
Changan DEEPAL S05 Launches in UK with Local Tuning
Chinese automaker Changan has introduced the all‑electric DEEPAL S05 in the United Kingdom, positioning it as a premium‑styled compact C‑SUV at a non‑premium price. The model is equipped with a 68.8 kWh LFP battery delivering up to 303 miles (RWD) and 278 miles (AWD) under WLTP, and it boasts a five‑star Euro NCAP rating supported by 17 intelligent driver‑assistance systems. Interior features include vegan‑leather heated and ventilated seats, a 15.4‑inch rotating touchscreen and AR‑HUD. Production occurs at Changan’s Rayong plant in Thailand with roughly 60 % local sourcing, while design and calibration were handled in Turin and Birmingham respectively.

Cigna Hong Kong Expands HYROX Fitness Partnership Initiatives
Cigna Healthcare Hong Kong has launched the VitalGuard Critical Illness Plan, adding a lump‑sum protection product to its medical insurance suite. The plan offers up to HK$4 million coverage for 110 diseases, including 58 critical illnesses, with a 5‑year renewable term...

Vietnamese NA Helps Build Institutional Foundations for Long Term Development Canadian Researcher
Vietnam’s National Assembly is central to institutionalising development policies and strengthening the legal framework for long‑term growth, says York University researcher Joe Pateman. He highlights how recent legislation on economic management, investment and public administration has created a more stable...

Workshop Calls for Natural Capital to Anchor Vietnam S Economic Policy
The Finance for Nature workshop in Hanoi gathered policymakers, economists and finance leaders to push natural‑capital accounting into Vietnam’s macroeconomic framework. Organisers unveiled a report that applies the Integrated Economic‑Environmental Modelling (IEEM) and GTAP‑InVEST tools to embed ecosystem services in...

Best Nights VC Invests in Mad Monkey with EXS Capital
Best Nights VC, the venture arm of Jägermeister, has invested in socially‑responsible hostel chain Mad Monkey alongside lead investor EXS Capital. The deal supports Mad Monkey’s expansion across Southeast Asia and Australia, where it already delivers over one million bed‑nights to more...

Vinhomes Green Paradise Pursues Global Smart City Certification
Vinhomes Green Paradise in Ho Chi Minh City has launched a Smart City Certification Project with Korea Management Association Consulting, the World Council on City Data and the Standardized Urban Metrics initiative. The development aims to become Vietnam’s first internationally...

VinEnergo Launches Global Strategy with 10 GW Renewable Portfolio
VinEnergo, the Vietnamese renewable energy arm of Vingroup, unveiled a global expansion plan anchored by a secured 10 GW project portfolio across Europe and Asia. The company aims to scale its total capacity to 100 GW within three years, focusing on 50 GW...

Cardumen Capital Expands Asia Reach After NVIDIA Acquires Illumex
Cardumen Capital announced that its portfolio company Illumex has been acquired by NVIDIA, marking a high‑profile seed‑to‑exit success for the European DeepTech VC firm. The deal validates Cardumen’s early‑stage thesis on AI‑centric data infrastructure and highlights the performance of its...

Geopolitical Instability Heightens Black Swan Scenario Concerns
Allianz’s latest Risk Barometer indicates that 51% of more than 3,000 executives view a geopolitically‑driven global supply‑chain paralysis as the most likely Black Swan event within five years, with a global internet outage close behind. The survey highlights rising concern...

Levanta Acquires 80 per Cent Stake in 50MW Gia Lai Wind Farm
Levanta Renewables, Actis' Southeast Asian platform, has acquired an 80 percent stake in the 50 MW Gia Lai on‑shore wind farm in Vietnam. The fully operational asset generates more than 150 GWh of renewable electricity each year and sells power to Vietnam Electricity...

Agency of Foreign Trade Warns of Trade Disruption Due to Middle East Conflict
Vietnam's Agency of Foreign Trade issued Dispatch No. 229/XNK‑TLH warning that the recent escalation of Middle East hostilities poses serious risks to international transport, trade and supply chains. The agency highlighted expected spikes in consumer‑goods, fuel and oil prices, which...

Two Landmark Vietnam Hotels Sold for Combined 53 7million
Two landmark hotel assets in Vietnam were sold for a combined $53.7 million. Singapore‑based UOL Group off‑loaded the 186‑room Park Royal Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City to a domestic investor, while the five‑star Hotel Perle D’Orient Cat Ba on Cat Ba Island was...

Capital Markets as Pillar for Vietnam S Double Digit Growth
Vietnam aims double‑digit economic growth, but banks face loan‑to‑deposit caps and high debt ratios, limiting credit expansion. Capital markets are positioned to provide long‑term funding, improve transparency, and diversify financing sources. By the end of 2025 the stock market topped...

Milestone Systems Opens Asia Experience Centre in Singapore
Milestone Systems announced the launch of its Asia Experience Centre in Singapore, expanding its regional footprint and providing a live‑lab for AI‑enabled video solutions. The centre supports Singapore’s national AI agenda and offers governments, enterprises, and critical infrastructure operators a...

Esperanza Securities Launches Asia S First Approved Entertainment Token Investment
Esperanza Fintech Securities secured approval from Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission to launch Asia's first regulated tokenized investment platform focused on live entertainment. The firm will issue security tokens through a managed fund, lowering entry barriers and enabling secondary‑market...

Jemmia Diamond Hosts Vietnam UAE Trade Dialogue with Ambassador
On February 9, Jemmia Joint Stock Company welcomed UAE Ambassador Dr. Bader Almatrooshi to its Ho Chi Minh City headquarters for a Vietnam‑UAE trade dialogue. The session gathered Vietnamese firms from real estate, agriculture, robotics, renewable energy and other sectors to discuss cooperation...

Blue Planet Expands Operations to Dubai Market
Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, a Singapore‑based leader in sustainable waste management, announced the formation of Blue Planet Environmental Services L.L.C. in Dubai. The new UAE entity will deliver integrated circular‑economy solutions—including organic waste recovery, recycling, landfill mining, and industrial services—across...

Study Shows AI Skills Gap in Singapore Malaysia
Epitome Global’s latest workforce study reveals that only one in five professionals in Singapore and Malaysia demonstrate AI‑ready traits such as persistence, curiosity and reflective learning. While more than 70% claim advanced digital literacy, 56% rate their decision‑making and 42%...

CaoCao Robotaxi Fleet Reaches 100 Vehicles
Chinese mobility firm CaoCao Inc. announced that its robotaxi fleet in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District has reached 100 vehicles, supported by its Green Intelligent Mobility Hub. The company is moving from safety‑driver‑assisted rides to fully driverless operations while trialing mixed fleets,...

E Vehicle Infrastructure Financing for High Growth
Vietnam aims to host one million electric vehicles by 2030, rising to 3.5 million by 2040, creating a clear need for 100,000‑350,000 public chargers. The paper argues that a shift from a single‑operator, brand‑specific network to an open, interoperable ecosystem will...

Economic Factors and Themes to Be Mindful Of
Investors face heightened global volatility in 2026 as leading central banks diverge—while the Fed and BoE continue rate cuts, the ECB sits near neutral and the BoJ tightens. Geopolitical flashpoints around the United States add safe‑haven demand, further weakening the...

Danang Positioned as Crucial Economic Hub for Central Vietnam
Danang’s 2045 master plan re‑imagines the city as a megacity and international financial centre, integrating coastal, mountainous and border zones. The Danang International Financial Centre (IFC) began operations in early 2026, focusing on digital finance, asset tokenisation and green‑finance solutions....

All Global Experiences Useful for Vietnam S International Financial Hub
Vietnam aims to build an international financial centre by drawing on global precedents such as Dubai’s DIFC, China’s Shenzhen and Hangzhou, and Kazakhstan’s AIFC. Experts stress that independent, long‑term regulation, niche specialization in digital and green finance, and adaptive legal...

Raised Ties Reaffirm Strategic Trust
Vietnam and the United Kingdom have upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest tier in Vietnam’s foreign‑policy framework. The deal follows Party General Secretary To Lam’s October visit to Britain and opens cooperation in politics, security, trade, education...
Vietnam Making the Leap Into AI and Semiconductors
Vietnam is targeting a selective role in the AI and semiconductor value chains, emphasizing manufacturing, testing, packaging and applied AI rather than frontier chip design. The strategy builds on a mature electronics production base, abundant skilled labor and strong ASEAN...

Vietnam New Zealand Seek Level up in Ties
New Zealand’s agricultural exports, especially fresh fruit, rely on unique climate conditions and rapid air‑freight logistics that preserve peak quality. Vietnam’s expanding middle class and growing health consciousness are turning the market into a strategic destination for premium NZ produce...

Entire Financial Sector Steps Firmly Into a New Spring
Vietnam’s finance ministry reported a record $106.6 bn state budget revenue in 2025, surpassing forecasts by 35.5 %. The ministry issued 144 circulars—about a quarter of all national normative documents—while rolling out 28 laws and 86 decrees to support digital transformation, new...

Tsukuba Research Park Draws Attention at SEMICON Japan 2025
The Ibaraki Prefectural Government showcased Tsukuba’s Cutting‑edge Research Park at SEMICON Japan 2025, highlighting its role as a new hub for semiconductor R&D. The park hosts TSMC’s first overseas research and development facility within AIST and sits alongside 29 national...