The 2025 Green Vietnam Festival opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, drawing thousands of participants who brought used cartons, plastic bottles, and small batteries for recycling, in a sign that more consumers are gradually adopting greener daily habits.

The U.S. has pledged an additional US$500,000 in emergency aid to help Vietnam recover from storms Fengshen and Kalmaegi, which recently hit the country's central provinces, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said on Thursday.

Vietnam and the United States made significant headway on multiple technical issues during the fifth round of in-person negotiations on a bilateral reciprocal trade agreement held in Washington, D.C., from November 12 to 14, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade.

GSM and VinBus, part of billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong's Vingroup ecosystem, launched School Bus as Vietnam's first specialized electric school transport service this week.

Crowds drifted between booths piled with recycled gifts, green products, and interactive games at the 2025 Green Vietnam Festival, which commenced at Ho Chi Minh City’s Youth Culture House on Saturday, proving that the fair has quickly become a trusted destination for residents eager to practice sustainable living.

More than 40 percent of adults aged 50 and older with certain chronic health conditions underestimate their personal risk of severe illness from respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, even as the virus causes millions of infections each year, according to a global survey released during RSV Awareness Week.

Ayutthaya (Thailand) -- For three months, Thai retiree Somkid Kijniyom has been sleeping in a small boat surviving on dry food handouts in the waist-high floodwaters that have filled his home.

Big tech platforms, including TikTok and Netflix, are all looking to add video podcasts to their content, a rapidly growing format that attracts a young audience prized by advertisers and where YouTube dominates.

BANGKOK -- Thailand will go ahead with talks on finalizing a reciprocal trade deal with the United States, a government spokesperson said on Saturday, adding the discussions will remain separate from issues relating to its border dispute with Cambodia.

LISBON -- Violent weather brought on by storm Claudia killed three people and injured dozens in Portugal, authorities there said on Saturday, while in Britain rescue workers were organizing evacuations due to heavy flooding in Wales and England.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Seventeen notable films produced over the fifty years since Vietnam’s reunification on April 30, 1975 will be screened at Le Grand Rex in Paris, France in December.

Vietnam possesses many high-quality rice varieties, yet most remain unfamiliar to global consumers due to weak branding, inconsistent market positioning and the absence of a long-term strategy, according to Do Ha Nam, chairman of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).

Vietnam is seeing a sharp rise in cancer cases, with new diagnoses nearly doubling over the past decade, underscoring the urgent need for stronger prevention strategies, wider screening programs, and expanded treatment resources.

WASHINGTON -- Dogs today come in a mind-blowing array of shapes and sizes, from the diminutive pug, Pekingese and Pomeranian to the grand Irish Wolfhound, Great Dane and Saint Bernard. But when did this diversity in canine forms begin? New research shows it dates back many millennia, long before modern breeding practices.

The U.S. International Trade Commission decided on Friday to hold a new proceeding to determine whether imports of Apple's updated Apple Watches should be banned as part of a patent dispute with medical monitoring technology company Masimo.

Hundreds of spectators gathered Saturday in Long Thanh Commune, An Giang Province, southern Vietnam to watch a men’s composite boat race along the Ben Nhut – Giong Rieng canal.

LUXEMBOURG -- Germany forward Nick Woltemade scored twice in the second half to give the four-time world champions a hard-earned 2-0 win over Luxembourg in their penultimate 2026 World Cup qualifier on Friday, leaving them on the brink of automatic qualification.

Da Nang City, central Vietnam is forecast to face a prolonged period of heavy rainfall beginning Saturday night, with some areas receiving over 700 mm of rain, due to a strengthened cold front combined with an active easterly wind band, according to the central weather center.

RIYADH - Cristiano Ronaldo. Naomi Campbell. Sofia Vergara.

LOS ANGELES -- The popular Labubu dolls that have ignited a global frenzy may light up movie screens in the future, the Hollywood Reporter said on Friday.

A dolphin measuring about two meters in length has washed ashore along the coast of Nam Cam Ranh Commune in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, prompting a round-the-clock rescue effort by residents.

VinMetal Joint Stock Company, a newly-established subsidiary of billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong’s Vingroup, has increased its charter capital from VND10 trillion (US$380 million) to VND15 trillion ($570 million), according to its business registration update released on Thursday.

TOKYO -- An international nongovernmental organization tackling environment issues has picked Japan for its Fossil of the Day award, suggesting that the country's efforts to combat climate change are inadequate.

A pair of swivelling, human-like robotic arms, built for physical artificial intelligence research, mirror the motions of an operator in a VR headset twirling his hands like a magician.

A Swiss Gruyere was crowned the 2025 World Cheese Champion on Thursday, seeing off competition from more than 5,000 rivals from 46 countries.

The European Union and Australia have announced more than US$755,000 in new humanitarian assistance for Vietnam to support communities in the central and Central Highlands regions affected by storms Fengshen and Kalmaegi, the 12th and 13th storms to hit the East Vietnam Sea in 2025.

A delegation of Dutch and Vietnamese aquaculture experts on Thursday visited the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve in Ho Chi Minh City to gain deeper insight into the importance of preserving the area’s natural ecosystems.

Extended periods of rain triggered by recent storms in northern and central Vietnam have pushed vegetable and fruit prices up sharply across many traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City.

Nguyen Van Duoc, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, and German Consul General Andrea Maria Suhl discussed strengthening cooperation in education and training, infrastructure development, and the city’s international financial center plan during a reception for the diplomat on Wednesday.

Jordan expressed its readiness to support Vietnam in developing its halal industry and to open its market to Vietnamese halal products during a high-level meeting between Vietnam’s State President Luong Cuong and Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein in Hanoi on Wednesday.

Motorola has officially announced its return to Vietnam’s smartphone market, with the launch of five innovative phone models after nearly a decade away.

SEOUL -- Flights are temporarily halted, the stock market will trade an hour later and parents are packing shrines for prayers -- it can only be college entry exam day for South Korean students.

BRUSSELS -- Europe's telecoms operators are set to gain access to the bulk of key spectrum coveted also by internet providers, with the backing of an advisory body to the European Commission, people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

TOKYO -- The Japanese government and the ruling coalition are considering a plan to raise the so-called departure tax from the current 1,000 yen per person to 3,000 yen or more to fund measures against overtourism, informed sources said Thursday.