

International visitors are gathering on Phu Quoc Island to celebrate the Lunar New Year, joining festive activities, enjoying vibrant performances and fireworks, and soaking up the lively holiday atmosphere across the popular resort destination.

A man in Da Nang City has been fined for using an AI-edited image and posting misleading, offensive content on Facebook about the entrance gate at the Tet festival at the Youth Culture House in Ho Chi Minh City.

As artificial intelligence evolves at a blistering pace, world leaders and thousands of other delegates will discuss how to handle the technology at the AI Impact Summit, which opens Monday in New Delhi.

Nguyen Hue Flower Street for the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet) officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday evening, marking the first time in its 23-year history that the event has featured a dedicated night edition and drawing large crowds of local and international visitors.

Japan's economy limped back to meagre growth in the fourth quarter, significantly missing market expectations in a key test for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government as cost-of-living pressures drag on confidence and domestic demand.

For over a decade, The Cliff Resort & Residences in Mui Ne of Lam Dong province has turned its signature Chung Cake Festival into a staple draw for foreign tourists exploring the Phan Thiet–Mui Ne area and beyond.