A Vietnamese court has sentenced 23 officials and businesspeople for illegally exploiting and exporting rare earths from a northern mine, in a case the court called "especially serious."
Among those jailed was former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc, who got three years for violating state regulations. Other sentences ranged up to 16 years. Four additional defendants received suspended sentences.
The group was found guilty of unlawfully licensing and profiting from rare earth and iron ore mining at the Yen Phu site in Yen Bai province between 2019 and 2023. The materials were sold for nearly $30 million, much of it to China.
The trial follows the US Geological Survey’s sharp downgrade of Vietnam’s estimated rare earth reserves—from 22 million to 3.5 million tons—dropping it from second to sixth place globally. The cut casts doubt on Vietnam’s hopes to rival China in a sector vital to high-tech industries.
Rare earth extraction is lucrative but environmentally hazardous, generating toxic waste and requiring costly processing.
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Vietnam is working to sign a trade agreement with the United States soon, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son said on Wednesday, as a new round of negotiations gets underway in Washington.
Typhoon Kalmaegi tore through Southeast Asia this week, killing at least 188 people in the Philippines before striking Vietnam’s central coast, where powerful gusts ripped roofs from homes, toppled trees, and left streets flooded and thousands without power.
Residents of Hoi An, Vietnam’s UNESCO-listed ancient town, began cleaning up on Saturday as floodwaters receded following days of torrential rain that brought deadly flooding and widespread destruction to the central region.
At least 13 people have been killed and 11 remain missing after record rainfall caused severe flooding across central Vietnam, submerging homes and disrupting transport in the historic cities of Hue and Hoi An.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., has finalized the group stage for the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, setting the schedule and matchups for next summer’s expanded 48-team event.
FIFA releases the 2026 World Cup schedule with match dates, venues, and key fixtures. See when host nations USA, Mexico, and Canada play and get an overview of group stage and knockout rounds.
Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their shared border late on Friday, a reminder of how sensitive the frontier remains despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for its support of the claims by United Arab Emirates on three Iranian islands.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.
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Eighteen migrants drowned when their boat overturned 26 miles (40 km) south of the Greek island of Chrysi, after a Turkish cargo ship spotted the vessel and alerted Greek authorities.
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