Japanese local government leaders are stepping up calls for legislation to create «special cities,» a new status that would allow ordinance-designated major cities to operate independently of prefectural governments with expanded authority.

Amid the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, residents have grown accustomed to a familiar sight each morning and during the evening rush hour: flocks of pigeons gliding leisurely across the city skyline and streets.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee is seeking feedback on a draft resolution of the municipal People’s Council setting out criteria, conditions, procedures and processes for recognizing smart, green and boutique hotels in the city.

Good morning from Vietnam!

Da Nang City in central Vietnam topped the list of overseas destinations most searched by Thai travelers for accommodations for stays of at least 30 nights, ahead of Indonesia's Bali, Japan's Tokyo and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, according to Agoda, a global digital travel platform.

During the current rainy season, a group of forest workers in U Minh Ha forest in Ca Mau, the southernmost province of Vietnam, can earn more than US$76 a day from catching eels, according to a recent field report by Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper's reporters who accompanied them.

After Forbes named Vietnam one of the best destinations for retirees, I was reminded of a story about two American friends.

Vietnam has issued a new decree detailing cybersecurity rules for domestic and foreign businesses. Sacombank has waived a debt owed by the parents of two brothers who died in an electric shock accident in Da Nang. Several tourist attractions in Ninh Binh Province have suspended operations as storm Narra brings heavy rain and flooding. And more in our podcast.

From around the ninth to 13th centuries, My Son was an important religious center of the Champa civilization.

Nha Trang, a beach destination in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, ranked second among the overseas destinations most searched by South Korean travelers for this year's Chuseok holiday, also known as Korean Thanksgiving, behind Japan's Tokyo, according to global travel app Skyscanner.

Cashless payment services for children are increasingly available in Japan, allowing parents to check their children's balances and spending history through an app to prevent excessive spending.

A video has circulated on social media, showing a young man catching pigeons at a park in Lam Son Square in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, sparking public outrage.

NEW DELHI - India's Coast Guard and Navy continued search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast on Sunday after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying 24 crew sank, with two Chinese nationals rescued, a senior official said.

OTTAWA - Canada will impose tariffs on some U.S. goods in retaliation for 50% levies ordered by President Donald Trump on Canadian products, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday, after trade talks collapsed between the two neighbors.

Although neither scored in the first leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup final on Saturday night, Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Xuan Son of the Vietnamese national team remain at the top of the tournament’s scoring chart.

For people in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, asking a neighbor to “come help me move a cabinet” can be a subtle way to invite them for drinks, while reflecting the region's long-standing tradition of helping one another.

Vietnam's Bill on Real Estate Business would require real estate put up for sale or lease to use a unique electronic identification code throughout the transaction process.

Thousands of Vietnamese football fans poured onto the streets in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Can Tho, Da Nang, and Nha Trang immediately after the final whistle of the first leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup final, celebrating Vietnam’s victory over Thailand on Saturday night.

Sacombank has waived a VND1.7 billion (US$64,500) debt owed by the parents of two brothers who died in last month’s electric shock accident in Da Nang in central Vietnam, allowing the children to keep their family home.

Storm Narra, the fourth storm to hit the East Vietnam Sea this year, remains almost stationary or is moving slowly over the waters off Quang Ninh and Hai Phong in northern Vietnam on Sunday, bringing prolonged heavy rain to the northeastern region, according to the national weather center.

A weeks-long photo exhibition titled ‘Saigon Urban Life’ featuring 90 works by 17 photographers opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, offering various perspectives on the city’s people, culture, art, everyday life and transformation.

Barely 48 hours after military authorities posted a photo recovered from an unidentified martyr's grave asking for leads, the woman in the portrait recognized her own 18-year-old face on the news and stepped forward.

Vietnam took a major step toward defending their title with a decisive 2-0 victory over hosts Thailand in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final at Rajamangala Stadium on Saturday, putting one hand on the trophy.

Hanoi will stage fireworks at five sites and a range of cultural programs for National Day. Miss World 2026 contestants have arrived in Nha Trang ahead of the September 5 final. A Quang Tri man won nearly $2.8 million in Vietnam's Vietlott jackpot, his 1,103rd prize. And more in our podcast.

Four local residents trekked through 10 hours of dense jungle in central Vietnam to retrieve a fallen soldier's stone grave marker, returning it to his family nearly 60 years after his death and 33 years after his remains were brought home.

Thousands of people joined an elephant procession escorting the ‘Durian Queen’ and took part in a traditional ritual for abundance at an on-going durian-themed festival held in Dak Lak Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, on Saturday.

Hanoi will stage a range of cultural programs, exhibitions, heritage-site activities and film screenings for Vietnam National Day (Independence Day), with fireworks set to light up five sites for 15 minutes on the evening of September 2.

Boeing engineers and technical workers overwhelmingly rejected the U.S. planemaker's four-year contract offer, union officials said on Friday.

A total of 111 Miss World 2026 contestants have arrived in Khanh Hoa, a south-central Vietnamese province, for the pageant’s final leg, which will feature cultural, tourism, charity, and competition activities ahead of the September 5 grand final in Nha Trang.

Cambodia imported around 38,000 tonnes of tuna and other seafood products worth more than 61 million USD in the first half of 2026 to meet domestic demand, according to a report by the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce.

Two 'ao dai' (traditional Vietnamese long gown) worn by reigning Miss World Opal Suchata during Miss World 2026 activities in Vietnam have drawn mixed reactions on social media, with some praising their promotion of Vietnamese culture while others questioning whether the designs and styling suited the beauty queen.

Vietnam's national football team will face hosts Thailand at 8:00 pm on Saturday in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final at Rajamangala Stadium, with both sides aiming to gain the upper hand ahead of the return leg.

Vietnam’s military-run telecommunications group Viettel announced on Friday that it had won a tender to provide telecommunications services in the Dominican Republic, marking its 11th international market.

The Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board on Friday afternoon signed a contract with Japan’s Yasuda Engineering Co. for a project to rehabilitate old sewers in the city center using a trenchless method.

Japan's Princess Aiko on Friday interacted with people at a medical and welfare facility in the city of Maibara in the western prefecture of Shiga.