Vietnam

• Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced an updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy during her visit to Vietnam last weekend, emphasizing Tokyo's increased reliance on Southeast Asia amid U.S.-China rivalry. • The decade-old FOIP policy now prioritizes energy security, critical minerals, and deeper ties with ASEAN nations to bolster economic and security roles in the region. • This pivot underscores Japan's strategic shift toward Southeast Asia as a counterbalance to great-power competition, enhancing regional stability and supply chain resilience.

• Vietnam and China are strengthening bilateral relations with increased trade flows and Chinese investment in Vietnam's economy, signaling closer geopolitical alignment in Southeast Asia. • The deepening ties reflect Vietnam's strategic repositioning amid regional power dynamics and economic interdependence with its northern neighbor. • The development has implications for ASEAN cohesion and regional balance of power, particularly regarding competing claims in the South China Sea and great power competition in the region.

Locals say the Ha Giang loop is rugged, unpredictable and congested, with some guides not prioritising safetyThe recent death of a British gap-year student on the Ha Giang loop, a popular motorcycle tour through the mountains in north Vietnam, has heightened concerns about a trail reputed to be one of the most dangerous in the country.Orla Wates, 19, from Surrey, was riding as a pillion passenger when she fell off and was hit by an oncoming truck, according to local media. She was taken to hospital in Hanoi, where she died from her injuries last week. Continue reading...

Orla Wates, 19, who died after incident on popular Ha Giang loop, described as ‘beautiful, independent and very funny’The family of a British teenager have paid tribute to their daughter who died after a motorcycle crash on a popular route in Vietnam.The incident occurred on the Ha Giang loop in the country’s north and Orla Wates, 19, died at the Viet Duc University hospital in Hanoi, according to Viet Nam News. Continue reading...

Gia Lam should have been offered interpreter by medical team at Fairfield hospital, coroner’s court findsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA woman who died of sepsis three days after giving birth in western Sydney could have survived if her urinary tract infection (UTI) had been diagnosed, a coroner’s court has found.It also found the woman, who was born in Vietnam, should have been offered interpreter services so she could communicate better with medical experts. Continue reading...