Escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, are prompting Vietnamese logistics providers and exporters to watch developments closely, with many reconsidering whether to accept new shipments to the region.

Good morning from Vietnam!

As students return to school after the Lunar New Year holiday, many are entering a decisive period marked by crucial exams in Vietnam, from the grade 10 entrance test to the 2026 high school graduation exam, which is expected to take place earlier than usual.

TOKYO -- Tokyo police have arrested three men for their alleged involvement in employing Vietnamese nationals without work permits at a factory in the city of Fukuroi in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan.

Hoi An, a ward in Da Nang City, central Vietnam and home to Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been named Vietnam’s most welcoming destination for 2026 in the 14th edition of Booking.com’s Traveller Review Awards, which was announced on Wednesday.

Vietnam’s wood furniture companies are increasingly targeting direct sales to U.S. consumers through cross-border e-commerce under the business-to-consumer (B2C) model, a move expected to help the industry raise product value and build its own brands.

FRANKFURT, Germany -- German agrichemical giant Bayer said Wednesday that a US judge had granted preliminary approval for a multi-billion-dollar class settlement proposed by its subsidiary Monsanto over claims the Roundup weedkiller causes blood cancer.

Vietnamese police have charged 30 suspects linked to the online system known as ‘Xoi Lac TV’ with copyright infringement and gambling-related offenses after uncovering a network that was accused of illegally streaming sports content and directed users to betting platforms, authorities said on Thursday.

Phu Nhuan Jewelry JSC (PNJ), one of Vietnam’s leading jewelry brands, has established a financial services subsidiary with a charter capital of about US$1.9 million, marking a significant step in diversifying its business portfolio.

The number of people hospitalized following a suspected food poisoning incident linked to a street ‘banh mi’ stall in Vung Tau Ward, Ho Chi Minh City had risen to 92 as of Wednesday night.

Customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi have seized more than 12.3 kilograms of yellow metal, suspected to be gold bars, hidden in the underwear and clothing of four passengers arriving from Taiwan, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

An English-language center in Dak Lak Province, south-central Vietnam that advertised courses taught by foreign teachers has shut down after collecting tuition fees, leaving some parents still awaiting refunds, education authorities said.

Granting each property a unique identification code and publishing transaction data on a state-managed information system are poised to fundamentally reshape the rules of Vietnam’s real estate market in the years ahead.

About 20 million people in Vietnam are living with overweight or obesity, yet many fail to recognize the health risks or resort to extreme weight-loss measures instead of seeking proper medical care, experts said at a press briefing in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

As Vietnam’s wood and furniture industry deepens its integration into global markets, industry groups say stronger cooperation and greater value creation are becoming increasingly critical.

Unseasonal rains will possibly affect about one-third of southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, on Thursday and Friday as strong upper-level disturbances trigger late-afternoon and evening showers during the peak of the dry season.

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday unveiled a plan to establish a panel of experts as early as this summer to discuss ways to strengthen the country's intelligence capabilities, a senior ruling party official said.

Governments and airlines scrambled Tuesday to repatriate tens of thousands of travellers stranded in the Middle East following the eruption of a regional conflict sparked by Israel-US strikes on Iran.

TOKYO -- Businesses in Japan are working to address increasingly complex demands and expectations related to workplace anti-harassment measures.

VinEnergo Energy JSC, a member of Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate Vingroup, has launched its first overseas renewable energy portfolio totaling 10GW across Asia and Europe, which is the first step toward developing 100GW of capacity over the next three years as it seeks to become a globally competitive renewable energy enterprise.

Hanoi police on Tuesday said they had dismantled a transnational cyber fraud ring that impersonated Japanese police and judicial officials, arresting seven foreign suspects accused of swindling about VND11 billion (US$420,000) from victims in Japan.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training has issued Circular 09/2026 consolidating regulations on foreign language and Vietnamese language proficiency testing.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has revoked the registration of 291 cosmetic products, including items marketed under brands such as Paula’s Choice, Lemonade, and Dove, and ordered a nationwide recall of all unexpired batches, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) said.

Vietnam has aired its opposition to the use of force against sovereign states, warning that escalating hostilities in the Middle East have caused heavy damage, endangered civilians including Vietnamese nationals, and disrupted global economic stability, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism has issued a directive requiring travel companies to halt outbound tours to conflict-affected areas.

Xuan Thien Group has proposed investing in an industrial-agricultural complex integrated with urban, tourism, and energy components, with a total value of approximately VND260 trillion (US$10 billion) in the coastal area of Ca Mau, the only locality in Vietnam that borders both the East Vietnam Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup has proposed a major offshore wind power project in the southern province of Ca Mau, seeking approval to develop a 3,000MW facility aimed at exporting electricity.

Authorities in Vung Tau Ward, Ho Chi Minh City have ordered a local ‘banh mi’ shop to suspend operations after several customers were hospitalized with suspected food poisoning.

Hundreds of thousands more children face acute malnutrition in Afghanistan this year amid a hunger crisis exacerbated by foreign aid cuts and violence on the border with Pakistan, a U.N. official said on Tuesday.

A family of four from the United States spent some US$3,000 per person on a 10- to 12-day year-end journey through Vietnam, choosing not luxury resorts or crowded tourist attractions, but the rhythms of everyday rural life.

Vietnam will receive the highest number of Taiwan scholarships in 2026, with 76 awards allocated, far surpassing other countries, the second of which receives only about 50.

Flight cancellations, sudden route changes, being stranded abroad, returning home or continuing their journeys under heightened caution have become unwanted, unforgettable experiences for many Vietnamese travelers as armed conflicts have erupted across parts of the Middle East.

Vietnamese airlines have announced a series of support measures for passengers affected by the temporary closure of Lien Khuong International Airport, the key aviation gateway to Da Lat in the Central Highlands region.

Vietnam has ordered companies to temporarily suspend sending workers to the Middle East as conflict in the region intensifies, the Department of Overseas Labor Management said.

Vietnam’s EV maker VinFast on Tuesday announced the completion of its three strategic automotive brand lines and unveiled two new ultra-luxury models, including the Lac Hong 800S and Lac Hong 900S.