Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — May 23

What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Politics

-- Vietnam will observe national mourning for former State President Tran Duc Luong, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 88, on Saturday and Sunday.

Society

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control reported on Thursday that 6,711 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease had been logged since the beginning of 2025, a 49-percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, which saw 4,510 cases.

-- The Ha Long Bay Management Board in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam announced on Thursday that the Thinh An cruise ship was temporarily suspended from operating in the bay’s ports and waters for allowing tourists to use single-use plastic bottles.

-- Northern Vietnam is forecast to experience heavy to very heavy rain on Friday; the south will see heavy rain in the afternoon, while central Vietnam faces heavy rain in the north and hot weather in the south.

-- More than 100 KOLs have registered for an e-commerce training course organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Press Center in coordination with the city’s police, tax department, and departments of industry and trade, health, and food safety.

Economy

-- A seminar titled 'Challenges, Opportunities, and Potential in Exporting to the Thai Market,' co-hosted on Thursday by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center and Central Retail Vietnam, provided valuable insights to help businesses access the billion-dollar Thai market and expand internationally.

-- Chinese pharmaceutical giant Livzon Group, through its Singapore-based subsidiary, has announced plans to spend over VND5.73 trillion (US$220.6 million) in cash to acquire nearly 65 percent of Vietnam’s Imexpharm Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.

Education

-- Vietnamese students have more opportunities to study in South Australia, as educational ties between South Australia and Ho Chi Minh City continue to grow. Several South Australian institutions are also exploring partnerships in the city.

During her visit to Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, South Australian Governor Frances Adamson emphasized education as a key area of cooperation. She met with local officials and South Australian alumni to discuss future collaboration in education, transport, tourism, and innovation.

World News

-- "U.S. President Donald Trump's administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students on Thursday, and is forcing current foreign students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status, while also threatening to expand the crackdown to other colleges," Reuters reported.

-- Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven democracies set aside their differences on Thursday, vowing to tackle 'excessive imbalances' in the global economy and signaling a possible escalation of sanctions against Russia, according to Reuters.