Vietnam: The President's Health -- and the Country's -- Could Be in Trouble

Two weeks after rumors first emerged that he was in precarious health, Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong still has not appeared in public. Trong missed a major ceremony May 3 attended by other top government officials paying tribute to the late Vietnamese President Gen. Le Duck Anh. Trong, who also heads the state funeral organizing committee, had been expected to attend Anh's funeral, and his absence fueled speculation regarding the severity of his illness. If he is in fact seriously ill, political infighting could eventually threaten Vietnam's newfound prosperity. ...