Vietnam’s government has approved a special mechanism allowing state agencies to directly assign or place orders with domestic companies for technology transfer in major railway projects, a move that could benefit large industrial firms positioning for future rail investments.

TOKYO -- The Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward, a popular tourist spot crowded with food shoppers and inbound visitors, has issued an unusual request this month asking tour operators to refrain from guiding tourists there toward the end of the year to avoid causing problems.

A total of 105 people have been hospitalized in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam over the past several days for suspected food poisoning after consuming ‘banh mi’ from Hong Van outlets, Do Ngoc Hoa, deputy director of the local health department, said on Monday.

Children’s Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City has confirmed the deaths of two schoolchildren, a seven-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, who drowned in separate incidents at public swimming pools, despite the accidents occurring in shallow water and under teacher supervision.

HONG KONG -- China will cover all out-of-pocket expenses related to childbirth next year, said the country's national healthcare security administration, as authorities try to incentivise more young couples to have children.

As Vietnam’s largest airport, Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, is expected to unlock a wealth of opportunities when it enters commercial operations from mid-2026.

Authorities in Dak Lak Province, central Vietnam will break ground later this week on the Cu Lao Mai Nha high-end resort complex, a tourism project worth VND4.998 trillion (US$190 million), local officials said.

SYDNEY -- A brave few dashed towards Australia's Bondi Beach as a mass shooting unfolded on Sunday night, wading through fleeing crowds to rescue children, treat the injured and confront the gunmen.

A technical test flight will be conducted on Monday afternoon as a final rehearsal before Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam welcomes its first official flights on Friday, according to Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).

Vietnam inaugurated its first power project using imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Sunday, a US$1.4-billion cluster in Dong Nai Province designed to boost energy security and expand cleaner electricity generation.

Vietnamese rapper and music producer Rhymastic attended the premiere of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ in Wellington on Saturday as the only representative from Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific region, 20th Century Studios confirmed.

Thirty-six people in Lam Dong Province, central Vietnam were hospitalized after suspected food poisoning linked to 'banh mi' purchased from the same location in Phan Thiet Ward, the provincial health department said on Sunday evening.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Vietnamese people possess strong academic foundations and the capacity to compete internationally in knowledge and intellectual skills, but one of the most significant gaps lies in soft skills, particularly the ability to conduct independent research and exercise critical thinking.

Vietnam’s tourism industry is set to welcome its 20 millionth international visitor, scheduled to arrive in Phu Quoc Special Zone, an island administered by southern An Giang Province in mid-December, marking the first time the country will receive 20 million foreign travelers in a single year.

Five days after the opening ceremony for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, host nation Thailand has formally apologized to the Vietnamese sports delegation for an error involving the display of the map of Vietnam omitting Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Tuong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagos and Phu Quoc Island.

Expatriates in Vietnam, international visitors, and overseas Vietnamese have donated over VND1.65 billion (US$62,700) to help residents hit by floods and storms in Dak Lak Province, south-central Vietnam.

NEW DELHI - India tightened anti-pollution measures in Delhi and adjoining areas after the capital's air quality deteriorated to the season's worst.

More than 15,000 workers and 3,000 machines and pieces of equipment are racing against time at the construction site of the big-ticket Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City.

The 25th Audio Visual Equipment Show in Hanoi (AV Show Hanoi 2025) opened on Saturday, showcasing dozens of advanced audiovisual systems, including a US$190,000 made-in-Vietnam loudspeaker, and highlighting the growing sophistication of Vietnam’s high-end AV market.

BANGKOK - Thailand announced a curfew in its southeastern Trat province on Sunday as fighting with Cambodia spread to coastal areas of a disputed border region, two days after U.S. President and would-be peacemaker Donald Trump said the sides had agreed to stop.

A serious traffic accident claimed the lives of three people after a motorcycle slammed into the rear of a truck parked along the roadside in Krai Village, Chu Pah Commune, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam in the wee hours of Sunday.

More than 400 law enforcement personnel were deployed on Saturday as police sought the suspect in a shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island that left two students dead and another nine people wounded at the Ivy League school, officials said.

KOLKATA - Lionel Messi's tour of India kicked off chaotically on Saturday as fans threw objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch at Kolkata's Salt Lake stadium after the Argentine soccer great made only a brief appearance at a ticketed event.

Good morning from Vietnam!

In celebration of the 2025 European Pho Week, the Embassy of Vietnam in Germany on Friday hosted an exchange and promotional event for Vietnamese pho at Viet Pho Restaurant in Berlin.

Rising property prices in Vietnam are putting home ownership out of reach for many millennials and members of Generation Z, according to a new survey presented at the Vietnam Real Estate Summit (VRES 2025) in Ho Chi Minh City.

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper on Friday visited families affected by natural disasters in Yen Binh Commune, Lang Son Province, northern Vietnam as part of a U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance program aimed at helping northern Vietnamese communities recover from recent storms and floods.

Almost two weeks on from devastating floods, Muslim worshippers in Indonesia's Sumatra who gathered at their local mosque on Friday for prayers were blocked from entering by a huge pile of thousands of uprooted trees.

Vietnam and the United Kingdom on Thursday in Hanoi officially launched the Climate and Ocean Adaptation and Sustainable Transition (COAST) program, a five-year initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of Vietnam’s coastal communities and marine ecosystems in the face of climate change.

As Australia moves to bar children under 16 from using major social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, Vietnam is grappling with how to protect its younger internet users while recognizing the role of online connectivity in modern education and social life.

JPMorgan top boss Jamie Dimon signaled support for former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the U.S. central bank, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

Pho Day 2025 officially opened this morning in Ho Chi Minh City and is expected to welcome about 100,000 visitors, with the participation of nearly 30 pho brands from across Vietnam.

LONDON -- With The Magnum Ice Cream Company's shift towards beauty and wellbeing can fire up growth and margins.

Japanese businesses have called on Ho Chi Minh City to continue improving immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, saying waiting times remain long despite recent upgrades, according to remarks made at a business dialogue held on Friday in the city.