Good morning from Vietnam!

Vietnam’s textile and garment businesses reported robust first-quarter earnings in 2025, defying global economic uncertainty and buoyed by shifting trade patterns as Chinese goods face stricter U.S. tariffs.

TOKYO -- Panasonic Holdings said on Friday it will cut 10,000 staff and expects to book restructuring costs of 130 billion yen ($896.06 million) this business year as part of an overhaul of the company.

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have begun compiling lists of women who gave birth to two children before the age of 35 to provide them with financial support of VND3 million (US$115) per person – a policy to address falling birth rates.

VIC shares of Vingroup, the largest private conglomerate in Vietnam, continued to rise sharply on Thursday, contributing to Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong’s net worth of US$9 billion.

Vietnamese bird’s nest exporters must now test for aluminum residues in their products, with levels not exceeding 100mg per kilogram of dry weight, as per new Chinese import regulations.

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking delegation arrived at Vnukovo-2 Airport in Moscow on Thursday evening (local time) for an official visit to Russia, following the successful conclusion of a two-day state visit to Azerbaijan.

A strong cold front is forecast to reach northern Vietnam this weekend, bringing widespread rain, thunderstorms, and a noticeable drop in temperatures, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The People’s Committee of District 3 in Ho Chi Minh City has issued an administrative fine of VND31.5 million (US$1,212) against a parking lot operator featured in a viral video alleging it charged VND100,000 ($3.85) per motorbike, 10-20 times the common price for the downtown district.

Vietnam Airlines has officially resumed direct flights between Hanoi and Moscow, ending a three-year suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and global geopolitical tensions.

MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United booked their berth in the Europa League final after a 4-1 semi-final thrashing of Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, with Mason Mount scoring twice to give the hosts a 7-1 aggregate win and a chance for the beleaguered team to hoist some silverware this season.

BODO, Norway -- Tottenham Hotspur avoided any mishaps in the Arctic Circle by easing into the Europa League final with a composed 2-0 win at Norway's Bodo/Glimt for a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday.

Good morning from Vietnam!

The newly inaugurated Terminal 3 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City encountered a roof leak issue during a heavy rainstorm on Wednesday, less than a month after opening, prompting public concerns over the quality of the VND11 trillion (US$423.56 million) facility.

Authorities in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, have ordered an urgent cleanup of agricultural waste in the Dankia – Suoi Vang reservoir, a critical source of drinking water for tourist-popular Da Lat City, after heavy rains earlier this month washed large volumes of debris into the lake.

Vietnamese travel businesses are preparing to seize new opportunities as the central government considers a limited visa-free policy for selected foreign nationals, part of the broader efforts to help the country achieve its 2025 economic goals.

Eighteen top educational institutions from Christchurch, New Zealand will offer free STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) lessons to Vietnamese students in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on May 17 and 18, respectively.

A mother and her 10-year-old son were killed by a lightning strike while working on their farm in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam on Wednesday afternoon, a local official confirmed the same day.

Following Pakistan’s temporary closure of its airspace from 2:55 am on Wednesday (Vietnam time), national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has adjusted flight paths to ensure safety for its Europe-bound operations.

A market monitoring team in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam has fined a floating eatery in Nha Trang Bay which was caught overcharging guests VND20.75 million (US$800).

Good morning from Vietnam!

Vietnam is advancing an initiative to make healthcare more accessible and affordable, with plans to implement free medical check-ups nationwide in the near term and gradually eliminate hospitalization fees from 2030 to 2035.

Visa has announced a collaboration with ETC Technology Systems Corporation (ETC) and EPAY Services Corporation (EPAY), two pioneers in Vietnam's IT and digital payments landscape, to deploy holistic solutions, from acceptance to card issuing.

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam has called on the education sector and local authorities to prepare for free full-day schooling at elementary and middle school levels starting from the 2025-26 academic year.

Amid rising protectionism and the U.S.'s strict tariff policies, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recommended that Vietnam and other ASEAN countries strengthen regional cooperation to build resilience against external shocks.

Northern and central Vietnam will continue facing intense heat through Friday, with some areas seeing temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius before a weak cold front brings showers and thunderstorms, according to the national weather center.

A floating lantern festival to pray for peace illuminated the evening sky in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday, with 35,000 lotus-shaped lanterns glowing as part of the 20th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations 2025 (Vesak 2025), which officially began earlier the same day in the southern Vietnamese metropolis.

Vietnam’s budget carrier Vietjet recorded a pre-tax profit of VND836 billion (US$32.2 million) last quarter, up 24 percent year on year, according to its business performance report.

Global rice prices, which have tumbled to multi-year lows, are unlikely to fall further with top exporter India's currency firming, but bulging Indian stockpiles and a bumper Asian crop will cap any rebound this year, industry executives say.

Vietnam Airlines flight VN37 from Hanoi to Frankfurt was forced to divert and made an emergency landing at Erzurum Airport in Turkey on Tuesday, after a 61-year-old Vietnamese passenger experienced severe breathing difficulties mid-flight.

The State Bank of Vietnam should increase the participation of foreign investors in local banks to enhance the brand value of banks in Vietnam, a Harvard expert proposed at a forum in Hanoi on Monday.

Thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns, and devotees gathered at Viet Nam Quoc Tu Pagoda in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday to venerate the heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, a revered Vietnamese monk who self-immolated in 1963 in protest of religious repression.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted an official welcome ceremony in Astana on Tuesday for Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, who are on a three-day state visit to the Central Asian country.

Vietnamese seafood exporters are accelerating shipments to the U.S. over the next two months in a bid to beat a looming July 9 deadline, when a 90-day delay on Washington’s global reciprocal tariff policy is set to expire.

A taxi company in Da Lat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong said it would give one of its electric taxi drivers the sack after a video surfaced on social media on Monday, showing the driver lowering the window on the driver’s side, resting his foot on it while driving.