Island life

The victory in the first battle of the air defense troops also left invaluable lessons, of which the most remarkable one is the art of employing combined arms in air defense operations. To prepare for the war of destruction against North Vietnam then, from February 1964, U.S. air force used recce aircraft and paratroops to intrude the territory of North Vietnam from the sea so as to sabotage coastal economic and military facilities. At the beginning of April 1964, with the plan to air-raid 94 targets in the North, the U.S. “invented” the Gulf of Tonkin incident to legalize its war of destruction. Closely following the developments and learning the plot as well as activities in preparation for the war of destruction of the U.S. troops, in June 1964, the Politburo issued a resolution on enhancing combat capabilities and staying ready to foil the plot of the U.S. invaders. Party committees and governments of localities were to enhance their civil air defense alert and strengthen air … [Read more...] about The art of combined-arms operations in victory of air defense troops’ first battle

Spain's Ultima Hora newspaper reported Sunday that the Provincial Court of Palma decided August 3 to return the passports of two Vietnamese citizens accused of "sexually abusing a 17-year-old minor." No additional information was reported about the conclusions drawn by investigators or the court. On June 28, two Vietnamese citizens were arrested on the island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, Spain, for allegedly raping a 17-year-old British girl. A spokesman of the Mallorca police department told VnExpress on July 1 that two Vietnamese men, 42 and 38 years old, had been arrested over sexual assault allegations. He refused to disclose their identities and occupations. According to local media, the two Vietnamese male citizens were an actor and a musician. They appeared in court on June 28 and were granted bail, but their passports were confiscated by authorities. The British girl testified in court, confirming her previous testimony to the police. On June 28, she … [Read more...] about Spain returns passports to Vietnamese citizens accused of sexual assault

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have launched an investigation into a suspected case of methanol poisoning that occurred at a local restaurant, affecting eight young people, of whom two died, officers said on Saturday. Among the eight victims, six are employees of Mr Bao Restaurant in Thu Duc City, including a woman, while the other two are outsiders, both female, local police said. These victims, aged 19 to 24, opened a party at the restaurant late on Wednesday evening, after the facility closed, N.D.B., the owner, reported on Saturday. They ate food bought from outside and drank a can of five liters of alcohol available at the restaurant during the feast which ended at 4:00 am the next morning. B. said his restaurant, which started operations on June 1, recently bought five 5-liter cans of bottled water from a supplier but one of them was later found containing alcohol. This can had been kept in the eatery’s storage until it was consumed at the party, B. said, adding that the … [Read more...] about Police probing suspected alcohol poisoning that killed two in Ho Chi Minh City

A doctor at the emergency department of a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City was recently attacked by a family member of a patient, just about 10 days after another medical practitioner at the same facility was assaulted. Police in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City confirmed on Saturday they were working with 29-year-old V.H.H. to verify his alleged attack on a doctor at Gia Dinh People’s Hospital. H. said he took his mother, who suffered severe respiratory failure, to the infirmary’s emergency department at around 6:00 am on the same day. On breathing support, H.’s mother needed to go to the toilet. However, doctors stated that it would be dangerous to let the patient go to the toilet in such a condition. Although a nurse had brought necessary sanitary equipment to the bed, H. underlined that he would take his mother to the restroom. A doctor tried to talk to H. once again, but the conversation then escalated to a row. H. left the room and later returned with a nail … [Read more...] about Another doctor attacked at Ho Chi Minh City hospital

From five grams of toothpaste to 10 millilitres of cooking oil, many Nigerians struggling with soaring prices now buy their basic necessities in small quantities packed in tiny plastic bags to be consumed on the same day. Consumer brands behind this "sachetisation of the economy" see it as a creative innovation, allowing consumption for all Nigerians, the majority of whom live on less than $2 a day. But critics see the development as an economic and ecological aberration, even as Africa's largest economy struggles with the inflationary fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine. In the streets of Lagos, the vibrant economic capital of Africa's most populous country, small sachets are now part of the decor: they colour its streets, packing the wood and tin shops found on the corner of most streets. Sitting on a stool, Ibrahim Atahire has been running his small grocery store for 30 years in a busy area of Obalende, a popular district of the megalopolis. "At my place, you can buy … [Read more...] about From coffee to toothpaste, Nigerians buy small as hardships bite

Jumping from rock to rock to rock over a creek formed off Austria's Jamtal glacier, scientist Andrea Fischer worries that precious scientific data will be irreversibly lost as the snow and ice melt faster than ever. "I couldn't have imagined that it would ever melt as dramatically as this summer... Our 'archive' is melting away," says the glaciologist. Fischer -- vice director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences -- has spent more than 20 years surveying Jamtal and four other Alpine glaciers across Austria's highest peaks for the oldest areas of ice. For scientists looking to reconstruct the Earth's climate in the distant past, such ice formations are a unique time capsule stretching back thousands of years. The glaciers contain an invaluable treasure trove of data -- as they grew, the ice encapsulated twigs and leaves, which can now be carbon-dated, Fischer explains. And based on the age of such material and the depth … [Read more...] about Austrian scientists race to reveal melting glaciers’ secrets