People wade through a flooded street in Hanoi on Sept. 12 during the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi.
Natural disasters

Vietnam death toll climbs to 199 in wake of Typhoon Yagi

Over 100 others still missing amid flash floods and landslides

12 September 2024
A collapsed bridge over Vietnam's Red River has become emblematic of the destruction wrought by Typhoon Yagi.
Natural disasters

Yagi 'destroyed us:' Vietnam recovers from typhoon, fallen bridge

Death toll hits 63 as officials hunt for survivors, repair flooded factories

10 September 2024
A man walks past a devastated area following the impact of Typhoon Yagi, in Hanoi, Vietnam, September 8, 2024.
Natural disasters

Typhoon Yagi weakens after killing dozens in Vietnam, China, Philippines

Storm downgraded to tropical depression but risks of flash floods, landslides remain

8 September 2024
Military personnel clear trees that fell due to the impact of Typhoon Yagi in Hanoi on Sept. 7
Natural disasters

Super Typhoon Yagi arrives in Vietnam, killing at least 4

Industrial hub Haiphong among hardest hit cities with widespread power outages

8 September 2024
People in Haiphong secure fishing boats as coastal Vietnamese areas brace for Typhoon Yagi. (Screenshot from Vietnam Television, VTV1)
Natural disasters

Supertyphoon Yagi forces Vietnam airport closures, including Hanoi

Supply chain and UNESCO tourism site hit, while Hong Kong stock market shut

6 September 2024
BOS Semiconductors' R&D center in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is attracting attention from global chip companies. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Semiconductors

Vietnam proposes chip incentives from tax breaks to faster visas

Draft tech law offers grants and deductions despite global minimum tax deal

5 September 2024
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attends a campaign event focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities on July 9 in Nevada, one of seven key states that could decide the outcome of November's presidential election.
Asia Insight

Once neglected, Asian Americans now courted in knife-edge election

Tiny margins in battleground states spotlight voters like Wisconsin's Hmong community

3 September 2024
Container ships at Laem Chabang port in Thailand: The country's exports jumped in July, helped by lower inflation and improved consumer purchasing power. (Photo by Akira Kodaka) 
Trade

Thailand, Malaysia see strong export rebound on tech upcycle

Trade-oriented ASEAN countries logged double-digit growth in July

30 August 2024
Frequent disasters encourage Southeast Asians to prepare. A man drives a motorbike in a flooded street after heavy rains in Hanoi, Vietnam, in September 2023.
Natural disasters

Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia top global disaster-readiness poll

Alerts, household planning build resilience as volatility rises, Gallup says

25 August 2024
Vietnam's new leader To Lam, a former police officer, was appointed Communist Party general secretary in August. 
Your Week in Asia

Japan-India 2+2, Thai GDP, Vietnam leader in China

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

18 August 2024
Amid surging labor demand in an AI boom, Vietnam aims to train at least 50,000 chip engineers and designers by 2030 as industry giants look to offset severe staff shortages in their home markets. (Illustration by Yoshiko Kawano)
The Big Story

Vietnam turns chip sector magnet with affordable, quality talent pool

US, Taiwan, South Korean players beat path to Vietnam though boom strains resources

14 August 2024
John Lee, center, in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the first Hong Kong chief executive to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Trade

Hong Kong has ASEAN backing to join RCEP trade pact: John Lee

City goes on charm offensive after COVID-19, security law dent reputation

6 August 2024
GDP for the ASEAN six is expected to increase by an average of 5.1% annually until 2034, outpacing China's projected growth of 3.5% to 4.5%. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Reuters)
Economy

Southeast Asia to outpace China's GDP growth and foreign investment: report

Think tank projects 5.1% average growth next decade in six key economies

1 August 2024
With To Lam, center, assuming interim leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party after the death of Nguyen Phu Trong, right, observers wonder whether the former security chief may be more influenced by China than the U.S. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AFP/Jiji, EPA/Jiji and AP) 
Asia Insight

Vietnam veers into unknown as career cop makes Communist Party power play

Death of party chief Trong brings fears of tilt toward China-style leadership

30 July 2024
To Lam's rise to lead the Communist Party of Vietnam follows a 20-month period of political turmoil.
Opinion

Why To Lam's pragmatic authoritarianism will be good for Vietnam

Nguyen Phu Trong had been the last of a dying breed of Marxist ideologues

22 July 2024
Vietnam's Bamboo Airways Chairman Trinh Van Quyet applauds near an Airbus A321 aircraft at a ceremony at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi on Jan. 16, 2019. 
Crime

Vietnam $28m stock pump-and-dump trial opens

FLC property and airline founder accused of 'sky-high' price manipulation

22 July 2024
Staff from housekeeping services provider Bears. While a severe labor shortage in Japan means many companies are keen to hire from overseas, comparatively low wages and the historically weak yen are blunting the country's appeal. (Photos by Yuji Murakami and Ryosuke Matsui)
Asia Insight

Japan's new enemy in fight to lure immigrant workers: The tumbling yen

Visa rules eased, but currency weakness tarnishes Japan's appeal for overseas hires

16 July 2024
Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh prepares to enter a bilateral room at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 26, 2024. 
Economy

Vietnam targeting Q3 GDP growth of 6.5%-7.0%, PM says

Stick to its target of keeping inflation below 4.5% this year

6 July 2024
A garment factory in Hanoi. The minimum wage in the capital has increased about 80% over the past decade. (Photo by Atsushi Tomiyama)
Economy

ASEAN wage hikes worry industries benefiting from supply chain shift

Vietnam implements 6% nationwide raise; Thailand plans 'unrealistic' 14% increase

2 July 2024
Shaky power supplies are one of the risks for foreign manufacturers.
Economy

Vietnam GDP grew 6.93% in Q2 with risks to recovery 'high'

Growth exceeds expectations in supply chain hub, puts Vietnam on track for 2024 target

29 June 2024
A Bangkok port: ASEAN has a new No. 1 export market now that the U.S. is increasing its procurement of electronic parts from the bloc and China's economy is stagnating.
Trade

U.S. tops China as ASEAN's largest export destination

Positions flip-flop for 1st time in 6 quarters, following supply chain shift

13 June 2024
A general photo of street in New Delhi. India is set to remain the world's fastest growing large economy. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
Economy

India to remain fastest growing big economy in 2024, World Bank says

Global expansion to hold steady at 2.6%; U.S. presidential election a risk for Asia

11 June 2024
A panel led by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on June 4 announced a plan to slash the tariff on imported rice. 
Agriculture

Philippine rice tariff cut will benefit Vietnam, not farmers, experts say

World's top rice importer moves to contain inflation with 'double-edged sword'

4 June 2024
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh may have been hasty in unveiling the country's 2050 net-zero carbon target. (Nikkei montage/source photos by Reuters)
Comment

Will Vietnam face another power crisis this year?

A 'fallacy of composition' risks repeating last year's debacle

25 May 2024