Vietnam is facing a shortage of Russian-speaking tour guides as the number of Russian tourists surged 185.8 percent year on year in the first half of 2026, with travel businesses struggling to find enough personnel to serve this market.

More than a gateway for goods and capital, Ho Chi Minh City’s true legacy is its role as the intellectual bridge between Vietnam and the global economy.

Ho Chi Minh City is targeting 10.2-percent GRDP growth in 2026, one of Vietnam’s most ambitious economic goals, as authorities seek to sustain momentum through investment, institutional reforms, innovation, and new growth drivers.

An emergency excavation at Chau Sa Ancient Citadel in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam has uncovered three roof tile kilns dating back to around the second and third centuries.

Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested dozens of suspects and seized nearly 1,700 e-cigarette pods containing etomidate, raising concerns over the growing use of the drug in disguised forms.

Traffic accidents involving sleeper buses claimed 199 lives in Vietnam between February 1 and July 5, underscoring growing concerns over road safety.

TOKYO -- A consortium for the construction of a tunnel for the planned extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train line was found to have engaged in fraud for concrete quality control tests, it was learned Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to fund a Vietnam-U.S. project worth more than US$15.6 million to develop the tilapia value chain, a department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has said.

Firefighters struggled on Tuesday to contain Spain's largest wildfire of the year, while two firefighters were killed battling a fire in southwestern France, as an extreme heatwave continued to fuel dangerous conditions across Europe, bringing drought and forecasts of severe hailstorms.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Millennium, an Indian tile manufacturer with an annual production capacity of more than 82 million square meters and an export network spanning over 85 countries, has launched representative offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Lo Village in Dak Lak Province has been selected by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism as one of five Vietnamese nominees for UN Tourism’s 2026 Best Tourism Villages initiative.

Vietnam’s transition toward electric mobility is offering a bigger opportunity to domestic electric motorcycle manufacturers to challenge the long-standing dominance of foreign motorcycle brands in the local two-wheeler market.

As the new school year approaches in Vietnam, electric bikes priced at VND12-20 million (US$455-758) are attracting growing interest from parents in Ho Chi Minh City who seek transportation for their children, particularly models that do not require a driver's license.

NEW DELHI -- Two brothers in India have made their manga debut in Japan after being discovered by a major Japanese publisher searching for international talent.

TOKYO -- Many parents in financially struggling families in Japan said they would be forced to reduce the amount of food served per meal and limit their use of air conditioning during the summer vacation, according to a survey by certified nonprofit organization Kidsdoor.

Dancing and chanting on an open-top bus that read 'Kings of the World' and showed two large stars, Spain's national football team celebrated the country's second World Cup win on Monday along Madrid's streets packed with exhilarated fans.

Seven people, including three children, were killed and five others were injured after a 24-berth sleeper bus caught fire following a crash on National Highway 1 in Dong Nai City, southern Vietnam early Tuesday morning.

Ho Chi Minh City recorded a decline in traffic accidents, fatalities, and injuries during the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to the city’s traffic police division.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Ho Chi Minh City is speeding up its plan to make English a second language across schools in the second half of 2026 as part of efforts to improve education quality and develop a high-quality workforce.

«When the news broke that Ho Chi Minh City was rolling out completely free bus rides across 134 routes until the end of the year, it was a striking development.»

Vietnam’s stock market opened the week with a sharp sell-off, as heavy selling drove dozens of stocks to their floor prices and wiped nearly 44 points off the VN-Index.

Electric ride-on vehicles capable of reaching speeds of up to 40 kph are being rented to young children at parks and public spaces across Da Nang City, central Vietnam, prompting growing concerns over public safety and the risk of serious accidents.

Da Nang City in central Vietnam is set to transform its iconic My Khe Beach into a spectacular open-air performance venue during the upcoming Enjoy Da Nang 2026 Festival, featuring a nighttime display of nearly 500 illuminated kites.

The shared future of Asia and Japan

Nearly 20 major U.S. technology companies, including Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Marvell, and Axon, met with Ho Chi Minh City leaders in San Francisco to discuss investment opportunities and offer recommendations on developing the city's strategic technology ecosystem, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, data centers, and research and development (R&D).

LOS ANGELES -- Director Christopher Nolan's adaptation of 'The Odyssey' had an epic debut, grossing $264.1 million in global ticket sales on its opening weekend, including $124.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, Universal Pictures (CMCSA.O) said on Sunday.

LIMA -- At least six people were killed and 21 injured after two earthquakes struck a mountainous region of Peru, the country's civil defense chief said on Sunday.

Five workers died and eight others were hospitalized after being exposed to highly toxic hydrogen sulfide gas at a pig farm in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam, on Saturday.

HANGZHOU, China - Huang Zhen, 34, shut his cafe for a day last week to be buffeted by surging waters and powerful winds that knocked him off his feet — training for extreme weather events that are increasingly afflicting China.

‘For rent’ signs are becoming an increasingly common sight across Hanoi, stretching from the capital’s busiest commercial streets to major suburban roads, reflecting the mounting challenges facing brick-and-mortar retailers.

Ho Chi Minh City's Thanh Da Peninsula is set for a sweeping transformation under a nearly VND100 trillion (US$4 billion) urban development project that will feature new housing, transport infrastructure, schools, healthcare facilities, parks, and a marina.

Authorities in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam have reaffirmed their ambition to transform the Khanh Hoa Sea Festival into an international cultural and marine tourism brand, heard the closing ceremony of the 2026 fest at April 2 Square in Nha Trang Ward on Sunday night.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - Spain climbed again to the summit of world football on Sunday when substitute Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute to prise the World Cup from holders Argentina with a 1-0 victory that crowned a new era but brought precious little beauty.