VN Express
Drought, saltwater intrusion double whammy for Mekong delta farmers
Due to a prolonged drought, seawater has intruded deep into rivers in the Mekong Delta, leaving thousands of households facing a water shortage. Freshwater is sold in certain areas for VND200,000 ($8.6) per cubic metre, and local authorities use tanker trucks to deliver water to households. For ...
Huy Phong, Hoang Nam
In Saigon, rural life clings to Southeast Asia's future financial hub
Thu Thiem’s urban transition portrays the stark contrast between what the city used to be and what it wants to become. Just across the river from Saigon’s central business district lies Thu Thiem Peninsula. The 657-hectare (1,623-acre) area in District 2 is set to become ...
Maternity leave: How Vietnam compares to neighbors
The ILO believes Vietnam has fairly progressive policies to protect working mothers. Vietnamese female workers are offered up to 26 weeks maternity leave, above the average level of 12-13 weeks seen in Southeast Asia, according to the International Labor Organization. Vietnam has a system of ...
Vietnam's human trafficking victims rise 13 pct in 2016
Police received reports of 1,128 victims last year, but only rescued around half of them. The Vietnamese government has reported nearly a 13 percent increase in the number of human trafficking victims in 2016. The Ministry of Public Security said its forces detected 383 cases ...
Facing donors, Vietnam urged to rethink coal-fueled growth
Vietnam seeks financial support for its ‘black to green’ transition, but international partners say what’s needed is better policy. International development partners and donors have called on Vietnam to commit to bigger greenhouse gas emission reductions, warning that fueling growth with coal will hurt the ...
Vietnam among top places for business expansion in Southeast Asia: survey
With competitive labor cost, the country only comes after Singapore in terms of attractiveness. In the Southeast Asia region, Singapore tops the list of most favorable expansion destinations for Asian companies, with 32 percent of respondents saying they will invest more, followed by Vietnam, according ...
Labor ministry orders probe into Honda Vietnam’s alleged massive layoff
The company has been accused of firing thousands of workers every year to cut costs. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has asked that authorities in the northern province of Vinh Phuc look into reports of massive layoffs that allegedly happen regularly at ...
Vietnam has one of the least powerful passports in Southeast Asia
Faring poorly on an international passport index, Vietnam possesses one of the least powerful passports in the region. Ranking 74th on the World Economic Forum’s Passport Index, Vietnam, together with Cambodia, possesses one of the least powerful passports in Southeast Asia. Citizens from the two countries can visit ...
Southern Vietnam faces power starvation
Power cuts are a huge issue for the industrial and manufacturing sectors in southern Vietnam. Southern Vietnam, which is home to commercial hubs like Ho Chi Minh City and manufacturing clusters such as Dong Nai and Binh Duong, may face more power shortages from 2017. The country’s ...
Chinese dams a threat to Lower Mekong River
One of the main issues facing nations in the Mekong River Commission, including Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, is that China has refused to share information about the operations of its hydropower dams. As a result, the MRC countries are cautious about using their limited ...