Latest news with #ThinhNguyen
The Star
24-07-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Heavy downpours and flooding from storm Wipha kill three in Vietnam; thousands of people evacuated
A view of Halong Bay is seen as Tropical Storm Wipha approaches, in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, July 22, 2025. -- Photo: REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen HANOI (AFP): Three people have been killed and another is missing in torrential downpours over Vietnam from Tropical Storm Wipha, authorities said Thursday, while nearly 4,000 homes were flooded by deluges. Around 12,500 people were evacuated before the storm's landfall on Tuesday, when heavy rains and winds began lashing the country's north and central belt. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said three people were killed in flash floods and landslides in central Nghe An province, while one person remained missing and five more were injured. Nationwide, more than 3,800 houses have been flooded -- several over their rooftops -- while nearly 95,000 hectares of crops were submerged and destroyed, according to the report. Mountainous Nghe An province was evacuated of thousands of people on Wednesday night as rivers and reservoirs overflowed and inundated local communities, state media said. Last week, Wipha killed at least six people in the Philippines, where tens of thousands were forced from their homes and it flooded parts of the capital Manila. Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely. A sudden whirlwind and abnormal weather pattern overturned a tourist boat in Vietnam's UNESCO area of Ha Long Bay on Friday, killing 37 people, including several children. And in September 2024, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, leaving 345 people dead and causing an estimated economic loss of US$3.3 billion. - AFO
The Standard
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Standard
Heavy storms in northern Vietnam leave 1 dead, as Wipha weakens into a tropical depression
A car moves on a road as Tropical Storm Wipha approaches, in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen
Mint
22-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Vietnam's diaspora is shaping the country their parents fled
Fifty years ago Thinh Nguyen left his homeland aboard an American navy ship. Some of his compatriots escaped in helicopters. Tens of thousands fled in makeshift boats. Many more, including Mr Nguyen's father and brother, were left behind as troops from North Vietnam stormed into Saigon, then the capital of American-backed South Vietnam. The chaotic evacuation marked the end of the Vietnam war, badly damaged American credibility and left Vietnam in Communist hands. It also helped create one of the world's biggest diasporas. Today, the Vietnamese diaspora is a force of around 5m people, living and working everywhere from America to eastern Europe. They also do a lot for Vietnam. They send back roughly $16bn of remittances a year, one of the highest hauls in Asia and greater than the diasporas of Indonesia or Thailand. But far more than their money, the people themselves are transforming the home country. Half a century on, Vietnamese emigrants and their children are coming back, bringing with them not just wealth but also the skills and education they have picked up abroad. Hundreds of thousands of overseas Vietnamese, who are known as 'Viet Kieu', visit their homeland every year. Official data on how many stay permanently are scarce, but many do. The flow began slowly in the 1990s, when memories of war were still fresh. The government started to encourage Viet Kieu to return, describing them as 'an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation'. Some came back to start businesses after the Communists opened up the economy through market reforms called doi moi. Mr Nguyen, who had worked in Silicon Valley, returned in 2002 to found a software company. Vietnam was 'the new El Dorado' and 'startup heaven', he says, because costs were low. His return coincided with a thaw in relations with America, which helped Vietnam develop its successful, export-oriented economic model. In the years since Mr Nguyen arrived, Vietnam's economy has boomed. Last year it grew by 7%, faster than any other country in Asia. Companies such as Samsung and Apple have set up in Vietnam, which is now a crucial cog in global supply chains, exporting everything from smartphones to trainers. The diaspora is returning to take up opportunities in these bustling tech and manufacturing industries, as well as many others. They can use their upbringing abroad to their advantage: some American-Vietnamese work for Intel, which assembles chips in Vietnam. Viet Kieu also come to connect with their roots. Having grown up abroad, they want to see what their homeland is like and improve their language skills. It is not always an easy transition. John Vu, a 33-year-old who grew up in America, moved to Saigon—known today as Ho Chi Minh City—in 2019 and organises meet-ups for Viet Kieu. He says some complain that 'they stand out like a sore thumb' and that locals speak English to them even when they try to speak Vietnamese. Younger returnees also face resistance from their parents, who knew a different Vietnam. Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war—which the government calls 'Reunification Day'—were complicated for some Viet Kieu. On April 30th tens of thousands of Vietnamese gawped at fireworks and fighter jets soaring above tanks and troops in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr Nguyen stayed at home. To him, having lived through the fall of Saigon, 'it is not a cause for celebration.' But younger Viet Kieu, as well as many local Vietnamese, do not have the same painful memories. Mimi Vu (no relation), who moved from America several years ago, was among those who felt 'happy the country is united'. Some, though, were just happy to get a few days off work.
Barnama
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Barnama
Vietnam Airlines Group Cancels Flights As Typhoon Wipha Nears
A man holding an umbrella walks near docked tourist boats, as Typhoon Wipha approaches, at Halong Bay, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen HANOI, July 21 (Bernama-VNA) -- The Vietnam Airlines Group, encompassing Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Vasco, announced comprehensive flight modifications for Monday (July 21) to ensure safety for passengers and crew members as Typhoon Wipha intensifies its approach towards Vietnam's northern coast. According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), looking ahead to Tuesday (July 22), all Vietnam Airlines Group flights from Cat Bi Airport will depart after 12pm. Additionally, several domestic and international flights on Monday and Tuesday may experience cascading delays and schedule disruptions due to Typhoon Wipha's impact. bootstrap slideshow The Vietnam Airlines Group regrets the schedule changes caused by this force majeure weather event and appreciates the passengers' understanding, a representative from the group said, adding flight times may continue to be adjusted depending on the storm's progression, with updated information communicated via the airline's official channels and passenger contact details provided in booking records. Vietnam Airlines also advises passengers to keep seat belts fastened throughout the flights, particularly during periods of adverse weather. Even when the seatbelt sign is off, remaining buckled is a crucial safety precaution to mitigate the risks of unexpected turbulence. According to the Aviation Meteorological Centre under the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation, Typhoon Wipha maintains its rapid trajectory toward the Vietnamese coast, maintaining wind speeds of level 11, with gusts up to level 14. Between 9pm and midnight on Monday, the storm's eye is approximately 250km from Noi Bai International Airport. Noi Bai International Airport will experience moderate to heavy rainfall with embedded thunderstorms during Monday and Tuesday, reducing visibility to as low as 1.3km and triggering widespread heavy precipitation warnings. -- BERNAMA-VNA
The Star
21-07-2025
- Climate
- The Star
"It took only a few seconds": survivors recount how a sudden storm drowned dozens in Vietnam
A tourist boat (in white) that capsized in an accident which killed dozens and left several people still missing, is towed back to the port in Halong Bay, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen HALONG (Reuters) -The thunderstorm came so suddenly that it overturned the boat within seconds, said two survivors of the shipwreck which killed at least 35 people in Vietnam's top tourist spot of Halong Bay and left another four missing. "It had been raining for 15 minutes, then there was a thunderstorm ... and a huge wave that all of a sudden capsized the boat," said Nguyen Hong Quan, one of 10 survivors of the accident, which happened early on Saturday afternoon. "It took only a few seconds," he told Reuters on Monday, recalling one of the worst accidents in recent years to hit the UNESCO-protected archipelago, which consists of thousands of limestone islands about 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi. Of the 49 people that Vietnam's government said were on the boat, four are still missing. Weather conditions are expected to worsen in the coming hours with the landfall in northern Vietnam of Typhoon Wipha, which skirted the southern Chinese coast over the weekend causing flash floods and landslides. Authorities were verifying on Monday whether a body found on an islet in the bay was one of the missing people from the accident, according to local media. The thunderstorm hit large parts of northern Vietnam on Saturday, turning the sky dark in a matter of minutes, with sudden downpours and strong winds felling trees in the capital of Hanoi and temporarily disrupting air travel at the Noi Bai international airport. Quan, a 40-year-old tourist, said he drifted for about three hours on a wooden chair from the sunken boat before a fishing vessel finally rescued him. Hanging on the chair together with him were another two people, only one of whom survived. "One of them was too tired and couldn't hold any longer. What a tragedy," he said. His account matches that from the second person who survived by holding onto the chair. "The waves were so strong. One of the other two was too tired and said goodbye to us," Vu Anh Tu, a 25-year-old member of the crew, told Reuters. He also recalled how the storm hit the boat so suddenly, causing it to overturn "in 15 seconds". "There was so much loss, including children," he said, confirming reports from authorities that several minors were also on the sunken vessel. "I don't know if I'll ever work on a boat again," Tu said. (Reporting by Thinh Nguyen in Halong; Additional reporting by Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi; Writing by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by David Stanway)
