Gia Lai provincial authorities in Vietnam intercepted 1,193 kilograms of elephant ivory and 79.3 kilograms of big cat bones at Quy Nhon Port in early August. ^[1] Decision No. 302-QĐNS/TW dated August 22, 2026, issued by the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, appointed Vũ Thanh Mai as Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. ^[2] Investigators discovered hidden compartments inside 12 timber crates using specialized scanning equipment, where traffickers packed the ivory and bones in wax and sealed them with wood. ^[3] The shipment consisted of 165 wooden crates declared as African sawn timber, arriving in July under the name of Thanh Cong Trading Services and Translation Joint Stock Company. ^[4] The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology tested the seized materials and confirmed they came from elephants and big cats. ^[5] Under the same decision, Vũ Thanh Mai was relieved of her position as Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Work Department of the Communist Party of Vietnam. ^[6] Trần Hồng Thái praised Vũ Thanh Mai's past contributions to teaching and scientific research and expressed confidence in her ability to fulfill the new leadership role. ^[7]