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Newsroom · Southeast Asia Correspondent

By Nguyen Van Linh

Hanoi-based correspondent covering ASEAN, the Mekong, the South China Sea and the archipelagic region.

165 published stories
Washington's fractured approach to Myanmar leaves policy in disarray
Southeast Asia

Washington's fractured approach to Myanmar leaves policy in disarray

US policy on Myanmar is a mess of China-obsession, neglect, and contradictory narratives. The detention of American scholar Min Zin has draw

Myanmar's junta consolidates gains as ASEAN diplomacy stalls
Southeast Asia

Myanmar's junta consolidates gains as ASEAN diplomacy stalls

Myanmar's junta has shifted tactics with a sham election and nominal civilian government, while ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus remains toothle

Derek Williams, CBS cameraman who chronicled Asia's wars, dies at 79
Southeast Asia

Derek Williams, CBS cameraman who chronicled Asia's wars, dies at 79

Derek Williams, a CBS News cameraman who spent 40 years documenting Asia's most turbulent events, died July 22 at age 79. He covered the Vie

Laos' nuclear deal with Russia threatens Mekong rice and regional food security
Southeast Asia

Laos' nuclear deal with Russia threatens Mekong rice and regional food security

Laos signed a feasibility study with Russia for small modular reactors on the Mekong River. The project risks contaminating rice-growing flo

Vietnam's Banking Cleanup Exposes Deeper Infrastructure Gaps
Southeast Asia

Vietnam's Banking Cleanup Exposes Deeper Infrastructure Gaps

Vietnam's biometric verification purge eliminated 86 million dormant or fraudulent accounts. The cleanup highlights gaps in identity checks

Bank Indonesia leadership crisis deepens rupiah's slide
Southeast Asia

Bank Indonesia leadership crisis deepens rupiah's slide

The rupiah has fallen over 8% year to date amid political interference in monetary policy. President Prabowo Subianto's fiscal expansion and

Vietnam's smart port in Da Nang opens new avenue for US cooperation
Southeast Asia

Vietnam's smart port in Da Nang opens new avenue for US cooperation

Vietnam is transforming Da Nang's Lien Chieu port into a high-tech logistics hub. The project combines economic modernization, technological

Iran's 1979 revolution reshapes five lives in Booker-shortlisted novel
Culture

Iran's 1979 revolution reshapes five lives in Booker-shortlisted novel

The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran, shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize, uses a polyphonic structure to follow five members of o

Bank Indonesia Governor's Abrupt Exit Exposes Deepening Economic Crisis
Southeast Asia

Bank Indonesia Governor's Abrupt Exit Exposes Deepening Economic Crisis

Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo resigned mid-term, rattling markets as the rupiah plunges and foreign reserves shrink. The departure u

Indonesia's digital boom masks a hidden workforce in the informal economy
Southeast Asia

Indonesia's digital boom masks a hidden workforce in the informal economy

Indonesia's digital payment transactions hit 5.22 billion in May 2026, up 28% year-on-year. Yet 59.42% of the workforce remains informal, ac

ASEAN Reclaims Central Role as Quad and BRICS Lose Steam
Southeast Asia

ASEAN Reclaims Central Role as Quad and BRICS Lose Steam

ASEAN's convening power was on full display in Manila, drawing top diplomats from the US, China, Russia, and India. The bloc's inclusive app

Myanmar's 'No Single Government' Narrative Aids the Junta's Agenda
Southeast Asia

Myanmar's 'No Single Government' Narrative Aids the Junta's Agenda

The argument that Myanmar lacks a unified government misrepresents the situation, ignoring the emergence of a federal coordination body. Thi