SYDNEY -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday an independent review into law enforcement agencies set up after the Bondi mass shooting will assess whether authorities could have taken additional steps to prevent the terror attack.

TOKYO -- A five-year-old boy died after becoming trapped in an escalator at a ski resort in Otaru in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido, according to local police.

TOKYO -- The Japanese government is set to begin full procedures to select locations for casino-featuring integrated resorts following Osaka, western Japan.

Three young children drowned on Sunday after slipping into a coffee irrigation pond in Ea Kly Commune, Dak Lak Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, while swimming with friends, local authorities said, highlighting ongoing concerns over child drowning risks in rural regions.

State-owned commercial lender Vietcombank plans to increase the charter capital of Vietcombank Securities Company (VCBS) by VND10 trillion (US$380 million) to VND12.5 trillion ($474 million) from VND2.5 trillion ($94.8 million).

Asian stocks were at six-week highs on Monday, while the dollar hovered near its lowest in almost three months on expectations of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates next year, which have also sparked a fierce rally in precious metals.

«Avatar: Fire and Ash» retained the top spot at the North American box office after it debuted the week before, reeling in $64 million during the weekend after Christmas, industry estimates showed Sunday.

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have detained five individuals and charged them with manufacturing and distributing hundreds of thousands of counterfeit bottles of Siang Pure Oil, a well-known Thai medicated oil brand.

JAKARTA -- A fire at a retirement home in the city of Manado on Indonesia's on Sulawesi island has killed 16 people, a local police official was quoted as saying on Monday by state news agency Antara.

GUATEMALA CITY - At least 15 people were killed and 19 injured after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine on the Inter-American Highway in western Guatemala, authorities said on Saturday.

A finance specialist who struggled after running in smog and a doctor who fears for the health of his children are among the activists spearheading landmark air pollution legislation in Thailand despite political uncertainty.

Ho Chi Minh City has been increasingly talking about ‘lifestyle economy’ as a new driver of growth, but for a metropolis of more than 10 million people, sustainable development must begin with the everyday rhythms of the majority of its residents.

The road leading to the peak of Bach Ma National Park in central Vietnam has been severely damaged by landslides following historic floods in October, bringing tourism to a near standstill and hampering forest protection patrols, local authorities said.

The Lion Championship 29 delivered a night of high-octane mixed martial arts (MMA) as Vietnamese and Chinese fighters went head-to-head in Hanoi on Saturday, with the marquee MMA Duo bout ending in an electrifying draw.

BEIJING - China's cyber regulator on Saturday issued draft rules for public comment that would tighten oversight of artificial intelligence services designed to simulate human personalities and engage users in emotional interaction.

Vietnam welcomes a new ceasefire reached between Thailand and Cambodia, expressing confidence that both countries will implement the accord effectively and continue peaceful negotiations to resolve their border disputes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Saturday.

Vietnam’s automotive market is set to welcome two entirely new brands in 2026, with Lotus and Zeekr officially confirmed for launch.

JAKARTA - Fernando Martin, a coach with Valencia CF, has died with three members of his family after their boat capsized in Indonesia, Spanish football clubs said.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Schools in Ho Chi Minh City may allow students to take up to 14 days off for the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, extending beyond the officially mandated 11-day break, according to guidance issued by the city’s education authority on Saturday.

A 47-year-old woman in Hanoi suffered severe chemical burns after a drain-cleaning product exploded while she was unclogging a toilet, prompting doctors at Hospital E to warn the public about the dangers of using corrosive household chemicals improperly.

Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense has deployed equipment and more than 200 personnel to contain and clean up an oil spill at the Dung Quat Economic Zone in central Quang Ngai Province, officials said at a press briefing on Saturday.

The Vietnamese Team CAPT, made up of four high school students, has claimed the second place in the Harvard Crimson Global Case Competition 2025, one of the world’s largest online academic contests for high school students.

A passenger bus carrying a charity group from Hanoi overturned on a mountainous road in Phinh Ho Commune, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam on Saturday morning, leaving nine people dead and eight others injured, local authorities confirmed after rescue operations were completed.

The Ho Chi Minh City administration has submitted an investment proposal for the Thu Thiem 4 Bridge, a major transport project worth over VND5.063 trillion (US$193 million), aiming to improve east-south connectivity and ease traffic congestion, with construction scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Despite the year-end shopping peak, many prime retail streets in Ho Chi Minh City continue to see shuttered storefronts and ‘for rent’ signs, as weak consumer demand, high operating costs, and a shift to online shopping force retailers to downsize or return leased properties.

As Vietnam enters a pivotal stage of development, the Vietnam Economy in 2025 and Prospects in 2026 Forum (VEPF) has served as a platform for dialogue between policymakers and the business community on the country’s growth path.

OTSU, SHIGA PREF. -- Otsu District Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by residents of Osaka and Shiga prefectures to shut down three Kansai Electric Power Co. nuclear plants along Wakasa Bay in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan.

TOKYO -- Japan's Children and Families Agency on Friday decided to collect 600 billion yen as so-called child-rearing support funds in the form of extra fees to be added to public medical insurance premiums in fiscal 2026, which starts next April.

Ho Chi Minh City’s high-tech park is seeking government approval to expand by about 200 hectares as authorities look to attract more advanced manufacturing and research projects, park officials said on Friday.

A police officer in Da Nang City, central Vietnam, descended into a storm drain to retrieve an iPhone for a Hong Kong tourist who accidentally dropped it while sightseeing, a quick response that highlighted local authorities' support for foreign visitors despite difficult weather conditions.

Police in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, have charged seven people after uncovering a scheme in which dead and diseased pigs buried after disease outbreaks were dug up, slaughtered, processed, and sold to the market, posing serious risks to public health and food safety.

On October 30, the Vietnamese government issued Decree No. 282/2025/ND-CP introducing a series of tougher deterrent measures, notably higher fines for accommodation establishments that fail to declare foreigners’ temporary residence as required by law.

Authorities in Binh Hung Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, said Wednesday they will use surveillance camera footage to identify and fine individuals responsible for illegal garbage dumping near Ong Be Bridge and along Nguyen Van Linh Street.

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES -- A ticket sold in Arkansas scored a $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot after Wednesday night's draw — one of the richest lottery prizes in U.S. history, landing just in time for Christmas.