A memorandum of understanding to establish a German-Vietnam Hub was signed at Leipzig City Hall by local officials and the Leipzig Chamber of Commerce. The hub aims to create a central business advisory system to boost economic cooperation, investment, and knowledge transfer between Germany and Vietnam. Leipzig also seeks to strengthen its role as a hub for cultural exchange with Vietnam.

Hamburg's mayor Peter Tschentscher will travel to Vietnam and China on Friday for economic talks. The trip focuses on expanding business ties and scientific cooperation, including a meeting with Vietnam's Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng. Tschentscher will also visit Shanghai to mark the 40th anniversary of the city partnership.

Kien Thanh Pham, a 21-year-old Vietnamese apprentice, has been missing since September 21 after visiting Sondershausen to look for an apartment. He was last seen dropping off documents at a housing company there, and has not been heard from since. His mother authorized the publication of his photos to aid in the search, as police have not yet issued a public appeal.

In the Dutch meat industry, it has become harder to employ temporary workers, but some companies are reportedly using tricks to circumvent the rules. Peter Kossen of the "Aktion Würde & Gerechtigkeit" initiative says Romanians and Bulgarians are now being replaced by Vietnamese and Indian workers. He warns that these third-country nationals, who hold only temporary work visas, are easily dismissed, enabling labor exploitation and human trafficking.

Russia has asked Vietnam to provide passenger jets on a "wet lease" — including crew, maintenance, and insurance — as nearly a fifth of its largest airlines' aircraft remain grounded due to the deteriorating, seized Western-built fleet. Vietnam is reviewing the proposal, but any transfer would involve Airbus and Boeing planes, risking the same US secondary sanctions that led Ethiopia to reject a similar deal. Russia's fleet has been kept flying through illegal re-registrations and non-compliant parts, with the ICAO lacking enforcement power to force return of the aircraft.