Author: Supriya Jena

European leaders are planning to visit Vietnam soon to strengthen their relationship with the country. This is happening because there are tensions with the United States that might hurt Vietnam’s exports. Former U.S. President Joe Biden tried to improve ties with Vietnam, seeing it as an important ally against China. But now, if Donald Trump becomes president again, he might impose taxes on Vietnam’s goods, which could hurt trade.

Because of this uncertainty, European countries are stepping up their connections with Vietnam. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, and French President Emmanuel Macron are both expected to visit Vietnam in the next few months. These trips were planned a while ago and are not yet confirmed.

Von der Leyen recently spoke with ASEAN leaders in Vietnam, mentioning that rising tariffs and export controls are concerning, and she wants to create new trade partnerships. Macron is expected to visit later in May to further strengthen ties with Vietnam, which was once a French colony. There are plans for EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic to go to Vietnam in April.

Last year, the EU imported $52 billion worth of goods from Vietnam, making it the third-largest market for Vietnamese exports, following the U.S. U.S. companies in Vietnam, which depend heavily on sales to the U.S., are worried they might have to cut jobs if new tariffs are imposed.

Interestingly, if this happens, it might lead to more Vietnamese goods being sold to the EU, and European companies might invest in Vietnam. This could be good for the country as it wants to improve its military supplies and infrastructure, including new railways.

Additionally, Europe is trying to fill the gap left by the U.S. in foreign aid after Trump cut it off. Belgium is starting a fund to help clean areas contaminated during the Vietnam War by agents like Agent Orange. The goal is to turn these areas into productive industrial zones.

Federal workers have until midnight to listen to Elon Musk’s second request for reports about what they’ve done recently. Musk, along with former President Trump, warned that those who don’t follow these instructions might get fired. They believe asking for a list of five accomplishments from last week will help make the government more accountable.

Many employees feel stressed and confused about this new rule as the government changes. Some agencies are telling their staff not to respond or to keep their answers limited, like they did last month when Musk made his first request.

This time, employees should expect to send their lists every Monday. There are about 2.4 million federal workers, with most not based in Washington, D.C. For example, workers at the Food and Drug Administration received several emails about the request on Monday, telling them about the new requirement and how to respond properly.

They must avoid sharing sensitive information and should answer with general statements only. Similar rules came from the Department of Energy. Employees were told not to include anything sensitive or classified and to keep things vague. The State Department said they would answer on behalf of their workers, while the Federal Bureau of Prisons allowed workers to say that their duties are security-sensitive. The Justice Department initially said not to respond due to confidentiality, but later changed its mind.

The FBI was also told to wait and not respond until told otherwise. Last month, the request for five accomplishments was optional, even with Musk hinting at layoffs. Now, individual agencies are asking, as they have the authority to hire or fire employees.

Musk described this new requirement as a “pulse check” to see if employees could report back effectively.

A car crashed into a crowd in Mannheim, Germany, on Monday, injuring several people. News source Mannheimer Morgen reported that police responded quickly to the scene, but they did not have information about any suspects or confirmed injuries yet.

The crash happened during the carnival season when many people were out celebrating. A lot of parades were taking place in cities, including Mannheim, where the incident occurred. Eyewitnesses said a black SUV sped through the streets, driving into people as it moved from Paradeplatz square toward the famous water tower in the city.

Local news says some people were hurt seriously in the crash. Police are investigating the situation and have a large operation underway in Mannheim.