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.

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.

‘Banh mi’ is not just a convenient meal; it is part of urban life and a defining feature of Vietnam’s street-food culture.

Vietnam has been rated as having met all United Nations (UN) operational readiness standards following a comprehensive assessment of its Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7 in South Sudan.

TOKYO -- The Japanese government is considering requiring foreign visitors to obtain private health insurance before arriving in the country, Jiji Press learned Wednesday.

A foreign-invested enterprise employing more than 2,600 workers in Ho Chi Minh City has announced it will halt production and business activities in February, citing a prolonged shortage of orders and a restructuring of its manufacturing operations.

India has granted initial clearance to two airlines to begin operations, weeks after mass cancellations by the country's largest airline IndiGo brought into focus the lack of competition in the world's fastest-growing aviation market.

A young man in Ca Mau, the southernmost province of Vietnam, has earned public praise after finding a bag containing gold jewelry and VND54 million (US$2,050) in cash and promptly bringing it to police to help locate the rightful owner, local authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

Vietnam’s largest conglomerate Vingroup said on Thursday it had requested the government to withdraw its registration to invest in the planned North–South high-speed railway that would cost more than US$60 billion, citing the need to focus resources on other priority infrastructure and energy projects.

TCP Group has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Central Committee of the Vietnam National Union of Students (VNUS) to implement the ‘Community Awareness & Action Project on Water Conservation’ for the 2026-28 period.

Cao Thi Ngoc Bao, compliance director at the British Council Vietnam, has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the British royal family in recognition of her long-standing contributions to educational and cultural cooperation between Vietnam and the UK, the British Council announced.

The Vietnamese government has approved a four-day break for the 2026 New Year holiday, following a proposal by the Ministry of Home Affairs.