BackStories » Asia

in Asia

Morning News Roundup: Will Vietnam Change Time Zone to GMT+8?

Cambodia-made car causes shocks to Vietnam’s auto industry [VietNamNet] Vietnamese swimmer shines at US competition [Vietnam Plus] Ho Chi Minh Trail recognized as special national relic&nb...

in Asia

Morning News Roundup: Bill Gates Foundation Brings Free Internet to Rural Vietnam

Gold prices hit record low [VoV] Vietnam probes 229 kg heroin case busted by Taiwan [Tuoi Tre] Racehorse owners scrambling since closure of Vietnam’s lone track [Thanh Nien]

in Asia

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

Vietnam, US talk on intellectual property issues [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam considers reusing 2G to upgrade 3G services [Vietnam Net] Power motorbikes given green light [Vietnam Bridge]

in Asia

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

Powerful storm approaching Central Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] CNN continues broadcast in Vietnam under new rule [Thanh Nien] New programmes in the pipeline for overseas residents [Vietnam Net]

in Asia

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

Rice farmers losing out on production profits [Vietnam Net] 7 dead, 40 injured in north Vietnam bus accident [Thanh Nien] Vietnam Plugs into Renewable Energy Sources [Prensa Latina]

in Asia

Morning News Roundup: Vegetable Prices Jump After Storm Nari

Government decrees support for atomic energy studies [Nhan Dan] Oil refinery projects erected all across Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam cyber crime rising in 2013 - Vietnam Economic Times ...

in Asia

Typhoon Nari Leaves Path of Death and Destruction Across SE Asia

As Typhoon Nari swept through SE Asia this week, it left a path of death and destruction from the Philippines to Laos. Thousands of homes were destroyed, dozens of lives were lost and it may have even...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Map: More Than Half of the World's Population Lives Within This Circle

It’s well-known that Asia is the world’s population center (thanks, China and India!) with 51% of the global population. But this fact is slightly mind-blowing when illustrated visually. Reddit user, ...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

China's $1.9 Billion Mooncake Industry

Vietnam might consume a lot of mooncakes during the mid-autumn festival, but it has nothing on China. The country of over one billion has more than 10,000 mooncake manufacturers which produce over 28...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Vietnam, Neighbors Pledge to End Dog Meat Trade

At a recent meeting in Hanoi, the four governments agreed in principle on a strategy to end the trafficking of dogs between Vietnam and its neighbors, which is estimated at 5 million animals annually....

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Vietnam: The Land of Nike

According to AmCham Vietnam, 98% of Nike footwear is produced in Asia with Vietnam leading the pack followed by China and Indonesia. In the 2013 fiscal year, Vietnam, which houses at least 10 Nike fa...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Thai Villagers Detain Google Maps Car Believing Driver is a Spy

While many wish that Google Street View were available everywhere, a Village in northern Thailand does not share this opinion. Yesterday morning, A Google Maps car, mounted camera and all, was stopped...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

9 Taiwanese Face Charges for Anal Gold Smuggling

Well, this is impressive. South Korean customs officials have announced that they have broken up a gold smuggling ring. The kicker? The mules would bring in the gold through their anuses. According t...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Thai Monks Traveling on Private Jet Cause Uproar

Three Thai monks have landed in hot water after footage of the trio flying on a private jet, wearing sunglasses and earphones and carrying Louis Vuitton bags emerged on YouTube. The video has caused ...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Lost Cambodian City Found Using Frickin' Laser Beams

Apparently Ankgor Watt is a piece of a larger puzzle. Using frickin' areal lasers, archaeologists have identified a sprawling city around the 1,200 year old temple complex, revealing how the area’s ne...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Vietnamese Man Dead After Slashing Himself Over Plane Ticket

Last Saturday, a Vietnamese man in Dagupan, Philippines killed himself when he was unable to borrow money for a plane ticket home. The man, identified as Nguyen Tan Lap, was found bleeding heavily in...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Saigon Pushes for One-Visa Policy

To better connect the tourism of SE Asian countries, Saigon authorities have pressed the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to adopt a one-visa policy with Thailand, Cambodia, Loas and Mynamar...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Nguyens Set to Conquer Australia's Cities

With over 4,000,000 Viet Kieu, it’s not surprising that Vietnamese culture has made its way across the globe. Vietnamese culinary heroes, such as Pho to Banh Mi, have been popularized from Sydney to N...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Kowloon - City in Darkness

We’ve seen some of Hong Kong’s tightest living spaces in a previous post but nothing compares with the notorious Kowloon Walled City. From the 1940s to 1993, this fortress of darkness and poverty hous...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Blackouts Across SE Asia Spark Conspiracy Theories

Last week’s blackout was one of many across SE Asia in recent weeks, with large-scale power outages in Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. While the blackouts in Vietnam and Cambodia have...