SAPPORO -- A popular annual snow festival kicked off in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, on Wednesday, showcasing 210 ice and snow sculptures across three venues.

BANGKOK -- Thai and Japanese police authorities agreed to closely cooperate to eradicate human trafficking after a Thai girl was discovered to have been forced to provide sexual services at a massage parlor in Tokyo.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has issued new regulations allowing foreign investors to trade through global brokerage firms without opening accounts at domestic securities companies, a move aimed at boosting the country’s upgrade to emerging market status.

SINGAPORE -- Boeing expects to begin delivering improved 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliners to airlines in the first half of this year, enabling longer flights or greater cargo capability, a senior executive said on Wednesday.

Vietnam and Jordan have agreed to boost bilateral trade to US$1 billion by 2035, with the latter proposing the establishment of a free trade zone for Vietnamese goods in its territory to help serve Middle Eastern markets, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam needs exemplary court rulings and tough closure orders against tourism businesses where violence against visitors occurs.

Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam has received nine international cruise ship calls since the start of the year, bringing thousands of foreign tourists ashore and signaling a recovery in cruise tourism, local authorities said.

The shared future of Asia and Japan

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have uncovered a large-scale ring accused of producing and selling counterfeit RON A95 gasoline by blending genuine fuel with industrial solvents and colorants, a scheme that authorities say posed serious risks to consumers and disrupted the fuel market.

Dozens of people in Ho Chi Minh City were rushed to hospital for emergency treatment after developing symptoms consistent with food poisoning following a year-end party held a few days ago.

PARIS -- French police raided the offices of Elon Musk's social media network X on Tuesday and prosecutors ordered the tech billionaire to face questions in a widening investigation, amid growing scrutiny of the platform by authorities across Europe.

Authorities in Dak Lak Province, central Vietnam have suspended visitor access to three major waterfalls during the Lunar New Year holiday to ensure public safety, citing inadequate infrastructure and emergency preparedness.

Ethiopian Airlines said on Tuesday it is offering discounts of up to 80 percent on base economy fares for passengers departing from Singapore during the Lunar New Year holiday, as Africa’s largest airline steps up efforts to expand its presence in Vietnam.

An amateur fisherman in Da Nang City, central Vietnam caught a massive mackerel weighing 63 kilograms and measuring 1.7 meters while angling off the rocky coast of Son Tra Peninsula on Sunday.

Spring has brought renewed vitality to the century-old French-style villa at No. 1 Pasteur Street, a rare architectural relic in Da Nang City, which is poised to be transformed into a new cultural and tourism destination.

A Lexus driver has been prosecuted for violating road traffic regulations after opening his car door without checking for oncoming vehicles, triggering a chain collision that killed a five-year-old boy in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, according to local police.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has defended ongoing renovation works at the iconic Ben Thanh Market and Ho Con Rua (Turtle Lake) roundabout after a proposal from the city’s Department of Planning and Architecture called for a temporary halt, citing public debate over aesthetics and landscape harmony.

Pham Thu Huong, Pham Thuy Hang and Ngo Chi Dung have been named among the world’s billionaires by Forbes.

Qantas Airways said on Tuesday it would sell its stake in low-cost carrier Jetstar Japan to focus on its core domestic offerings as the Australian flag carrier faces softer corporate demand and higher fuel costs.

Party General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday held separate meetings with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, who is visiting Vietnam as special envoy of the Communist Party and the State of Cuba.

Electric-vehicle maker Tesla introduced a new variant of its Model Y vehicle in the United States priced at $41,990, the company's website showed on Monday.

GUANGZHOU -- China's annual Spring Festival travel rush, a 40-day period commonly referred to as the world's largest annual human migration, kicked off on Monday ahead of an extended Lunar New Year holiday.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Doctors at Children’s Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City have restored healthy hearts to more than 13,000 children with severe congenital defects over the past two decades, marking major breakthroughs that are helping push Vietnam’s pediatric medicine toward regional and global recognition.

Authorities in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam will open a new seaside pedestrian street along My Khe Beach on Saturday, aiming to boost night-time tourism and extend visitor stays.

Vietnamese police have criminally detained three local men after they allegedly attacked a group of foreign tourists outside a bar in downtown Nha Trang, an incident that was captured on video and widely shared on social media.

TOKYO -- The Japanese tourism ministry plans to strengthen financial support for town development efforts by municipalities that utilize historical tourism resources in fiscal 2026, which starts in April.

TOKYO -- Japan has successfully retrieved rare earth-rich sediment from the deep seabed, marking a step toward a potential domestic supply of rare earths, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said Monday.

Police in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam are investigating the deaths of two men and the hospitalization of three others after they drank homemade liquor infused with a traditional herb at a private home, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

Vietnamese police have dismantled a drug trafficking network that operated under the guise of selling e-cigarettes and cannabinoids (CBD) vaping products, directly targeting teenagers and students.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for action-oriented reforms to strengthen the state-owned economic sector, including clarifying its role, removing bottlenecks in tapping national resources, expanding public–private cooperation, and piloting executive hiring to unlock new growth drivers for Vietnam’s economy.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Vietnamese striker Nguyen Dinh Bac has made history at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup by winning six individual awards, the most ever recorded in a single continental tournament at the junior level.

The Vietnamese government has issued a new directive demanding urgent measures to prevent school violence, including removing toxic online content that negatively affects students, amid growing public concern over serious incidents involving school-aged children.

Vietnamese high school students won one gold and two bronze medals at the 2026 International Project Chemistry Olympiad (IPCO) held in Russia, continuing the country's strong performance at the prestigious international chemistry competition, according to the Vietnam Chemical Society.