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in Vietnam

Typhoon Nari Devastating Central Vietnam

After wreaking havoc on the Philippines where it killed 13 people, Typhoon Nari made landfall this morning in central Vietnam, causing massive flooding, power outages and destruction of property.

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

98-Year-Old to Continue his Hunt for $100 Billion Treasure

98-year-old Tran Van Tiep of Ho Chi Minh City has been given permission to continue his hunt for Japanese treasure he believes is buried at Tau Mountain in Binh Thuan Province.

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Hero, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Dead at 102

It's been all over the news this weekend but in case you missed it, General Vo Nguyen Giap, who ousted both the French and Americans from Vietnam died in Hanoi last Friday at the age of 102. Late...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Central Vietnam Braces for Superstorm Wutip

Superstorm Wutip, currently around 200km off Vietnam’s central coast, is expected to make landfall at 4pm this afternoon. With maximum winds of 149kph, local authorities in Ha Tinh are in the process...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed

- Hanoi hosts first street performance festival [Nhan Dan] - 40 years on: When Fidel Castro came to town [VNS] - “White gold” plants encroach on forest’s territory [Vie...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Exec Beats Caddy Unconscious. Keeps Golf Club Membership.

Even with its slow pace, golf can bring out your competitive side. A missed putt or journey to a sand trap can boil the blood of even the most patient player. But that’s no excuse to beat your caddy w...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Authorities to Crack Down on Illegitimate Diplomatic Cars

You know all those fancy diplomatic cars speeding around District 1? Well, as it turns out, chances are the occupants are not diplomatic officials, but rather locals who bought the car and never trans...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

VNA Flight Attendant Arrested for Smuggling 50 iPhone 5s

Vietnamese airline employees have been known to cause a stir from time to time. Earlier this year, actress Ly Nha Ky got a VietJet flight crew into hot water when she was invited into the cockpit...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Hue's Refurbished Airport Reopens

As Saigon waits for its new, massive airport, some of Vietnam’s smaller cities are focusing on renovations rather than starting from scratch. Hue’s Phu Bai airport, which was reopened yesterday a...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed

- Vietnam students give history a modern twist [Thanh Nien] - The most famous family run economic groups in Vietnam [VietnamNet] - Foreigner commits suicide by jumping off a...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

[Updated] Nha Trang Effectively Bans Motorbike Rentals for Foreigners

[Update Below] On August 21st, the Khanh Hoa Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a decision to ban tourist companies from renting motorbikes to foreigners who don’t have Vietname...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Hundreds Confess to Killing Dog Thieves in Bac Giang

In an act of solidarity with their fellow villagers, hundreds have signed a petition confessing to the murder of 2 suspected dog thieves who were caught and beaten to death on August 27 in the Hiep Ho...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed

- Vietnam up in FIFA rankings [VietnamNet] - Vietnam's auto import continues to slide in August [East Day]  - Vietnam’s rice productivity may reduce 10% on climate chan...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Bill Gates Posts Picture of Vietnam Wires on Facebook, Sparks Fly

American billionaire, Bill Gates, recently took to Facebook to express his concerns about rising electricity demands in developing countries. To illustrate this, he used a picture of tangled electrica...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Bill: Job-Seeking Foreigners Must Have Work Permit Before Entering Vietnam

Vietnam seems to be overhauling their immigration policies this week. In addition to yesterday’s news that foreigners working in Vietnam without a work permit will be deported, Tuoi Tre is reporting t...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Decree: Foreign Workers Without Work Permits to be Deported

Following in the footsteps of other ASEAN nations like Malaysia, a new government decree, set to go into effect on November 1st, includes provisions for deporting foreign workers in Vietnam who d...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

5 Arrested in Massive Saigon Nike Theft

Vietnam may be the land of Nike but the company’s pricey shoes make them a prime target for thievery. Earlier this week, A Ho Chi Minh City court sentenced five men to up to 15 years in prison for ste...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed

- State firms pay highest wages [VietnamNet] - Tony Blair strikes new deals to advise Vietnam and Peru [The Telegraph]  - Authorities revoke license of clinic with Chin...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Six Suffocate in Fish Oil Tank

Well this is a sad story. Yesterday morning, six employees of the IDI Fisheries Factory in Binh Thanh Commun, Dong Thap Province suffocated from catfish oil fumes while taking samples.

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Has Da Nang’s Bubble Burst?

After a decade of breakneck development, Da Nang’s luster is starting to wear off. Overly reliant on a once-booming real estate sector, the city’s coffers are drying up as investments slow and large-s...