Vietnam’s fourth-largest municipality, a central-government hub and transport gateway
A set of personal essays and memoirs from diverse voices celebrate renewed reading habits amid cultural events like the UK National Year of Reading and Rabat's UNESCO World Book Capital status. The pieces recount early literary awakenings, midlife shifts to reading as refuge, and entrepreneurial journeys sparked by books, drawing from Guardian, Business Insider UK, and other outlets.
Vietnam faces a widening probe into a major diamond-smuggling network. Investigators have reported more than 30,000 stones worth over 1.5 trillion dong have entered the country in the past two years, with the stones allegedly re-engraved to inflate quality. PNJ and other shops have faced closures as police widen inquiries.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed since November and has spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea supporting US operations in the war with Iran. Families and lawmakers have reported shortages, plumbing failures and worsening mental health; the Navy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have called those reports misrepresented while a relief carrier is en route.
The USS George Washington has left Da Nang and is relocating toward the Indian Ocean as the Lincoln remains in the Middle East, underscoring a sustained, high-pressure naval posture amid Iran-related operations and logistic strains aboard deployed carriers.
Vietnam is confronting a major wildlife trafficking problem after authorities reveal a 221-piece ivory haul weighing 1,193 kilograms at Quy Nhơn port. Investigations trace the shipment to the Republic of the Congo, with police launching a criminal probe into protected-animal violations. The case comes amid wider concerns about demand for ivory and wildlife products in Southeast Asia.