Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Vietnamese women looking to avoid the social stigma of having a child out of wedlock are increasingly turning to grooms-for-hire businesses that specialize in throwing fake weddings complete with fake grooms and guests for a hefty fee. The AFP in February featured a company …
Read More »Nine jailed in Vietnam for ‘attempt to overthrow state’
Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP | A Vietnamese court has jailed nine people for “attempting to overthrow the state”, official media reported Friday, the latest heavy sentence doled out in a harsh crackdown this year against activists in the one-party state. Communist Vietnam routinely jails its critics, but 2017 has been …
Read More »Trump backs US spies on Russia meddling, but slams Putin ‘haters’
Manila, Philippines | AFP | Donald Trump said Sunday he backed the US intelligence agencies which concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election, but slammed “fools” who oppose better ties with Moscow. Key former Trump aides are under US investigation for possible collaboration with the Kremlin, and …
Read More »51 bankers, businessmen on trial in Vietnam for fraud
Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP | A former banking magnate and 50 others went on trial in Vietnam Monday over a multi-million dollar fraud at a major private bank, as the communist nation cracks down on corruption in the sector. Authorities have vowed to clean up an industry plagued by favouritism …
Read More »China still building South China Sea islands: think-tank
Manila, Philippines | AFP | China is expanding artificial islands in disputed South China Sea areas despite saying it stopped two years ago, according to a security think tank that released satellite images it said showed the land reclamation. Beijing claims most of the sea and has been turning reefs in …
Read More »Rice to riches: Vietnam’s shrimp farmers fish for fortunes
Soc Trang , Vietnam | AFP | With a flashy gold watch and a chunky matching ring, Tang Van Cuol looks a far cry from the average Vietnamese farmer as he slings back a shot of rice wine and boasts about his projected earnings. After years scratching a living growing rice …
Read More »Obama drop-in for pork soup stuns Vietnam street shop owner
Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP | She has ladled out countless bowls of her pork noodle soup, but the owner of a Hanoi streetside restaurant says she was stunned when Barack Obama strolled in, pulled up a plastic stool and slurped down Vietnam’s famed “bun cha” delicacy. The US president slipped …
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