Vietnam’s capital blanketed by toxic smog
Thick smog blanketed Hanoi on Friday, obscuring buildings and leaving nine million residents choking on toxic air as the Vietnamese capital topped a list of the world’s most polluted major cities.
Vietnam bans vapes, will fine tourists up to US$78 and jail e-cigarette traders, producers
Country joins others including Singapore, Thailand, India and Australia in banning travellers from bringing in e-cigarettes.
Internet crackdown shrinks already constrained room for activism in Vietnam
For Thảo, a journalist based in Hanoi, online reports from Vietnamese internet users were key to her and her colleagues’ coverage of Typhoon Yagi and its aftermath. The storm, the biggest in Asia this year and the strongest to strike…
China-Vietnam dialogue won’t change a thing in South China Sea
New 3+3 dialogue mechanism more form than substance in long-running sea disputes that won’t likely subside or escalate.
Ukraine war : how Vietnam’s ‘bamboo diplomacy’ treads a fine line between the west and Russia
Since Vietnam adopted its programme of reform (“Doi Moi” or renovation) in 1986, its foreign policy has transitioned from one driven by ideology to a more pragmatic regime driven by independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralism.
Vietnam’s 2024 birthrate hits historic low, defying Year of the Dragon trends
Vietnam’s birthrate in 2024 has fallen to an estimated 1.91 children per woman, the lowest in the country’s history, marking a significant departure from the traditional belief that the Year of the Dragon, considered auspicious, would lead to a rise…
Vietnam to commence trans-country high-speed railway in Dec 2027
Vietnam plans to start building a North-South high-speed railway at a cost of US$67 billion in December 2027, Nguyen Danh Huy, Deputy Minister of Transport, said at a meeting on Thursday.
Vietnam, Russia pledge to beef up defense ties at 7th strategic dialogue
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Hoang Xuan Chien and his Russian counterpart Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin have agreed to step up the defense cooperation between the two nations while co-chairing the seventh Vietnam-Russia Defense Strategy Dialogue in Hanoi on Thursday.
Vietnam jails more officials over Covid-19 flight bribes
The Hanoi People’s Court on Friday jailed more than a dozen officials for up to 12 years for corruption over repatriation flights and quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic.
HCMC court sentences 27 to death in drug trafficking case
The HCMC People’s Court sentenced a Vietnamese drug lord and her 26 subordinates to death on Friday for drug trafficking, marking a case with the highest number of individuals sentenced to death in Vietnam in the past decade.
Vietnam says to impose 97% anti-dumping duty on Chinese wind towers
Vietnam will impose an anti-dumping levy of 97% on wind towers originating from China following a 15-month investigation, the trade ministry said.
Vietnam’s Tay Ninh needs $186mn for first phase of proposed airport
The People’s Committee of Tay Ninh Province in southern Vietnam has preliminarily estimated the total cost for the first phase of the proposed Tay Ninh airport construction at around VND4.73 trillion (US$186 million), with an annual capacity of one million…
Russia ready to join Vietnam’s Ninh Thuan nuclear power project
Russia is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in nuclear energy development by taking part in the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project, according to Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko.
Vietnam’s coal imports surge amid struggles with energy transition, grid challenges
Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in solar power generation, and the government has actively set policies to promote renewable energy. However, the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that Vietnam’s coal imports will surpass Taiwan in 2024, making it one of the…
Shooter Trinh Thu Vinh named Vietnam’s most outstanding athlete of 2024
With a total score of 1,286, sharpshooter Trinh Thu Vinh has been crowned Vietnam’s most outstanding athlete of 2024 in a national poll organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism along with various sports committees.
HCMC’s first metro line serves 279,000 passengers in first three days
In its first three days of operation starting Sunday, Ho Chi Minh City’s long-awaited first metro line served nearly 279,000 passengers, far surpassing the expected figure of 105,000.
How much risk can Vietnam run in the South China Sea ?
If China lowers the threshold of what Vietnamese activities it deems acceptable, Vietnam will find it more difficult to maintain the balance between deferring and defying China.
Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force
New Vietnamese internet rules requiring Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and hand over data to authorities came into force on Wednesday, in what critics say is the latest attack on freedom of expression.
No entertainment shows, only movies for Netflix in Vietnam
Starting Monday Netflix will remove all entertainment and reality shows from its platform in Vietnam and only distribute film-related content to comply with local laws.
EU officials fight human-smuggling from Vietnam
People-smuggling from Vietnam to the European Union has emerged as a focus issue in recent years. Authorities have cracked down on trafficking rings, but victims often remain silent.
Ho Chi Minh City opens first metro line after years of delay
Funding shortages, soaring costs led to slow development. Vietnam’s financial hub of 10 million is choking with traffic.
Critics decry Vietnam’s ‘draconian’ new internet law
Social media users will need to verify their identities under new decree 147, prompting fears it will undermine expression and expose anonymous dissidents.
Unesco to study development risks to Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay
Unesco will deploy a team of experts to assess possible risks for the conservation of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam as it is worried about development projects that may threaten the heritage-listed tourist attraction, the UN agency told Reuters.
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta accelerates traffic infrastructure improvement
Since the start of 2024, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has conducted five on-site supervisions into key traffic infrastructure projects in the Mekong Delta region, as well as chaired several meetings and assigned his deputies to remove obstacles in a…
The political economy of Vietnam’s north-south high-speed rail project
Today, Vietnam is arguably better positioned, both financially and geopolitically, to move forward with the North-South High Speed Rail project. However, the feasibility of this ambitious megaproject hinges on a careful cost-benefit analysis, which is fraught with uncertainty.
International aerospace players jockey for Vietnam defence sales
Major western aerospace companies see potential to sell military aircraft and helicopters in Vietnam. Companies such as Airbus Defence & Space, Boeing, Embraer, and Lockheed Martin plan to attend this week’s Vietnam International Defence Expo, which is taking place from…