Ho Chi Minh City has moved closer to promoting tap drinking water as part of its push for a greener and more livable urban environment, with plans underway to develop standards governing public tap drinking water quality, according to an urban studies expert.

Former Prime Minister of South Korea Lee Hae-chan passed away in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday afternoon after suffering cardiac arrest, according to South Korean media.

Tours set during the Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet, are being booked earlier than ever, with many itineraries already sold out well before the peak travel period, according to several travel companies.

After just two weeks of construction, the long-vacant plot on Vo Van Tan Street, once considered prime land left idle for years in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, has been dramatically transformed into a vibrant public park bursting with flowers.

TAIPEI - U.S. climber Alex Honnold scaled the Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes or safety netting on Sunday, watched by thousands of cheering and waving fans as he clambered up one of the world's tallest buildings.

SYDNEY - New Zealand authorities suspended recovery efforts on Sunday for victims of a landslide that hit a busy campground on the country's North Island.

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SYDNEY -- An Australian boy had died in hospital after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour, his family said on Saturday after a series of shark attacks along the country's east coast.

Ho Chi Minh City police have dismantled a criminal ring involved in drug possession and organizing illegal drug use, pressing charges against 10 suspects including eight South Korean nationals, authorities said on Saturday.

Vietnam’s drug regulator on Friday ordered a nationwide recall of a batch of Diacerin 50 capsules used to treat osteoarthritis after tests showed the product failed to meet quality standards.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a letter of congratulations to the national under-23 football team and its coaching staff following their dramatic victory over South Korea in the third-place playoff at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup on Saturday.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has issued an urgent directive requiring schools to strictly monitor the origin and safety of food served in student meals.

Police in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam have arrested two suspects in connection with the discovery of a foreign man’s body on the Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway, a local police official confirmed on Friday, saying the case is linked to an illegal border-crossing network.

Ca Mau Province in southernmost Vietnam has approved plans to attract investors for two new wind power projects with a combined investment of more than VND4.8 trillion (US$183 million).

TAIPEI -- Poor weather on Saturday forced U.S. climber Alex Honnold to postpone his «free solo» rope and harness-free ascent of the outside of Taiwan's Taipei 101 skyscraper, one of the world's tallest buildings.

SYDNEY -- There will probably be no survivors of a landslide in New Zealand that hit a busy campground on the country's North Island, New Zealand police said on Saturday after human remains were found overnight.

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Halong Canfoco, the Vietnamese canned food producer involved in a diseased pork investigation, suspended production at its Hai Phong factory after its food safety and quality management certifications were revoked, leaving the company unable to circulate products on the market and with no clear timeline for resuming operations.

Vietnam's population reached 102.3 million in 2025, ranking third in Southeast Asia and 16th globally, but the country could see its population begin to shrink from 2051 if declining birth rates continue, according to population officials.

An unexploded cluster munition was discovered at an elementary school in central Vietnam during a clean-up activity, prompting authorities to suspend activities and call in a bomb disposal team, local officials said on Friday.

TOKYO -- The Japanese government adopted a package of measures Friday to address problems related to foreign nationals, including planned stricter rules on their acquisitions of Japanese land and nationality.

Remittances sent to Ho Chi Minh City through credit institutions and licensed economic organizations reached more than US$10.34 billion in 2025, up 8.3 percent from a year earlier, according to a State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) official.

Platinum Victory Pte Ltd, a unit of Jardine Cycle & Carriage Limited and part of the Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited, has registered to sell its entire stake in Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk), Vietnam’s largest dairy firm, according to a regulatory filing.

Top-ranked pickleball player Federico Staksrud will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City to headline the Miami Pickleball Club - Legend Tour 2026, scheduled for January 28-29.

The Australian Embassy in Vietnam hosted a reception on Thursday evening to congratulate the Vietnamese women’s national football team ahead of their participation in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which will be held in Australia in March.

After just a few days of renovation, Ben Thanh Market in downtown Ho Chi Minh City has taken on a strikingly refreshed appearance, surprising and captivating both residents and tourists.

Wards and communes across Ho Chi Minh City have intensified efforts to restore order on sidewalks and roadways over the past few days, underscoring a strong determination to improve the urban landscape and return public space to pedestrians.

Vietnam’s National Competition Commission has imposed maximum administrative fines on the operators of the Zalo and TikTok platforms for violations of consumer protection regulations.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction is set to announce a list of streets and specific locations eligible for the installation of electric motorbike battery-swap cabinets on sidewalks in January.

WinCommerce, the retail arm of Masan Group (MSN) and the operator of the WinMart, WinMart+, and WiN chains, has set an ambitious target of opening 1,000-1,500 new stores in 2026, with a strong focus on rural areas.

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Frost covered Mau Son Mountain peak in Lang Son Province early on Thursday as temperatures dropped to minus 0.1 degree Celsius, the lowest level recorded so far during the ongoing cold spell in northern Vietnam, a meteorological official said.

Schools in Ho Chi Minh City have been required to clean student toilets multiple times a day under new guidelines issued by the local education authority, marking the first time specific hygiene standards have been formally set for the schools.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh avenged a previous defeat as she beat seventh seed Chiu Pin-Chian of Taiwan in straight games to reach the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters 2026 on Thursday.

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