A new nursing home in Can Tho City, southern Vietnam officially opened on Saturday, offering free long-term care for up to 300 elderly people without family support.

As temperatures have soared across Ho Chi Minh City since early April, a prolonged heatwave is reshaping consumer habits and driving a surge in demand for cooling products such as drinks, juices and ice cream.

Prolonged extreme heat in Vietnam, with temperatures in some localities nearing 42 degrees Celsius in recent days, is increasing stroke risk, while a growing number of young patients is being reported, doctors said.

Demand for electric vehicles in Ho Chi Minh City has picked up sharply in recent weeks, with buyers placing deposits and waiting for deliveries as more affordable models enter the market and fuel prices climb, dealers and industry representatives said.

Health authorities in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam on Friday confirmed one death linked to suspected meningococcal meningitis after three suspected cases were identified and treated at a provincial hospital, prompting intensified disease monitoring and preventive measures.

In a community center in eastern China, Shu Fangqiang shrugged off his jacket and stepped onto a scale, one of hundreds of locals signing up for an unusual weight loss program -- 'Trade Fat for Beef'.

Police in northern Vietnam have charged a 62-year-old driver with resisting officers after he took a traffic violation file and locked himself inside his Mercedes during a dispute over a speeding offense, authorities said.

TOKYO -- Japan's industry ministry said on Saturday it has approved an additional 631.5 billion yen ($3.96 billion) to accelerate research and development at chipmaker Rapidus.

Vietnamese police detained three South Korean nationals wanted under Interpol red notices and handed them over to South Korean authorities on Thursday, authorities confirmed the same day.

MADRID -- At least one person died and 27 were injured after a bus carrying British tourists crashed down a ravine on the Spanish island of La Gomera, emergency services said on Friday.

Authorities in Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam on Friday confirmed a seventh suspected rabies-related death in 2026 after a 66-year-old man died following severe symptoms linked to dog bites, amid warnings of rising infection risks during ongoing hot weather.

Rising property prices in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang are pushing up living costs and putting pressure on low-income workers, with many earning under VND10 million (US$380) a month finding it increasingly difficult to get by, officials and residents said.

LONDON - Diminishing demand for late-night drinking and rising operating costs mean London's nightclubs are having to work harder than ever to keep their doors open.

AKITA -- A study is planned to analyze the impact of bear appearances on the daily lives and mental health of elderly residents in Akita Prefecture, which had the largest number of bear attack victims in Japan in fiscal 2025.

The People’s Committee of Da Nang City in central Vietnam has given its nod to the investment in two social housing projects in the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, with a combined capital exceeding VND1.56 trillion (US$59.2 million).

Doctors at Children’s Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City have saved two young boys in critical condition from hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a strain known for its rapid and severe neurological complications, a hospital official confirmed on Friday.

The United States has launched two large-scale trade investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 covering dozens of countries and territories, including Vietnam, over concerns related to excess capacity and forced labor, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health on Friday reported a sharp increase in the number of students suspected of food poisoning at Binh Quoi Tay Elementary School in Binh Quoi Ward, with 148 cases recorded as of this morning.

SYDNEY - Australian energy and water utilities warn the strain on capacity from a more than A$100 billion ($70 billion) data centre build-out in the country's biggest state could sharply push up household bills.

Forty-six commercial banks in Vietnam pledged to lower both deposit and lending interest rates at a meeting with the State Bank of Vietnam on Thursday in a bid to ease financial pressure on businesses and households.

For two decades, researchers observed members of the Ngogo chimpanzee group of Kibale National Park in Uganda spend their days eating fruits and leaves, resting, traveling and grooming in their tropical rainforest abode. But this stable community then fractured and descended into years of deadly violence.

Leading Japanese printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer Meiko Electronics will invest US$50 million to establish a new subsidiary in Vietnam, expanding production capacity as demand rises amid supply chain shifts to ASEAN, the company said in a statement.

The Vietnamese government has proposed reducing environmental and special consumption taxes on gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, and mazut to zero, as global energy prices continue to rise due to instability in the Middle East.

Good morning from Vietnam!

PARIS, France -- The emperor penguin has been declared an endangered species as climate change pushes the icon of Antarctica a step closer to extinction, the global authority on threatened wildlife announced on Thursday.

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday handled a sea turtle found dead on a Vung Tau beach, the second in less than a week, officials said.

Rare bird species, including spot-billed pelicans not seen for six years, have returned in large numbers to Tram Chim National Park in southern Vietnam over the past week, a park official said.

A consortium including Vietnam Maritime Corporation, Saigon Port JSC, and Terminal Investment Limited Holding S.A has submitted documents to develop the Can Gio international transshipment port project valued at VND128.872 trillion (US$4.9 billion) in Ho Chi Minh City.

Viet Duc University Hospital in Hanoi on Wednesday morning held a ceremony to honor the family of a 19-year-old British woman whose organ donation has saved three lives in Vietnam, transforming personal tragedy into a profound message of humanity without borders.

Authorities in Thai Nguyen Province, northern Vietnam have suspended a kindergarten principal after pork used in her school's meals tested positive for African swine fever, days after she and staff cooked and ate the meat in front of parents to demonstrate it was safe, officials said on Wednesday.

Good morning from Vietnam!

FTSE Russell has reaffirmed its plan to upgrade Vietnam’s stock market from frontier to secondary emerging market status, effective September 21, and released a preliminary list of 32 Vietnamese stocks eligible for potential inclusion in the FTSE Global All Cap Index.

During the first week of April 2026, we gained firsthand insight into South Korea’s strategic investment in its cultural industry, observing its robust promotion of books, the history of writing, and iconic sites like the Dae Jang Geum film set.

Prime ministers of Laos, China, and Cambodia have sent congratulatory messages to Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, expressing their readiness to work with the new leader to further strengthen bilateral relations with Vietnam.

The Ho Chi Minh City administration has announced plans to launch inspections of food suppliers and catering services that provide meals to schools, with a view to strengthening food safety compliance.