Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – October 3

Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- Police in Da Nang City, central Vietnam said on Friday that their criminal investigation unit had dismantled an interprovincial human trafficking ring and rescued eight girls under the age of 16 who had been forced to work as karaoke hostesses.

In related news, police in Hanoi and several northern provinces have rescued 46 female karaoke hostesses, including 12 girls under 16, from a human trafficking ring that lured victims with promises of easy, well-paid jobs before forcing them to work at karaoke venues.

-- Ho Chi Minh City recorded more than 30.6 million passenger trips on 134 bus routes under its free-bus support program between July 1 and October 1, according to the city’s Public Transport Management Center.

-- Ho Chi Minh City is completing investment procedures to begin construction on three more metro projects by the end of 2026, including the Binh Duong New City–Suoi Tien section of metro line No. 1, the Thu Dau Mot City–Ho Chi Minh City section of metro line No. 2, and the first phase of metro line No. 6 from Tan Son Nhat to Phu Huu, according to Phan Cong Bang, head of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board.

Economy

-- Shares of Vietnam's jewelry maker Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ) fell to the floor price for a fifth straight session on Friday, extending their five-day loss to 30.2 percent, as the company attributed the decline to broader market conditions, margin adjustments by securities firms, and information related to its business operations.

-- 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi on Friday admitted a 24-year-old man who developed numbness and weakness in all four limbs after inhaling around 50 laughing gas balloons a day.

-- Amazon Global Selling Vietnam and the Department of Industry and Trade of Hai Phong City, northern Vietnam, on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on developing e-commerce in the city from 2026 to 2030, with Amazon supporting local businesses in expanding e-commerce exports, building brands, and reaching international customers.

-- More than 1,100 Starbucks stores across seven Asian markets, including Vietnam, will be transferred to Hong Kong-based DFI Retail Group, according to a DFI announcement cited by Nikkei Asia and filed with the Singapore Exchange. 

-- Vietnam’s agricultural exports exceeded US$56 billion in January-September 2026 as China and several other Asian countries increased imports of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, seafood and other agricultural products, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Travel

-- Nearly 156,750 Vietnamese visitors traveled to Malaysia in the first six months of 2026 driven by convenient air connections and Malaysia's diverse range of tourism products, according to Tourism Malaysia.