Good morning from Vietnam!

Vietnam is developing a national product identification and traceability solution, called NDA Trace, to combat the growing problem of counterfeit and substandard goods, with the Ministry of Public Security set to oversee its nationwide rollout through the National Public Service Portal.

Four companies have been committed to investing a total of US$400 million in the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) Can Tho in the namesake southern city despite the industrial park still being under construction.

In Vietnam, many people see taking leftovers home from weddings or parties a practical, even considerate act, while others view it as poor manners and socially inappropriate.

Severe thunderstorms and whirlwinds have swept through Dong Thap and An Giang Provinces, located in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, destroying or damaging more than 300 homes and injuring 17 people, according to local authorities.

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested famous fashion designer Nguyen Cong Tri in alleged connection with illegal drug use, possession, and distribution.

AOMORI -- The National Governors' Association on Wednesday urged the Japanese government to give top priority to measures against escalating population decline.

Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh has reached a career-high world ranking of No. 18 in women’s singles, the highest ever for a Vietnamese female athlete, according to the Badminton World Federation’s latest update.

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization issued an urgent call for action on Tuesday to prevent a repeat of an epidemic of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus that swept the globe two decades ago, as new outbreaks linked to the Indian Ocean region spread to Europe and other continents.

THE HAGUE -- The United Nations' highest court will deliver an opinion on Wednesday that is likely to determine the course of future climate action across the world.

As Vietnam accelerates its transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), experts and residents are sounding a clear message: charging infrastructure must lead the way.

A large whale was spotted hunting in Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area in Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa Province at midday on Tuesday, drawing excitement from conservation officials and signaling encouraging signs for marine biodiversity.

Authorities in An Hai Ward, Da Nang City, central Vietnam issued an administrative fine of VND750,000 (US$28.7) against a street vendor involved in overcharging a group of six Lao tourists on the evening of July 13.

Yukihito Honda, managing executive officer and general manager of the infrastructure business unit at Sumitomo Corporation, expressed the group’s ambition to develop the North Hanoi Smart City into an emblem of Vietnam–Japan relations.

A man from Ho Chi Minh City has won a record VND345 billion (US$13.2 million) in Vietnam’s Power 6/55 lottery, the largest single-ticket jackpot in the country’s history, state-owned lottery company Vietlott said on Tuesday.

Storm Wipha, the third to affect Vietnam in 2025, weakened into a tropical depression over northern Ninh Binh and north-central Thanh Hoa Provinces late on Tuesday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 39-61 kph and gusts up to 75 kph, according to the country’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Leaders of Laos and Japan sent condolences following a tourist boat capsizing in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay that killed 37 people, with 10 rescued and two still missing as of Tuesday.

TOKYO -- Japan's nonlife insurance industry stands at a crossroads as it confronts the need to overhaul its long-standing business model.

CHEONGSONG, South Korea -- The apples grown in the South Korean county of Cheongsong in the country's southeast are so renowned for their flavour that they are often given out in neatly-packaged gift boxes during national holidays.

Thanh Binh Commune in Da Nang City, central Vietnam formally received provincial heritage status on Monday for the Hang Doi cave complex, one of the region’s most ancient geological formations, local officials said.

HANOI -- Tropical storm Wipha was set to cross Vietnam's northern coastline on Tuesday morning, with almost 350,000 soldiers on standby as the state weather agency forecast up to 50 cm (20 inches) of rainfall that could cause flooding and mudslides.

Japan has proposed a joint bid with several East and Southeast Asian countries to host the 2046 FIFA World Cup, but Vietnam is not among the countries included in the plan due to infrastructure limitations.

The thunderstorm came so suddenly that it overturned the boat within seconds, said two survivors of the shipwreck which killed at least 35 people in Vietnam's top tourist spot of Halong Bay and left another four missing.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Ghenh Bang, a cove perched on the eastern edge of Da Nang’s Son Tra Peninsula, has become a popular draw for locals and travelers seeking a slice of coastal wilderness.

The Ministry of Finance has formally submitted a proposal to the prime minister regarding the establishment of two International Financial Centers (IFCs) in Vietnam—one in Ho Chi Minh City and the other in Da Nang—by the end of 2025.

Nvidia’s official distributor in Vietnam said on Monday it has never sold A100 graphics chips to a local producer who claims to be developing an AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

Although the local government issued a ban on swimming, many tourists were still seen entering the water at Cua Lo Beach in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam on Monday morning as storm Wipha was approaching.

Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam has mobilized around 70,000 personnel to cope with the approaching storm Wipha and has relocated nearly 18,000 tourists, including foreigners, to safer areas, according to its Department of Agriculture and Environment.

At least 21 people were hospitalized with food poisoning symptoms after consuming food at a death anniversary feast held last weekend in Phong Dinh Ward, Hue City, central Vietnam.

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, on Monday announced his intent to remain in office after his party's rout in Sunday's House of Councillors election.

Vietnamese government agencies offered different views on the contribution of traffic emissions to Hanoi’s air pollution on Monday, as officials and experts discussed a shift from petrol-powered vehicles to electric ones.

LONDON -- A child's death from measles has sparked urgent calls from British public health officials to get children vaccinated, as the UK faces an onslaught of misinformation on social media, much of it from the United States.

The South Korea-led investigation into Jeju Air's fatal plane crash in December has «clear evidence» that pilots shut off the less-damaged engine after a bird strike, a source with knowledge of the probe said on Monday.

BEIJING -- Storms drenched southern parts of the Chinese mainland on Monday, triggering warnings of flash floods and landslides, a day after typhoon Wipha pounded Hong Kong.