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Vietnam celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on Wednesday with a large parade and air show in Ho Chi Minh City, commemorating the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, Reuters reported.

The event, which was attended by thousands, marked North Vietnamese forces' victory, which resulted in national reunification and the end of a 20-year conflict that killed over 3m Vietnamese and approximately 60,000 Americans.

Calling it a “victory of faith and justice,” Communist Party chief To Lam quoted Ho Chi Minh’s motto: “Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one” , according to Reuters.

The closing days of the war were marked by the dramatic evacuation of thousands of Americans as North Vietnamese forces entered the city. Vietnam was officially reunified a year later, bringing an end to decades of conflict.

In a contentious step, the US has begun criminal prosecution against 28 migrants and asylum seekers for entering a newly designated military zone along the southern border. The charges for violations of security regulations can result in fines of up to $100,000 or a year in prison.

This comes after the "New Mexico National Defense Area" came into effect on April 18, expanding the Fort Huachuca Army facility by more than 109,000 acres of federal land, as stated by Al Jazeera.

The zone overlaps known migrant crossing routes, effectively turning parts of the border into a militarized zone.

Critics fear that this represents a dangerous turn in US immigration policy, criminalizing asylum seekers and increasing border militarization under President Trump's administration, Al Jazeera reported.

While international law guarantees the right to seek asylum, the United States is stepping up deterrent efforts, creating major concerns about human rights and legal access for those escaping danger.

In yet another example of poor spending capacity of government bodies, various ministries and public offices have surrendered over Rs 5bn allocated for the current fiscal year 2024-25, which ends in mid-July. According to an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the majority of the returned funds are from the capital expenditure heading. Of the total amount surrendered, Rs 53.4m came from the recurrent budget, while Rs 5.03bn came from the capital expenditure budget.

As per the Financial Procedures and Fiscal Accountability Act, 2019, and the Financial Procedures and Fiscal Accountability Regulations, 2020, budget that remains unspent by mid-March and cannot be utilized within the fiscal year must be returned to the Ministry of Finance by the end of March.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which is also known as the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Nepal—the implementing body of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) projects—each returned more than Rs 2bn.

Among recurrent budget returns, the Election Commission surrendered the highest amount at
Rs 24.2m, followed by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (Rs 15.8m), the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Rs 9.5m) and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (Rs 3.9m).

In terms of capital expenditure, the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation returned the largest share at Rs 2.35bn, followed by MCA Nepal (Rs 2bn), the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (Rs 367.8m), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Rs 300m), and the Office of the Auditor General (Rs 16.1m).

With less than three months of the fiscal year remaining, the government has been able to spend only 56.56 percent of the allocated budget till April 28. The progress in capital expenditure remains at a dismal 30.93 percent. Capital expenditure has consistently slowed since the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021-22, only 57.23 percent of the development budget was spent. Capital spending improved to 61.44 percent in 2022-23 and 63.47 percent in 2023-24. Over the past four years, the average capital expenditure has hovered around 60 percent. 

Current spending trends suggest that 2024-25 will follow a similar trajectory. Before the pandemic, Nepal achieved higher capital spending rates, averaging around 70 percent. Capital expenditure stood at 76.93 percent in 2018/19 and 80.77 percent in 2017-18.

South Korean lawmakers revealed that over 600 North Korean soldiers were killed in Russia's battle in Ukraine, citing intelligence from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Al Jazeera reported.

An estimated 15,000 North Korean forces have been deployed, with a total of approximately 4,700 casualties. Pyongyang has acknowledged its involvement, with Kim Jong Un promising to back Russia in "liberating" Ukraine's Kursk area.

In exchange, North Korea reportedly acquired satellite technology, drones, and air defense systems. Intelligence authorities claim that North Korean forces are getting more effective as they gather battle experience, according to Al Jazeera.

Russia has rejected a seven-point ceasefire proposal from US President Donald Trump, despite the plan including formal acknowledgment of Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto acceptance of its sovereignty over Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, Firstpost reported.

The proposal, delivered earlier this month, aimed to de-escalate the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, Moscow dismissed the offer, demanding full acceptance of its broader conditions.

This is the latest in an ongoing series of rejections by Russia, which has already turned down Trump-backed ceasefires aimed at a 30-day truce, energy infrastructure protection, and Black Sea security, according to the Firstpost.

US Secretary Marco Rubio stated that Trump is expected to decide this week whether to continue mediation efforts or shift focus to other priorities.

More than 50,000 Los Angeles County workers began a two-day strike Monday evening, protesting stalled contract talks and alleged labor violations. Represented by SEIU Local 721, the workers include health staff, social workers, and clerical employees.

This is the union's first full-member strike since its contract expired in March. The union claims 44 labor-law infractions, including retaliation and outsourcing, as stated by Associated Press.

The strike is causing disruptions at libraries, clinics, public facilities, and administrative offices. County officials cite budgetary constraints, including a $4bn abuse settlement and wildfire-related expenses. The strike will continue until Wednesday.

A truck struck an improvised explosive device (IED) in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, on Monday, close to the Cameroonian border, killing at least 26 persons, including women and children, Al Jazeera reported.

Six children, four women, and sixteen adults were among the dead, according to a military source, while three more people suffered serious injuries. The region has long suffered from attacks by armed groups such as Boko Haram and the ISIL-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The International NGO Safety Organization said in a memo that the explosion happened on the route between Rann and Gamboru Ngala. A local resident who lost his mother in the attack accused Boko Haram, although no group has taken credit, according to Al Jazeera.

Borno State police have not yet responded to the incident.

Spain and Portugal have restored electricity following a major blackout on Monday, with both countries now investigating the cause.

Spain lost 60 percent of its power in seconds, collapsing its grid and cutting ties with France. Portugal too experienced significant outages, although all substations were back online by late Monday, according to Reuters.

Most government services in both nations are now fully running. The event has raised questions about the reliability of renewable-heavy power networks.