TOKYO -- Japan cut passport issuance fees on Wednesday, lowering the cost of a 10-year passport for adults to 8,900 yen from 15,900 yen if an application is filed online.

SAO PAULO -- Members of the Mercosur trade bloc in South America formally announced the start of negotiations for an economic partnership agreement with Japan at a summit in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion on Tuesday.

Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defense industry cooperation during talks between high-ranking delegations from their defense ministries on Tuesday.

Hanoi has officially launched a citywide program offering free periodic health check-ups and disease screening to an estimated 9.2 million residents, while also expanding health insurance coverage and increasing support for voluntary social insurance participants.

Vietnamese searches containing the keyword ‘World Cup’ rose 1,550 percent from a month before the tournament after kick-off, while searches for ‘football’ increased 480 percent, according to Coc Coc Research data released on Tuesday.

Honda Vietnam, a subsidiary of Japanese vehicle maker Honda, is recalling nearly 90,000 SH 125i and SH 160i scooters for inspection and an instrument cluster software update after identifying some cases of inaccurate or missing display information and a risk that the vehicles may fail to start.

Prisoners in Vietnam will be allowed to make one video or phone call to relatives in the country each month for up to 10 minutes under the 2025 Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments, effective from July 1 this year.

The lotus season is at its peak in Hue City, central Vietnam with thousands of white lotus flowers in full bloom at Tinh Tam Lake, transforming the historic site inside the Imperial Citadel into one of the city’s most captivating seasonal attractions.

TOKYO -- Japan's industry ministry said Tuesday that it will provide 387.3 billion yen in aid for a project to develop a domestic model that serves as the foundation of a physical artificial intelligence system that controls robots.

Vietnam’s stock market is expected to draw momentum from infrastructure construction, building material, and banking stocks in the second half of 2026, according to Huynh Anh Huy, director of Industry Analysis at Kafi Securities.

Many YouTube users in Vietnam have reported that advertisements on smart TVs remain unskippable for more than five seconds, despite a new regulation requiring video and animated image ads to allow users to skip them after no more than five seconds.

Police in Hanoi will operate 2,460 new AI-powered cameras starting July 1 to strengthen traffic management and public security across the Vietnamese capital, authorities announced on Monday as they launched phase two of the city’s command information center project.

Tay Ninh Province in southern Vietnam has secured a series of investment and cooperation agreements worth more than US$3 billion with major investors from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany during an investment promotion tour of Europe.

MONTERREY, Mexico - Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties on Monday to reach the World Cup last 16 after their Round of 32 tie ended 1-1 following extra time, setting up a meeting with co-hosts Canada.

Vietnam will begin issuing official warnings to drivers who transport young children without appropriate child safety restraints from August 15, under a new government decree aimed at strengthening road safety standards and enhancing protections for child passengers.

Ho Chi Minh City police have dismantled a major interprovincial ring accused of manufacturing, trafficking, and possessing illegal military-grade firearms sold through Facebook, arresting 30 suspects and seizing dozens of guns, ammunition, and weapon-making equipment.

The yen slumped to levels not seen since 1986 on Tuesday, stoking worries that direct intervention from Tokyo was around the corner, while the dollar backed away from 13-month highs ahead of jobs data that could influence the U.S. rate outlook.

Thousands of residents visited the Museum of Hanoi on Monday afternoon as the Hanoi People's Committee officially opened an exhibition showcasing the capital's 100-year master plan.

Income earned from overtime work, night shifts and payments for unused annual leave will be exempt from personal income tax in Vietnam beginning July 1 this year, under the revised Personal Income Tax Law.

HOUSTON - Brazil survived a World Cup last-32 scare when they fought back to beat Japan 2-1 after Gabriel Martinelli squeezed in a shot at the far post deep in stoppage time on Monday.

Paraguay stunned four-time world champions Germany 4-3 on penalties on Monday to advance to the World Cup round of 16 in one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history, after the teams were tied 1-1 over 120 minutes.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Vietnam should develop its film industry into a dynamic ecosystem that integrates culture, tourism, and creative technology to strengthen both economic growth and cultural influence, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said while attending the fourth Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV) in Da Nang on Sunday.

The nursing chief at Ca Mau General Hospital in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam has developed a device that automatically monitors intravenous (IV) drip rates, helping reduce nurses’ workload while improving patient safety, at a cost of only about US$76 per unit.

An Italian lawyer has spent more than four years pursuing legal action in a cross-border fraud case involving 100 containers of cashew nuts exported by Vietnamese companies, even after five of the six affected businesses withdrew from the criminal proceedings.

A 43-year-old Russian woman who suffered a stroke while vacationing in Phan Thiet, Lam Dong Province has made a remarkable recovery after receiving emergency treatment at 115 People's Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam’s three domestic air carriers, including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Vietravel Airlines, have submitted their plans to operate flights at Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, which is set to begin operations by the end of 2026, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).

BYD Auto Vietnam and FUTA EV Power, an electric vehicle charging infrastructure developer under Vietnamese transport firm FUTA Group, said on Sunday they had agreed to share EV charging infrastructure, allowing BYD owners in Vietnam to use the latter’s nationwide charging network.

TOKYO -- Japanese biotechnology startup PorMedTec Co. said Monday that it will conduct Japan's first clinical trials of pig-to-human kidney transplantation at two hospitals in the country as early as 2028.

TOKYO -- The amount of spent fuel generated at Japanese nuclear power plants that were reactivated under new safety standards introduced in the wake of the nation's worst nuclear accident in 2011 totaled about 1,450 tons as of the end of May this year, Jiji Press has learned.

A 29-year-old French cyclist will set off next week on a 19,000-kilometer journey to Vietnam, crossing 14 mountain passes above 2,000 meters in pursuit of a long-held dream inspired by a life-changing accident and a passion for discovering new cultures.

Traffic police in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam, have fined four drivers of three-wheeled motorcycles after a video shared on social media showed them transporting members of a wedding procession while committing multiple traffic violations.

South Korea is set to unveil three «mega-projects» to fuel its next growth phase, including a new semiconductor hub in the southwest that local media say could attract investments by Samsung and SK spanning hundreds of billions of dollars over several years.

Ho Chi Minh City is rolling out a series of measures to encourage residents to switch from private vehicles to buses, including free fares on most routes from July 1, alongside fleet modernization, upgraded bus shelters, and improved ticketing and passenger services.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security on Monday announced temporary traffic restrictions on several downtown streets to facilitate celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the city named after President Ho Chi Minh on Thursday.