Vietnam

The last blacksmith on Hanoi’s Lo Ren street

The last blacksmith on Hanoi’s Lo Ren street

14 Photos

Sitting before a bright orange flame, Vietnamese blacksmith Nguyen Phuong Hung prods a fire pit with a long metal rod before he hammers, bends, and contorts glowing steel into a giant drill bit. Hung, who toils away in his tiny corner stall in downtown Hanoi, is the last remaining blacksmith on Hanoi’s Lo Ren street, named after the masters of metal it was once known for.

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The 50th anniversary of the battle of Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam

The 50th anniversary of the battle of Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam

25 Photos

This month marks 50 years since the Battle of Ia Drang Valley, the first major fight between the U.S. Army and elements of its air cavalry and the People’s Army of North Vietnam. Five soldiers from Maryland were killed on the same day (Nov. 17, 1965) during the height of the battle, and others were listed among the heavy casualties inflicted on both sides in fighting across South Vietnam’s central highlands. The story of part of the battle was told in the 1992 book, “We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young,” by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and war correspondent Joseph Galloway. The 2002 movie, “We Were Soldiers,” starring Mel Gibson, was based on the Moore-Galloway book. According to Galloway, 305 Americans were killed in combat in the central highlands between Oct. 23 and Nov. 26, 1965; more than 500 others were wounded. The U.S. estimates of deaths among North Vietnamese regulars ranged from 1,000 to more than 1,700.

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‘Earth Trekkers’ family takes 13-month trip around the world

‘Earth Trekkers’ family takes 13-month trip around the world

106 Photos, 1 Video

“87,000 miles. 44 airline flights. 396 days. 35 countries. 1 family.”

That would be the epic movie tagline for the Rivenbark family, of Howard County, who recently returned from a 13-month trip around the globe. The family —- consisting of mom Julie, dad Tim, Tyler, 12, and Kara, 10 — sold their house, and their cars; Julie quit her job, Tim took a leave of absence. And the kids did their homeschool work while on safari in Africa, in a hotel in Nepal or whenever they could find time.

The family kept a near-daily blog, which was fed by stunning photos from Julie and fun, educational videos from Tyler. A short documentary about the Rivenbark’s trip is below.

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Miss Milk Cow beauty contest

Miss Milk Cow beauty contest

8 Photos

The Miss Milk Cow beauty contest was held in Moc Chau plateau, 200km northwest of Hanoi. The beauty contest selects cows with a solid torso, high legs and large milk production. This year, 126 cows were chosen for contest among the 16,000 cows in Moc Chau. For more than a decade the Miss Milk Cow beauty contest is organized in Moc Chau plateau to promote dairy farming as Vietnamese people’s eating pattern has been changing rapidly along with higher income. The winner this year is a four-year-old, weight 830 kg and providing 42 kg milk per day, double the average volume of milk. (Photos by Kham/Reuters)

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May 23 Photo Brief: Clean up after tornadoes, The Duchess with child and Jerry Lewis visits Cannes Film Festival

May 23 Photo Brief: Clean up after tornadoes, The Duchess with child and Jerry Lewis visits Cannes Film Festival

20 photos

Heavy equipment is brought in to clean up in Moore, Oklahoma after the tornado, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge at a garden party, Jerry Lewis makes a photocall at the Cannes Film Festival in France and more in today’s daily brief.
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Feb. 15 Photo Brief: Lemon festival in France, Knut on display in Germany, chewable art in Ukraine

Feb. 15 Photo Brief: Lemon festival in France, Knut on display in Germany, chewable art in Ukraine

20 photos

Since his untimely death in 2011, the hand-reared polar bear Knut returns to Berlin as a life-sized model with the bear’s real fur, the 80th Lemon festival in France creates a citrus-infused ‘Around The World In 80 Days’ wonderland, a Ukrainian artist paints with chewing gum and more in today’s daily brief.

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