Economy

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes signs shirts for fans at a preseason match in Bangkok. Replica shirts are big business for the world's most famous soccer clubs.
Sports

Soccer shirts in short supply as deliveries from Asia delayed

Fans left frustrated as Premier League season kicks off

4 August 2022
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Feeding Asia

Opinion: Reform the global food system to end famine

Three clear avenues for action that will limit the spread of the crisis

29 July 2022
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Feeding Asia

Asia's agricultural revolution: planting a high-tech future

Population, inflation, climate stoke innovation to grow more with less

15 July 2022
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Washington on May 13: Chinh's penchant for control has put the brakes on needed reforms.
Opinion

Endemic corruption and policy impasses are holding Vietnam back

Further growth is contingent on reforms that are nowhere on the horizon

15 July 2022
People wait for gas in Hanoi on June 19. The recent surge in global energy prices will weigh on Vietnam's economy in the near future, as the country is a net importer of oil.
Economy

Solid exports and consumer spending lift Vietnam GDP 7.72% in Q2

Post-COVID recovery is strong but could be hit by rising crude oil prices

29 June 2022
Rescuers work at the site of a Ukrainian mall in the Poltava region on June 28 after the shopping center was hit by a Russian missile strike.
Ukraine war

U.S. accuses 5 firms in China of supporting Russia's military

Washington also adds companies from Singapore, Vietnam to trade blacklist

29 June 2022
Vietnam is the world's second-largest clothing exporter after China.
Trade

Vietnam textile and apparel exports hit record high in first half

Southeast Asian country's trade pacts contribute to 23% on-year increase

24 June 2022
Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport is expected to welcome many more tourists now that Thailand has dropped strict COVID restrictions.
Coronavirus

ASEAN tourism on the road to business as usual

Thailand to relax mask and alcohol rules; Indonesia drops mandatory insurance

21 June 2022
Chinese mobile payment apps WeChat Pay and Alipay are gaining users throughout Southeast Asia, prompting interest in government-issued digital currencies.
Economy

Philippines, Vietnam study digital currencies as Alipay, WeChat Pay spread

More Southeast Asian countries moving in the direction of early issuer Cambodia

17 June 2022
Industry groups, such as those representing Vietnam's mainstay textile sector, had objected to the wage increase.
Economy

Vietnam's minimum wage to rise 6% in July after pandemic freeze

First increase in over 2 years could be followed by another hike in January

13 June 2022
The apparel industry dumps 92 million tons of textiles a year. The European Union hopes new rules will increase recycling, repair and second-hand retail. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and AFP/Jiji)
Business Spotlight

From China to India, Asia braces for EU plan to kill fast fashion

Supply chains may have to shift to recyclable, durable clothes -- with uncertain consequences

10 June 2022
Food vendors in Bangkok have raised prices due to the heavy inflation hitting Thailand.
Economy

Southeast Asia recovery at risk over inflation, China lockdowns

Thailand and Philippines downgrade GDP outlooks for the full year

18 May 2022
Growth in Vietnam's air freight industry is speeding up as the Southeast Asian nation lures foreign manufacturers.
Transportation

Vietnam's air freight industry accelerates despite COVID pandemic

National conglomerate targets air cargo, overseas operators ramp up

4 May 2022
A coal yard in Hanoi. A drop in domestic coal mining due to a coronavirus outbreak has added to Vietnam's energy problems.
Energy

Vietnam's power supply under strain from high coal prices

Country lacks plan for reducing dependence on its most important fuel

28 April 2022
Politicians up for election say that raising the earnings of workers at the bottom of the pay scale could kickstart a multiplier effect that reverberates across economies, but the chiefs of Southeast Asian industries are not so sure.
Asia Insight

Malaysia's 35% minimum wage hike stirs recovery concerns

Critics say politicians are promising happier paydays as an election ploy

26 April 2022
Trucks wait to cross China-Vietnam border in March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have caused chaos for cross-border truckers.
Supply Chain

China, Vietnam truckers turn to relay race to break border jam

COVID-clogged supply chains left drivers camped out for weeks

22 April 2022
Tourists visiting the famous Japanese Covered Bridge in the Ancient Town of Hoi An on Vietnam's central coast in 2021.
Travel & Leisure

Vietnamese travel to domestic destinations as COVID curbs ease

Hotels report solid bookings for end-of-April holiday season

18 April 2022
Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith has high hopes for a high-speed railway linking the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming with Vientiane. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Transportation

Laos' logistics vision for ASEAN: All rails lead to Vientiane

Government eyes capital as link from Southeast Asia to China

4 April 2022
A lifeguard sits on a beach in the Vietnamese city of Nha Trang in 2020. The nation's tourism industry lost workers during the pandemic.
Travel & Leisure

Vietnam's reopening tourism sector hobbled by labor shortage

Industry lost workers during strict coronavirus lockdowns

30 March 2022
Vietnam's growth was lead by exports mainly to the U.S. in the first quarter.
Economy

Vietnam GDP grows 5.03% in first three months of 2022

Exports rise 14% but spike in material costs remains a concern

29 March 2022
A containership off Singapore: Europe accounts for 9% of ASEAN exports, according to Maybank.
Ukraine war

ASEAN faces 'collateral damage' from Ukraine war's Europe impact

From Singapore to Thailand, spillover threatens COVID-hit economies anew

27 March 2022
Shoppers browse Apple products in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has increased production for the iPhone maker, with suppliers moving from China and Taiwan and hiring local Chinese speakers. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
China tech

Help wanted: Tech firms in Vietnam seek Chinese speakers

Apple suppliers, garment makers fleeing China-U.S. tension hire bilingual talent

14 March 2022
Commuters in Mumbai: India is likely to see pay increases average 9.2% this year, according to one survey.
Economy

From India to Indonesia, wages to rise faster alongside inflation

Studies find Asian employers ready to pay more after COVID pain

13 March 2022
A Singapore Airlines plane at the Singapore Airshow in February: The city-state this week announced a package worth 500 million Singapore dollars to support its aviation sector.
Coronavirus

Singapore weighs air hub reopening as Malaysia charges ahead

City-state plows millions into restoring aviation but remains cautious about border

11 March 2022
Building of the Long Phu 1 thermal power plant has been delayed in Vietnam's Mekong Delta because of U.S. sanctions against a Russian contractor. (Photo courtesy of PetroVietnam's PTSC)
Ukraine war

SWIFT sanctions add twist to Vietnam-Russia coal plant dispute

Hanoi refrains from condemning Ukraine invasion by its old Soviet partner

10 March 2022