Vietnam was hit by some extreme weather conditions this year. With mercury levels soaring to record highs, the country experienced a summer that could be described the hottest in its history. Average temperatures eclipsed those of previous years by 0.5-1 degrees Celsius, hitting an average 39-42 degrees in many parts. Huong Khe District in central Ha Tinh Province reported a record 43.4 degree Celsius, or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest temperature ever measured locally. Air quality in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi soared from bad to worse this year with pollution indexes in both cities nearing "dangerous levels" to create widespread health concerns. HCMC was hit by record high tides late September while historic flooding struck in unusual spots like Phu Quoc and Da Lat. Topping the most-searched news list this year was typhoon Nakri, forecast to be the strongest East Sea storm of the year with wind speeds of 115 kph. The storm made landfall in central Vietnam between Phu Yen and … [Read more...] about Google trends show Vietnamese big on weather, Asian pop culture
Hcmc to phu quoc
Greenhouses, deforestation in focus as flooding toll rises in Central Highlands
Dak Nong Province has suffered the most in terms of human casualties, losing at least five people since Wednesday, the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said Saturday. Its neighbors, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Lam Dong, have reported one death each, while Kon Tum has confirmed two deaths. The region has received historic downpours, with rainfall between August 6-9 being three to five times the average in August in previous years. Severe flooding has submerged more than 12,000 houses and nearly 20,000 hectares of rice, agricultural crops, killed more than 120,000 poultry fowls in the Central Highlands and southern provinces, with total damage estimated at more than VND1 trillion ($43.5 million). The Central Highlands region produces most of Vietnam's coffee, a major export item. On Friday afternoon, many communes in Bao Loc Town, Lam Dong Province, were still surrounded by muddy waters. Many houses had collapsed or were badly damaged. Rescued from her … [Read more...] about Greenhouses, deforestation in focus as flooding toll rises in Central Highlands
Three South Koreans detained for running online gambling ring
Vietnam’s cyber crime police under the Ministry of Public Security, and police officers of HCMC and the neighboring province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau arrested three South Korean men organizing the online gambling ring Friday. Kim Joo Hyeon, 46, An Kwang Ho, 41, and 24-year-old Kim Hong Min entered Vietnam on tourist visas and organized online gambling for South Koreans living in the country, police said. During a raid on their rented house in Vung Tau Town, the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in southern Vietnam, police seized 20 mobile phones, nine bank cards, 37 desktop computers, two laptops and devices for online payment. The online gambling ring was hosted by a website with its server outside Vietnam, providing thousands of players, mainly South Koreans, with a variety of gambling games. Since November last year, the ring had organized transactions worth more than VND170 billion ($7.3 million), police said. The Vietnamese authorities have recently relaxed their stance on … [Read more...] about Three South Koreans detained for running online gambling ring