World

A popular newly released Indian film was pulled from Netflix on Thursday after a backlash from Hindu activists for its depictions of meat-eating and inter-religious romance. “Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food” was taken down just weeks after its premiere in the latest instance of digital entertainment platforms in India canning …

The foreign ministry on Thursday requested the U.S. to remove Vietnam from the Special Watch List regarding religious freedom, and to have objective assessments on the issue. “Vietnam’s consistent policy is to respect and ensure human rights as well as the freedom of religion and the belief of the people. …

A company was fined VND240 million ($9,807) for the construction without permit at a golf course project in the hill resort city Da Lat. The DL Royal Company was given 90 days to seek approval for the construction and remove all parts not included in the permits. Authorities inspected the …

Three men in the Central Highlands’ Gia Lai Province were accused of raping a 15-year-old girl after a drinking party. Nay Jao, 21; Ro O Ngao, 21; and Nay Dinh, 19, were arrested by police of Krong Pa District on Thursday for “raping a person aged under 16.” Four days …

137 lecturers and staff at Quang Binh University in central Quang Binh Province have not been paid their salaries for two to 7.5 months as the school failed to attract students. The public university has 236 lecturers and staff. Among them, 99 are paid by the province’s budget as they …

Police in the southern Long An Province have arrested a man claiming to be a police officer to stop commuters randomly on the streets and rob them. Thach Hoai Bien, 25, and three accomplices, Duong Lonl, Ly Thai Nguyen and Thach Thi Si Vol, aged 23-34, are now under investigation …

The world added 50 percent more renewable energy capacity in 2023 over the year before, the International Energy Agency said Thursday, predicting booming growth in the next five years. The United Nations-led COP28 summit concluded in Dubai last month with nearly 200 nations agreeing to a first-ever call for the …

A Wisconsin judge on Wednesday suspended the sexual abuse trial of former U.S. Catholic cardinal Theodore McCarrick, court records showed. McCarrick, 93, is the highest-ranking U.S. Catholic official to face charges in the sweeping scandal over the systemic sexual abuse of minors in the Church. He has been accused of …

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his entourage arrived in Hanoi on Thursday afternoon, starting a three-day state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. The Indonesian leader was accompanied by Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Minister of state-owned enterprises Erick Thohir, Minister of …

Across Southeast Asia, interest in German is on the rise as the German government taps increasing numbers of the region’s skilled workers to tackle the country’s severe labor shortages. Enthusiasm for learning German has skyrocketed in Vietnam, especially after social life in the country got back to normal following the …