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Meteorological experts have given their comments on the weather patterns in the coming time in the Northern region.

Every year, this place attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to visit and experience. The beautiful scenery of the “undersea forest” makes anyone admire.

Disregarding danger, three young Swiss men climbed to the nearly 100-meter-high spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to raise the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam in protest against the war.

On January 19, 1969, the two-colored flag—blue and red with a yellow star in the center—flew atop the highest spire of Notre Dame, sparking widespread public attention. News agencies around the world reported on the appearance of the National Liberation Front’s flag at this iconic French landmark on the day of the preliminary session of the Paris Peace Talks. This conference involved four parties: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the United States, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and the Republic of Vietnam, with the goal of ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam.

Despite the risks, three young men from Switzerland returned to their hometown of Lucerne, more than 600 km from Paris, relieved after a harrowing 30-hour journey to raise a flag in support of a nation nearly 10,000 km away. They were Bernard Bachelard, 26, a physical education teacher; Noé Graff, 24, a law student; and Olivier Parriaux, 25, a physics student.

“We wanted to support the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam ahead of the Paris Peace Talks, discredit the Nguyễn Văn Thiệu government, and condemn war crimes,” recalled Olivier Parriaux, now 80 years old, as he shared the story on November 18 during his first visit to Ho Chi Minh City with Bernard from November 15-19.

Olivier explained that since the 1960s, strikes, protests, and calls to end the war in Vietnam had taken place globally, involving millions of participants. He and his friends were among those who felt compelled to take more decisive action. The opportunity arose in early 1969, with significant global events approaching, including the Paris Peace Talks (scheduled for January 25) and U.S. President Nixon’s inauguration (on January 20).

The three decided to raise the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to make a statement. This 700-year-old landmark was a symbol of France, recognized worldwide. They planned to place the flag on the cathedral’s 94-meter-high spire.

Having never been to Notre Dame Cathedral before, the group studied its structure through books. Fortunately, they found an atlas with detailed diagrams of the cathedral, helping them identify a way to access the spire. Meanwhile, Bernard Bachelard’s wife sewed a 17.5-square-meter flag using silk fabric. Olivier noted that the flag’s size and material were carefully chosen to ensure it was thin, durable, light, and capable of fluttering well in the wind. They also devised a method for securing the flag during the climb while allowing it to unfurl with a single pull of a rope.

At 6 a.m. on January 18, the three left home in a car bound for Paris. By 6 p.m., when tourists had mostly left the area, they approached Notre Dame Cathedral.

All three were slim and experienced climbers from the Alps, Europe’s highest mountain range. Among them, Bernard, the smallest but most agile as a physical education teacher, was tasked with raising the flag, assisted by Olivier. Noé Graff remained below to keep watch.

Bernard led the climb, followed by Olivier. Starting from the base of a tree, they scaled the cathedral’s roof, passed one bell tower, and reached the central roof leading to the spire. To get to the top, they had to navigate four statues of apostles and continue climbing inside the tower.

Despite their research, differences between the atlas and reality posed unexpected dangers. The distance from the first bell tower to the roof edge was described as one meter but turned out to be 2.5-3 meters. The gap required a running start to jump, which was impossible on the cathedral roof.

Bernard jumped first, crossing smoothly. Olivier followed but slipped, grabbing onto the roof edge just in time. Bernard quickly helped him up. “We were 36 meters above the ground—a height that could have been fatal if we fell,” Olivier recalled.

Another unexpected challenge was the size of the statues. The atlas described them as two meters tall, but they were twice that size. Additionally, the steep roofs offered little to hold onto. It took nearly an hour to pass the statues.

“We moved very slowly because the structure, built centuries ago, was no longer stable,” Bernard recounted. The higher they climbed, the narrower the spire became, until only a tight embrace could encircle it near the cross. At this point, Olivier stopped while Bernard continued inching upward to secure the flag.

“Winter winds were strong, and being nearly 100 meters above ground without safety gear made the cold even harsher,” Bernard recalled. “Our hands ached from gripping the rings, and our faces were blackened by years of accumulated rust.” However, the moment the flag unfurled atop the spire, all hardships were forgotten. “All we felt was pure happiness,” he said.

On their way down, Olivier used a saw to cut away the metal bars they had climbed to reach the spire. “I cut about 10 meters of bars, enough to prevent anyone from climbing up to remove the flag quickly,” he explained.

The flag-raising mission was completed by 2 a.m. on January 19. The group then took their horse-drawn cart straight to the offices of Le Monde newspaper to deliver a press release announcing that the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was flying atop Notre Dame Cathedral.

However, their challenges were far from over. As they drove through a large square, they encountered a police patrol. “I thought all three of us would be arrested,” Olivier recalled. The situation in France was tense at the time, with local authorities actively cracking down on protesters.

“I was most worried for Bernard, as he worked for the government and was married, while Noé and I were just young bachelors,” Olivier said. Fortunately, when the police noticed their Swiss license plate, they smiled and waved them on, allowing the group to escape.

By 4 a.m., police near Notre Dame spotted the flag fluttering atop the spire and sounded the alarm. However, they were unable to climb the spire because Olivier had cut the access bars. It wasn’t until 3 p.m. that authorities brought in a helicopter to send personnel up to remove the flag.

Prof. Dr. Trinh Quang Phu, Director of the Oriental Development Research Institute, who was in Paris at the time as a journalist, recalled being deeply moved upon seeing the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam flying high.

“My colleagues and I, along with journalists from many countries, raised our cameras to capture the moment. It was truly special and filled with emotion. I wondered who the heroes behind this act were and where they came from,” Prof. Phu reminisced. The flag, fluttering in the wind, served as a rallying call for peace-loving people around the world to oppose the war.

While public opinion and the media were abuzz, the three Swiss men who raised the flag remained silent. According to Olivier, they initially kept their actions secret for safety reasons. Even after the U.S. withdrew its troops and peace was restored in Vietnam, the group refrained from speaking out, believing, “What we did was insignificant; what mattered was the impact of the event at the time.”

However, five years ago, when Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was devastated by a fire, the group was deeply moved as they watched the iconic spire burn and collapse into the flames. They felt compelled to share their story as part of the cathedral’s history. The group authored a book, Le Viet Cong au sommet de Notre-Dame (The Viet Cong Flag on the Spire of Notre Dame), detailing the event.

Fifty-five years later, at the invitation of Nguyễn Văn Nên, Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee, two of the three men visited Vietnam—the country they had quietly supported and fought for in their own way.

“During our days here, visiting many places, we’ve realized how deeply the war’s aftermath still lingers,” Olivier said. He pointed out the continuing dangers of unexploded ordnance, which still claims lives, and the enduring impact of Agent Orange on people and Vietnam’s natural environment.

As a result, the group has committed to a new fight: advocating for justice for Agent Orange victims. They plan to support this cause by raising funds and seeking legal assistance for those affected.

Source: vnexpress.net (By Lê Tuyết)

The group of 10 international tourist markets to Vietnam in the first 10 months of 2024 has seen changes, with South Korea becoming the largest sending country.

Dr Sreenivas Tirumala, a senior lecturer of Information Technology at RMIT University Vietnam, previews some notable impacts that the second Trump administration might have on the digital and technological development of Vietnam.

The cooperation of the US is necessary for most developing countries, including Vietnam, to advance in science and technology, due to the huge capabilities and influence the US boasts in these domains. However, recent reports indicate that President-elect Donald Trump is coming up with stringent technology export policies that might impact Vietnam’s technological advances, particularly with artificial intelligence and cyber security. 

Though the likelihood of continuing the technological cooperation agreements signed by businesses from both countries in September 2024 is high, the new policies around ‘America First’ – emphasising design, development and manufacturing in America – may impact technology transfer through offshore technological and services industries that are planning to invest in Vietnam. 

Cyber security cooperation: What is expected? 

Vietnam is an important partner for the US due to its strategic location. This implies that Vietnam will not have to be “self-reliant” when it comes to cyber security, which is one of the biggest problems that the country is facing. 

The US can provide the necessary technologies to help Vietnam tackle this threat, which could help the US monitor various common threat actors.  As decentralised cyber resilience networks are emerging, the US may consider investing in cooperation with Vietnam. 

Cooperation for digital transformation: This is the right time.

Digital transformation is progressing at a good pace in Vietnam, including in e-government development. However, several areas still need automation, particularly in service industries, which US tech giants like Microsoft would be interested in pursuing. 

While key fields like agriculture, manufacturing, and oil and gas could be improved through digital transformation, cooperation in these areas seems unlikely due to the in-country manufacturing and ‘Drill, baby, drill’ policies of Donald Trump, which encourage American companies to move back to the US or start new manufacturing domestically. Therefore, minimal, if any, support is expected in these areas in terms of technology transfers. 

Artificial intelligence for social causes:  An emerging area of partnership

The US has been a world leader in technological advancements, particularly artificial Intelligence (AI). As Vietnam is an emerging nation in AI, technological cooperation and transfer are very important. There is no specific mention of AI-based implementations or support in Donald Trump’s policies. However, recent developments in other technological cooperation suggest that the US may be interested in investing (and testing) their AI-based technologies for disaster management and natural calamities in Vietnam. 

Seeking support in areas like air pollution and weather forecasting will be a win-win for both the US and Vietnam. The US would have the opportunity to test their new equipment and AI-based models in Vietnam before implementing them on a large scale back home. 

However, given Donald Trump’s stance on climate change, the implications for cooperation in this arena remain uncertain.

In conclusion, considering past experiences along with the current stance of President-elect Donald Trump, a positive trend towards technology and knowledge sharing is expected, despite some potential limitations.

Story: Dr Sreenivas Tirumala, Senior Lecturer of Information Technology, RMIT University Vietnam

ENDS

The co-head of the Ministry of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, is famous for his aggressive cost-cutting policies at his private companies, including SpaceX, Tesla, and X. President-elect Donald Trump invited Elon Musk to co-lead the Ministry of Government Efficiency alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to reduce government spending.

At companies like X, Tesla, and SpaceX, Musk is renowned for his rigorous work culture and drastic cost-cutting measures.

A long-time executive at Tesla, who resigned in August, wrote on LinkedIn that working there was an “extraordinary” experience but “not for the faint-hearted.”

Ending Remote Work and Free Lunches

A few weeks after acquiring Twitter (now X), Musk sent an email at 2:30 AM in November 2022, announcing the end of remote work because “the road ahead is arduous and requires intense work to succeed.”

He also required employees to pay for previously free office lunches, mentioning an 80-hour work week.

That same month, Musk laid off about half of Twitter’s approximately 7,500 employees.

In a midnight email, he gave the remaining employees an ultimatum: work diligently or be fired with three months’ severance.

When Twitter employees criticized Musk online and in internal Slack messages, he fired them.

 Firing 10% of Tesla Staff at Midnight

Tesla’s employee handbook sets very high standards, requiring self-reliance and doing whatever it takes to solve problems, even directly contacting Musk.

“Your number one job—and everyone’s—is to make this company successful… If you see an opportunity to improve how we work, speak up, even if it’s outside your responsibility… Good ideas mean nothing if kept to yourself,” the Tesla handbook reads.

In 2018, Musk said he slept on a couch and the factory floor at Tesla for many nights as the company ramped up production of the Model 3 sedan. He explained that he wanted to suffer more than anyone else in the company.

At the 2022 Baron Investment Conference, Musk shared that he lived at Tesla’s factories in California and Nevada “for three consecutive years” to inspire employees to “give their all” and show them that he was also working hard.

In April, Tesla announced the layoff of 10% of its workforce to cut costs in a midnight email. This followed a report of an 8.7% year-over-year revenue decline.

Firing SpaceX Employees to Streamline Operations

In 2019, Musk laid off 10% of SpaceX employees in an effort to “become a leaner company.”

Vincent Peters, a former SpaceX employee, described the work culture there as “ruthlessly efficient,” where people are encouraged to leave meetings where they do not add value.

He recounted an incident where a government customer brought a 50-slide presentation, and after just 6 slides, 75% of the room had left. The customer then had to “fast-forward” to the last 5 slides.

Jim Cantrell, former Vice President of Business Development at SpaceX in the early 2000s, said that working with Musk could be a great experience if one shared his vision and could handle a boss who demands complete dedication.

Additionally, SpaceX has been striving to develop a fully reusable rocket system to reduce launch costs by a factor of ten.

In October, during the fifth test flight of the Starship rocket, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch site, marking a significant step in reducing space travel costs.