04.30.2025

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Good morning. It's Wednesday, April 30, and we're covering heightening hostilities between Pakistan and India, 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.

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Tensions over Kashmir

Pakistan said it shot down an Indian spy drone in its airspace yesterday. The incident, which India has not confirmed, marks the latest escalation following a deadly attack last week in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir.

On April 22, at least four gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, in the resort town of Pahalgam. India says at least two of the assailants were Pakistani citizens and blames Islamabad for supporting separatist violence. Pakistan denies association with the gunmen.

Since the attack, the countries have downgraded diplomatic relations. India suspended a key water treaty enabling Pakistan to access 80% of the water it uses for irrigation and launched a test missile over the weekend. Pakistan closed its airspace to India and has threatened a nuclear response if India attacks.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars over the mountainous region of Kashmir since the two countries were partitioned from former British India in 1947. Learn about the history here.

Fall of Saigon—50 Years Later

Vietnam is marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon today, commemorating the end of the Vietnam War. A military parade in Ho Chi Minh City—the former South Vietnamese capital of Saigon—is expected to draw more than 13,000 people, including delegations from several countries. US officials are not on the guest list, a mutual diplomatic decision despite improved relations in recent decades.

The anniversary marks the day North Vietnamese forces captured the city, ending nearly two decades of war and unifying the country under communist rule. Although American combat troops withdrew in 1973, thousands of personnel remained. On April 30, 1975, the US launched the largest helicopter evacuation in history—airlifting about 7,000 Americans and South Vietnamese civilians. The operation began with a coded broadcast of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” over Armed Forces Radio. The war's end also prompted a large migration: Today, more than 1.3 million Vietnamese immigrants live in the US.

At the war’s peak, about 543,400 US troops were stationed in the country. The US continues to honor Vietnam veterans through a 13-year commemoration set to conclude on Veterans Day. See photos here.

Weighing the World's Forests

The European Space Agency yesterday successfully launched a first-of-a-kind satellite to "weigh" the world's forests, measure how much carbon they store, and monitor changes. Scientists hope the data will help refine climate models and track deforestation to support global targets to end forest loss by 2030. 

Lifted by a rocket off French Guiana, the Biomass satellite uses a 12-meter radar antenna to penetrate dense forest canopies and directly measure woody biomass, like trunks, branches, and stems, where most forest carbon resides. The latest technology overcomes the limitations of previous satellites, which struggled to see beyond leafy surfaces. The satellite will produce annual maps over a five-year mission, offering unprecedented insight into forest health and carbon storage. 

Forests, known as "Earth's green lungs," absorb about 16 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year and emit half that amount, resulting in a net absorption of roughly 8 billion metric tons annually. Deforestation and degradation, however, release stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to the warming climate. See an overview of the carbon cycle here.

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