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Cam Thanh village near Hoi An has been ranked 20th among the 50 most beautiful villages in the world by U.S. luxury tour operator Unforgettable Travel Company. Known for its coconut groves and tidal creeks, the village offers scenic boat rides through the Bay Mau nipa palm forest, where visitors can see crab fishing and fishermen performing dances in round bamboo boats. Located just three kilometers from Hoi An, it has become a popular destination for foreign tourists, with a 45-minute basket boat tour costing about VND200,000 (US$8.75). The list highlights villages with “old-world whimsy and lived-in charm,” with Bibury in the U.K. taking the top spot.

Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned after nearly 50 years, citing deep conflict with parent company Unilever over restrictions on the brand's political and social activism. His longtime partner Ben Cohen explained that the disputes, especially over Israel and politically charged social media posts, left Greenfield torn and seeking relief, though saddened.  

Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000 under an agreement to preserve its independence and social mission, but Cohen said management changes eroded that deal. The tensions peaked when Unilever blocked the company's decision to exit Israel and pushed back against its political messaging, even firing the CEO.  

Greenfield chose to step away, while Cohen remains to defend the brand's three-part mission—social, product, and economic—arguing activism strengthens customer loyalty and profits. He hopes to pressure Unilever, which is spinning off its ice cream division into the new Magnum Ice Cream Company, to sell Ben & Jerry's to investors aligned with its values.  

Magnum said it respects the brand's legacy and continues to support its mission, though it disagrees with the co-founders' criticisms. Cohen, reflecting on the company's journey from a $8,000 gas-station shop in 1978 to a global brand, emphasized that his and Greenfield's friendship endures despite the turmoil, and that Jerry's spirit will remain embedded in Ben & Jerry's identity.  

In 1915, French photographer Léon Busy captured rare images of Hanoi's Mid-Autumn Festival, focusing on Hang Gai Street in the Old Quarter, a hub for toy and lantern sellers. His photos, now kept at the Albert Kahn Museum in France, show carp- and star-shaped lanterns, colorful masks, and bustling festival stalls. The carp lantern, symbolizing perseverance and transformation from fish to dragon, was a favorite among children.

The Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association notes that Hanoi's Old Quarter was the festival's center, with Hang Gai Street alive from the start of the eighth lunar month. Author Hoang Dao Thuy described the street as crowded with mothers and children buying paper toys shaped like elephants, lions, and mythical animals. All toys were handmade, reflecting both traditional and modern designs of the time.

Busy's photographs were part of Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet project, which documented life in 50 countries using advanced color photography. His Hanoi images, which also included cityscapes and portraits of northern Vietnamese women, have since been exhibited multiple times, most recently in 2023.

These century-old photographs not only preserve the festive atmosphere of Hanoi's Mid-Autumn celebrations but also highlight the cultural vibrancy of the Old Quarter as a heart of tradition and commerce.

Storm Mitag is expected to hit southern Guangdong, China, on Friday evening with winds of 62–88 kph before weakening into a tropical depression. While it will lose strength quickly after landfall, Vietnamese forecasters warn its circulation could still trigger heavy rain across northern Vietnam on Sept. 23–24. Offshore, gale-force winds up to 110 kph and 5-meter waves pose risks to vessels in the northern South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Ragasa, east of the Philippines, is intensifying rapidly and may become a super typhoon by Sept. 23 with sustained winds up to 201 kph. It is projected to enter the South China Sea around that date, though its path and impact on Vietnam remain uncertain.

Vietnam's National Steering Committee for Civil Defense has instructed coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Dak Lak to prepare for both systems, mobilizing emergency response and rescue readiness.

This year, the South China Sea has already seen eight storms and two tropical depressions, with recent events like Storm Tapah causing rain and landslides in the north, and Storm Nongfa striking central provinces on Aug. 30. Meteorologists warn that storm activity will likely increase from October to December, with more than four additional storms expected, nearly half potentially making landfall.

Sarawak, Malaysia's resource-rich state on Borneo, is pursuing an ambitious plan to become Southeast Asia's “green battery” by exporting renewable energy across the region. With abundant rivers, it is expanding hydropower—currently about 3,500 megawatts, with a goal of 10,000 MW by 2030—while adding solar fields and exploring biomass and green hydrogen. The state already supplies electricity to Indonesia and envisions sending power to Sabah, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, and mainland Malaysia. Officials say Sarawak could be a model for the ASEAN Power Grid, as regional demand for energy surges.

However, the green push is controversial. Environmental groups point out that Sarawak still relies on liquefied natural gas as its main export, while large hydropower projects have driven deforestation and displaced Indigenous communities. The Bakun Dam alone flooded 70,000 hectares of forest and forced 9,000 people to relocate, with unresolved grievances. Critics warn that new projects risk repeating these harms, undermining the state's green credentials.

Experts argue that while Sarawak's renewable energy ambitions are bold and could accelerate the region's transition, they must be balanced with strong safeguards for forests and Indigenous rights to avoid trading one environmental cost for another.