N. Korea will only be more isolated if it continues provocation: Blinken
DeputyPrimeMinisterTr?nH?ngHà.—VNA/VNSPhotoV?n?i?pHàN?I—Promotingeconomicrestructuringofthenorthcentralandcentralcoastalregionsinconjunctionwithgrowthandinnovationisoneofkeytasksintheregionsplanintheperiod2021-30,withavisionto2050.TheplanwasissuedbyDeputyPrimeMinisterTr?nH?ngHàintheDecisionNo1281/Q?-TTGonTuesday.Theplantargetstosetuppoliciesandsolutionstosupportthedevelopmentofsectors,sub-regionsandlocalitiesintheregions.Undertheplan,advantageousbasicindustries,processingindustriesandgreenindustrieswillbepromoted.Tourismwillbeenhancedtotrulybecomeaspearheadeconomicsectorsothattheregionswillbecomeakeytourismareaof??thewholecountry.Logisticswillbedevelopedinamodern,professionaldirection,applyingadvancedtechnologyandmeetingtherequirementsofinternationalintegration.Logisticscentreswillbeformedassociatedwithseaports,airportsandbordergates.Theregionsagriculturewillbeproducedinanecologicaldirection,effectivelyadaptingtoclimatechange.Theagriculture,forestry,mining,aquacultureandseafoodsectorswillberestructuredassociatedwiththeprocessingindustry,ensuringsustainabilityandhighefficiency.Marineeconomywillbepushedup,especiallycoastalurbanareasinharmonywiththeexploitationofoil,gasandothermarinemineralresources.Aquacultureandseafoodprocessingindustrieswillbeformedinconjunctionwithmarineenvironmentprotection,coastalandoffshoreindustries.SmartinfrastructureAnotherkeytaskoftheplanistobasicallyfoundasynchronous,modernandsmartinfrastructureframework,focusingontransport,energy,irrigation,disasterpreventionandcontrolandclimatechangeadaptation.Theplanwillcompletetheconstructionandexpansionofthenorth-southexpresswayaccordingtostandards,connectingspecialseaportsandinternationalairportswithlocalitiesintheCentralHighlands,LaosandCambodia.Regionalrailwayswillbebuiltwithprioritygiventolinesconnectingmajorcitieswithnationalrailwaystations,seaports,economiczones,industrialzones,logisticscentres,internationalbordergatestosoonimprovetransportefficiency.Inaddition,theplanwilldevelopthecentraldynamicregionandeconomiccorridorsalongthenorth-southaxis.Itwillpromotethenorthcentralsub-regionincludingThanhHoá,Ngh?An,HàT?nh,Qu?ngBìnhandQu?ngTr?provincestobecomeanimportantgrowthareainindustryandservicesoftheregionsandthewholecountry.Theplantargetstomake?àN?ngCityanationalgrowtharea,Qu?ngNamProvinceacentreofmechanicalindustryandsupportingindustry,Th?aThiên-Hu?Provinceacentreofculturalindustry,scienceandtechnology,education-training,high-qualityhealthcare,seaportservices,tradeandinternationalfinance.Qu?ngNg?iProvincewillbeacentreofpetrochemicalrefiningandenergy,seaandislandtourism,whereasBình??nhProvincewillbeacentreofinformationtechnologyindustry,servicesandtourismandmarineeconomicdevelopment.Thesouthcentralsub-regionincludingPhúYên,KhánhHoà,NinhThu?nandBìnhThu?nprovinceswillfocusonenergyindustry,tourismservicesandcoastalurbanareasfoundation.Aninter-regionalrenewableenergyindustryandservicecentrewillbebuiltinNinhThu?nProvince.Theeasterneconomiccorridor(sectionfromThanhHoátoBìnhThu?n)willbepromotedwithahigh-speedrailwayinthefuture.—VNS
EachhouseholdthatlosttheirhouseinTyphoonYagiinTr?mT?uDistrictreceivedVN?100million(US$3,900)insupportfromthedistrictauthoritiesandothersponsors.—VNA/VNSPhotoTi?nKhánhYêNBáI—ThesevereconsequencesofTyphoonYagicausedthousandsofhomesinthemountainousnorthernprovinceofYênBáitobesweptaway,buriedorremainathighriskoffurtherlandslides.Currently,manyfamiliesareindireneedofhousing,soconstruction,placementandresettlementinnewhomesisbecominganurgenttaskforthePartyCommitteeandauthoritiesatalllevelsintheprovincetostabilisepeopleslives.NewhousingStatisticsonhousingdamagecausedbyTyphoonYagiinYênBáishowthatthewholeprovincesawmorethan27,300homesdamaged,ofwhich326completelycollapsedand973wereseverelydamaged.Afternearlytwomonths,manyfamilieshaverepairedhomesthatwereslightlydamagedandwereabletoreturntonormallife.Meanwhile,thousandsofotherscouldnotreturnhomeduetotheirhouseslocationsinareasathighriskoflandslides.Theyarenowhopingtohaveanewplacetolivethatissaferandmoreconvenient.DeputyDirectoroftheprovincialDepartmentofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentNguy?nXuanSangsaidthatthusfar,theprovincehadarrangedrelocationforpeopletoavoidtheriskoflandslidesandflooding.Theprovincehopedthatbytheendofthisyear,thoseinneedwouldhavenewaccommodation.Followinginspectionsandreviewsin14communesofL?cYênDistrict,authoritiesfoundthatnearly1,400householdswereaffectedbyandsuffereddamageinthetyphoon;ofthese,76houseshadcompletelycollapsed,whilemorethan100householdswerelocatedinhigh-riskareasthatarenotsafetolivein.Thedistricthasaplantoarrangelandfundsandbuildresettlementareastoensurethatnearly200householdscanmovetonewhomes.Locatedinaflood-pronearea,V?nYênDistricthadtoevacuateover2,500householdswithover7,100peopletosafeshelters.Afterthetyphoon,109houseseithercompletelycollapsedorsufferedseveredamage,268houseslosttheirroofsorwerepartiallydamaged,and1,833otherswerefloodedforalongtime.Morethan300householdsneednewhousingimmediately.Meanwhile,inthelongterm,thelocalitywillneedtoarrangenewhousingfornearly2,000households.YênBáiCitysufferedthemostseverehousingdamageofanylocalityafterTyphoonYagi.Thestormaffectedtensofthousandsofhouseholdsinthecity,includingthousandsofhomesthatweredamagedbylandslideswithoveronemillioncubicmetresofsoilandrockandhadtoberelocatedtoensuresafety.Thelandslideswereconcentratedin?uLauandV?nPhúcommunesandNguy?nTháiH?c,YênNinh,MinhTan,NamC??ngand??ngTamwards.AccordingtoDeputyChairmanofYênBáiCityPeoplesCommitteePhùngTi?nThanh,thecityhasmorethan1,400householdswith4,830peoplewhohavetoberelocated.ResettlementareasAnurgenttaskforlocalitiesinYênBáiProvinceiscreatingsafeaccommodationtorestorethequalityoflifeforresidentsandproductionfortheeconomyafterthetyphoon.Localitiesarecurrentlyfocusingonthearrangementoftemporaryaccommodationforhouseholdsthathavelosttheirhomes.Atthesametime,theyarereviewingandselectingsafeandconvenientlocationstodesignandbuildlong-termresettlementareasforthoseinneed.DeputyChairmanofYênBáiProvincialPeoplesCommitteeNguy?nTh?Ph??csaidthatensuringthepeoplessafetywasthetoppriority,withafocusonlandallocationandprovisionofhousingforpeopleasquicklyaspossible.Authoritiesarealsograduallyworkingtocompleteinfrastructure,electricityandwaterfortheresettlementareas.Theseareasarecarefullyselectedbytheprovinceforconstructionatasafedistancefrommountainouslocationswithahighriskoflandslides,ensuringplentyofagriculturallandfornewresidents.Authoritiesarealsotakingintoaccountresidentsneedforbothshelterfromnaturaldisastersaswellasaplaceforculturalactivitieswhenbuildinginfrastructure.Sincethebeginningoflastmonth,L?cYênDistricthasquicklystartedtobuildaresettlementareafor11householdsinátTh??ngVillage,MinhXuanCommune.Nguy?nNg?cS?n,headofthedistrictsDivisionofNaturalResourcesandEnvironment,saidthatintheshortterm,thedistrictwouldquicklybuild31housesattheoldlocation,relocate17housesintheresidentialarea,andproposetochangeagriculturallandtoresidentiallandforsevenmorehouses.Inthelongterm,L?cYênDistrictplanstobuildresettlementareas,specificallyanareaof??over13,000sq.mfor31householdsinLàngM??ngVillage,T?M?uCommuneandanotherareaof??over5,000sq.mfor19householdsinKheP?nVillage,KhánhHoàCommune.V?nCh?nDistricthasplannednineresettlementareas,ofwhichtwowillbecompletedthisyear.Theremainingsevenwillbeconstructedby2030torelocateallhouseholdsinareasathighriskoflandslides.MaiM?ngTuan,SecretaryoftheV?nCh?nDistrictPartyCommittee,saidthatalthoughtheworkwasveryurgent,eachresettlementareawasplannedindetail,andwouldincludeallnecessaryinfrastructure.—VNSPrimeMinisterPh?mMinhChínhchairsthefirstmeetingofthecentralsteeringcommitteeontheprogrammeoferadicationofmakeshift,dilapidatedhousesacrossthecountryinHàN?ionSunday.—VNA/VNSPhotoD??ngGiangHàN?I—Theprogrammeontheeradicationofmakeshift,dilapidatedhousesacrossthecountryisahumanisticplanwhichmustbecarriedoutwithasenseofhighresponsibility,strongemotionandwitharenewedmindset,PrimeMinisterPh?mMinhChínhhassaid.ChairingthefirstmeetingofthecentralsteeringcommitteeontheissueinHàN?ionSunday,PMChính,whoisalsoheadofthesteeringcommittee,saidthecontinuationofthemovementwouldbedecidedbybrainpoweranddetermination.Hesaiditwasanall-peopleandcomprehensiveprogrammeoftheentirepoliticalsystem,aimingtocreateanunstoppableforcetopromotetheachievementofgoals,withallheartsandvirtuesforrevolutioncontributors,poorhouseholdsandhouseholdsaffectedbynaturaldisasters.HerecognisedandappreciatedtheMinistryofLabour,InvalidsandSocialAffairs,VietnamTelevision,ministries,sectors,agencies,businesses,localities,organisationsandindividualsthathaveorganisedandrespondedactivelytotheemulationmovementThewholecountryjoinshandstoeliminatetemporaryanddilapidatedhousesandTheprogrammetoeliminatemakeshiftanddilapidatedhousesnationwide.PMChínhemphasisedthatthePartyandStatehadalwayspaiddueattentiontothesettlementofhousingforthepeople,especiallypeoplewithmeritoriousservicestotherevolution,poorhouseholdsandhouseholdsaffectedbynaturaldisaster,consideringitasakeytaskofsocialsecurityandsustainablepovertyreduction.ThePartyandStatehadissuedmanyresolutions,conclusions,decisions,programmesandplansandeffectivelyimplementedmanyhousingpoliciesforpeoplewithmeritoriousservicestotherevolutionaswellaspoorhouseholdsandhouseholdsaffectedbynaturaldisasters.Statingclearlythegoalofstrivingtocompletetheeliminationoftemporaryanddilapidatedhousesnationwidein2025,fiveyearsearlierthantheinitialtarget,thegovernmentleaderemphasisedthatitwouldbenecessarytofocusonmobilisingsocialresourcescombinedwithstateresourcestocompleteallthreetasksin2025.Thetasksincludehousingsupportforrevolutioncontributors,housingsupportaccordingtonationaltargetprogrammesandeliminatingtemporaryanddilapidatedhousesforpeoplenationwide.ItwasnecessarytothoroughlygraspthemottoThePartyleads,theStatemanages,theFatherlandFrontandmassorganisationssupportandthepeopletakeownership,thePMrequestedfocusingoneffectivelyimplementingtheprogrammeinthespiritofclearthinking,highdetermination,greatefforts,drasticactionsandclearfocus,inwhichundertheleadershipoftheParty,localauthoritiesatalllevelsplayadecisiveroleforthesuccessoftheprogramme.Heurgeddiversifyingresources,includingtheStatebudget,andcalledonallorganisations,peopleandbusinessestodiversifyformsofsupportsoastocreateamovement,trendandfestivalforthepoorandforthemovementoneliminatingtemporaryhousesanddilapidatedhouses.ThePMrequestedsteppingupthecommunicationswork,creatingmotivationandinspiringsocietyforeveryonetosupport,shareandjoinhandstosupporttheimplementationoftheprogrammewiththespiritofnotlettinganyonebeleftbehind.PMChínhagreedtosetupsteeringcommitteesfortheeradicationoftemporaryanddilapidatedhousesattheprovincial,districtandcommunelevelsandthatmustbecompletedbeforeNovember30toorganisesynchronousimplementationfromthecentraltolocallevels.AgreeingwiththeplanstoallocatesupportresourcesandthesupportlevelfortheconstructionofanewhouseisVN?60million(US$2,300)andthesupportlevelfortherepairofahouseisVN?30million,heassignedtheMinistryofLabour,InvalidsandSocialAffairstocoordinatewiththeStandingCommitteeoftheVietnamFatherlandFrontCentralCommitteetoreviewandcompletetheplanforallocatingresourcesmobilisedfromtheprogrammeontheeradicationoftemporaryanddilapidatedhousesandexistingresourcesoftheFundforthePoor.TheGovernmentleaderrequestedthePeoplesCommitteesofprovincesandcentrally-runcitiestofocusonorganisingandsynchronouslyanddrasticallydeployinghousingsupportforpeoplewithmeritoriousservices,andtheemulationmovementJoininghandstoeliminatetemporaryhousesanddilapidatedhousesnationwidein2025.HeaskedtheMinistryofInformationandCommunicationstodevelopaneffectivecommunicationplanandannounceformsofsupportforeliminatingtemporaryanddilapidatedhousesthroughtextmessages.PMChínhrequestedtheVietnamTelevision,RadioVoiceofVietnamandVietnamNewsAgencyandotherpressagenciestoproactivelydevelopeffectivecommunicationplans,tospreadthemovement,createavibrantemulationatmosphereandcreatesocialconsensusforpeopleandbusinessestosupportandjoinhandstoprovidehousingforpeoplewithmeritoriousservicestotherevolutionandeliminatetemporaryhousesanddilapidatedhousesforpoorandnear-poorhouseholds.Aswasheardatthemeeting,withthespecialattentionofthePartyandState,theparticipationofministries,sectorsandlocalitiesandtheactiveparticipationoforganisations,communities,businessesandpeoplehashelpedabout340,000householdswithmeritoriousservicestotherevolutionandover800,000poorandnear-poorhouseholdswithhousingdifficulties.However,uptonow,thewholecountrystillhasabout315,000householdswithhousingdifficulties,ofwhichabout106,000householdshavemeritoriousservicestotherevolution,46,000householdsbelongtothenationaltargetprogrammesand153,000otherpoorandnear-poorhouseholds.—VNS
Thedecreespecifiesthatupontheendofthesetrialperiods,businessesmustceaseallowingVietnamesecitizenstogambleuntiltheGovernmentissuesadecreeeitherendingorcontinuingpermissionforVietnamesecitizenstoplayatcasinos.Photochinhphu.vnHàN?I—TheVietnamesegovernmentisextendingthepilotprogrammetoallowVietnamesetogambleincasinos,accordingtoanewlyissueddecree.RegardingthepilotprogrammepermittingVietnamesecitizenstogambleatcasinos,thedecreestatedthatthepilotperiodisthreeyearsfromthedatethefirstcasinobusinessallowsVietnamesecitizenstoplay.Afterthreeyears,theGovernmentwillreview,evaluateanddecideonwhethertocontinuepermittingVietnamesecitizenstogambleatcasinosortoterminatethelicence.In2016,thePolitburoapprovedathree-yearpilotprogrammepermittingVietnamesecitizenstogambleatcasinosinPhúQu?cIsland(inthesouthernprovinceofKiênGiang)andVan??n(inthenorthernprovinceofQu?ngNinh).However,onlyPhúQu?cscasinobeganoperationsinJanuary2019,withthepilotprogrammescheduledtoconcludeinJanuary2022.In2022,theMinistryofFinanceproposedextendingthepilotfortwoadditionalyearsinPhúQu?c,citingtheCOVID-19pandemicsimpactoncasinooperationsandlimitedtrialresults.InMay,thePolitburoapprovedextendingthepilotprogrammeatPhúQu?cuntiltheendofthisyear.FortheVan??nproject,thethree-yearpilotwillbeginoncethecasinobecomesoperational(itisnotyetopen).Toswiftlycodifythispilotextension,theGovernmentissuedDecreeNo.145/2024/N?-CPonNovember4,2024,amendingClause2,Article12ofDecreeNo.03/2017/N?-CPtooutlinepilotprogrammedurationsasfollows:Forthefirstlicensedcasinobusiness,thepilotprogrammeisextendeduntilDecember31,2024,forothercasinoslicensedtoconductthepilot(ifany),thetrialperiodisthreeyearsfromthedateofbusinesscertification.Thedecreespecifiesthatupontheendofthesetrialperiods,businessesmustceaseallowingVietnamesecitizenstogambleuntiltheGovernmentissuesadecreeeitherendingorcontinuingpermissionforVietnamesecitizenstoplay.TheMinistryofFinance,incollaborationwiththeMinistryofPublicSecurity,theMinistryofPlanningandInvestment,theMinistryofCulture,SportsandTourism,theStateBankofVi?tNamandtheprovincialPeoplesCommitteesoverseeingthepilotcasinos,willconductassessmentsandreporttotheGovernmentonthefeasibilityofcontinuingorendingVietnamesecitizenaccess.ThesereportsareduebyNovember30,2024,forthefirstcasinotoreceiveapilotlicenceandsixtydaysbeforetheendofanysubsequenttrialperiodsforothercasinos.Basedonthecompetentauthoritiesfindings,theGovernmentwillissuearesolutiononwhethertoendorcontinuepermittingVietnamesecitizenstogambleatcasinos.Currently,ninecasinosoperateinVi?tNam,includingsixsmall-scalecasinosin??S?n(H?iPhòng),L?iLai,HoàngGiaandH?ngV?nHotel(Qu?ngNinh),InternationalHotel(LàoCai),SilverShores(?àN?ng).Therearethreelarge-scalecasinosinNamH?iAn(Qu?ngNam),H?Tràm(BàR?a-V?ngTàu)andPhúQu?c(KiênGiang).Amongthese,PhúQu?csCoronaCasino,developedbyPhúQu?cTourismInvestmentandDevelopmentJSC,hasbeenoperationalsince2019,setwithinacomplexwithatotalinvestmentexceedingVN?50trillion(US$1.97billion).ItiscurrentlytheonlycasinoallowingVietnamesecitizenstogamble.—VNSSinceitslaunchin2008,theprogrammehasconnectedmorethan46,000schools,includingthoseinremoteareas,providingfreeinternetaccessto25millionstudents,teachersandstaff.PhotocourtesyofViettelHàN?I—ViettelisthirdinFortunesChangetheWorld2024list,whichhonoursglobalcompaniesmakingasignificantpositiveimpactonsocietyandsustainabledevelopment.ViettelistheonlyVietnamesecompanyonthelistandtheonlytelecomcompanytoberecognisedthisyear.Therankinghighlightscompaniesthatleadinareassuchasclimateaction,educationandpublichealth.Viettelearneditsspotforitsinternetforschoolinitiative,whichhasimprovededucationqualityinVi?tNamanditstenoverseasmarkets.Sinceitslaunchin2008,theprogrammehasconnectedmorethan46,000schools,includinginremoteareas,providingfreeinternetaccessto25millionstudents,teachersandstaff.WithaninvestmentofaroundVN?2trillion(US$80million)over16years,Viettelhasdevelopedcriticaldigitalinfrastructureforeducation,enablingonlineteaching,learningandaccesstoresources.TheinitiativehashelpedincreaseinternetaccessinVi?tNamfrom15to85percent.ChairmanandCEOofViettel,MajorGeneralTào??cTh?ngsaid,Viettelsmissionistomaketheinternetaccessibletoall.Wehaveconnectedschoolswithultra-broadbandfibreoptics,creatingthefoundationforthegrowthofdigitallearningapplications.Beyondprovidingthenecessaryinfrastructure,Vietteliscommittedtodevelopingeducation-focusedtechnologies,creatingeducationalcontent,buildinganationaleducationdatabaseandimplementingane-educationsystem,includingonlinelearningresourcesandplatformsforteachingandlearning.ThecompanywasrecentlyalsorankedbyBrandFinanceasthestrongesttelecombrandinAsiafor2024.—VNSTr?nKh?c??c,29,wasarrestedbyHCMCityPoliceonSaturdayforthreateningnationalsecurity.—PhotocourtesyofHCMCityPoliceHCMCITY—Vietnameseauthoritieshavearresteda29-year-oldmanforallegedlythreateningnationalsecurityandpoliticalstabilityinconnectionwiththeso-called‘Democraticmulti-partycoalition.Tr?nKh?c??cwasarrestedbytheHCMCityPoliceonSaturdayforproductionanddisseminationofmaterialsopposingtheSocialistRepublicofVi?tNamunderArticle117ofthePenalCode.BeingpartoftheDemocraticmulti-partycoalition,??cisaccusedofhavingfollowedinstructionsfromitsleadersandwrittenarticlesthatinsultnationalleadersanddistorthistoricalfacts.Heisalsochargedwithbuildingdomesticsupportforthegroup,whichauthoritiesdeemaseriousthreat.Beforethearrest,hehadbeenwarnedmultipletimesabouthisactivities.ThecoalitionisledbyanindividualwithaVietnamesenameidentifiedasNguy?nGiaKi?ngcurrentlylivinginFrance,withnationalitybeingunclear,thepolicetoldlocalmedia.Theorganisationisreportedtobeusingsocialmediaplatformsforthepurposeofrecruitingmembers,violatingVietnameselaw,accordingtothepolice.Authoritiessaythatinthewest,democracyisoftenequatedwithmulti-partyelections,leadingmanytoviewsingle-partysystemsasrepressive.Vi?tNamsdemocraticpoliticalsystemis,however,solelyledbytheCommunistPartyofVi?tNam,anotionthatmayconfusethoseeducatedinthewest.—VNS
C?uGi?yStationoftheHàN?iMetroLine3Nh?n-HàN?iStation.—VNA/VNSPhotoTu?nAnhHàN?I—The8kmelevatedsectionofHàN?iMetroLine3Nh?n-HàN?iStationhasbeenofficiallyinauguratedafterthreemonthsofcommercialoperationsataceremonyheldbytheHàN?iPeoplesCommitteeonSaturday.Theconstructionworksoftheundergroundsection(4additionalstationsconnectingtoHàN?iStation)havealsostartedlastJuly.ViceChairmanofHàN?iPeoplesCommitteeD??ng??cTu?nsaidthattherealityshowsthatwheretransportinfrastructuregoes,developmentfollows.Urbanmetroisahigh-quality,environmentallyfriendlytransportmethodthatmanycountrieshavebeenprioritisingtoresolvecongestionandpollution,Tu?nsaid,addingthattheurbanmetrodevelopmentisakeytaskforthecapitalcityinthenewera.Followingtheceremony,whichaffirmedthecommitmenttodevelopingthecapitalsurbanrailwaysystemtowardstheNetZerotargetby2050,thedelegatescarriedouttheplaqueattachingceremonyfortheprojectincelebrationofthe70thanniversaryoftheCapitalsLiberation(October10,1954-October10,2024).Thismilestonemarksanimportantstepinaprojectheraldedasaprominentexampleofinternationalcooperationinsustainableurbantransport,involvingVi?tNam,Franceandglobalfinanciers—theFrenchDevelopmentAgency(AFD),theEuropeanInvestmentBank(EIB),andtheAsianDevelopmentBank(ADB),whilealsosupportingVi?tNamsgreentransitioninlinewiththeJustEnergyTransitionPartnership(JETP)bypromotinglow-carbon,publictransportationoptionstoreduceurbanemissions.Line3benefitsfromsignificantfinancialsupportfromFrance,which,throughtheDirectorateGeneraloftheTreasury(MinistryofEconomy,FinanceandIndustrialandDigitalSovereignty)andtheAFD,hasprovidedconcessionalfinancingtoVi?tNamtotallingover500millioneuros.TheADBandtheEIBsglobalarm,EIBGlobal,alsocontributedwidelytoitsfunding,withADBproviding$407.8millionandEIBGlobalcontributing141millioneuros.Line3isexpectedtocontinueitsrouteunderTr?nH?ng??oStreet(HoànKi?mDistrict)neartheHàN?iStationandthensouthwardstoHoàngMai.Forthisextension,Vi?tNamexpectstoreceivefinancialsupportfromtheTeamEurope,includingAFD,andKfWDevelopmentBank,andtheADB.HàN?isleadersandforeignpartnersparticipatedintheplaqueerectionfortheHàN?iMetroLine3asaprojectconductedincommemorationofthe70thanniversaryoftheCapitalsLiberation(October10,1954-October10,2024).—VNA/VNSPhotoTu?nAnhTheinaugurationoftheelevatedsectionofHàN?iMetroLine3–thesecondlinetobecomeoperationalinVi?tNam–demonstratesthecapabilityofVietnameseandinternationalteamstosuccessfullyundertakecomplexandambitiousurbantransportprojects.ItalsoreflectsthecommitmentofpartnercountriesandinternationalfinancialinstitutionstosupportVi?tNamincombatingclimatechangebyprovidingthecountrywithtechnicalsolutionsthatmeetthehighestinternationalstandards.Uponitscompletion,theMetroLine3isexpectedtocontributetoreduce33,150tonsofCO2equivalentperannum.OlivierBrochet,AmbassadorofFrancetoVi?tNam,saidthatTheopeningofthissectionofHàN?iMetroLine3,thesecondlineinthecountrytobecomeoperational,demonstratestheabilityofFranco-Vietnameseteamstosuccessfullyundertakeambitiousinfrastructureprojectsintherailtransportsector.ItalsounderscoresourcountryscommitmenttosupportingVi?tNaminitstransitiontoalow-carboneconomy,notablybyprovidingthecountrywithtechnologiesthatmeetthehighestinternationalstandards.Frenchcompaniesandinstitutionswillbuildupontheknowledgegainedduringthisprojectandwillcontinuetoparticipateinvariousongoingrailmobilityprojectsinthecountry.Thisway,wehopetoplayaninstrumentalroletothedecarbonisationofVietnamesetransport.AsaComprehensiveStrategicPartner,innovationandsustainabledevelopmentarecoreprioritiesofourbilateralrelationship.Throughsuchprojectsandother,wehopetoplayaninstrumentalroletothedecarbonizationofVietnamesetransportsandbeonVi?tNamssideforotherinnovativeprojects,thediplomatstressed.JulienGuerrier,AmbassadoroftheEuropeanUniontoVi?tNam,remarkedthatundertheEUsGlobalGatewayinitiative,welookforwardtofurtherstrengtheningourcooperationwithVi?tNamandcontinuingtosupportimpactfulprojectsthatmakeatangibledifferenceinpeopleslives.TheEUstandscommittedtoworkingtogetherwithVi?tNamtocurbCO?emissions,includingthroughsustainabletransportmeans,whilealsoacceleratingtheenergytransition.HervéConan,AFDDirectorinVi?tNam,sharedthatthenewline3combinedwithadequatebusnetworkwillbeagamechangerforthesustainableurbantransportinHàN?i.Beyondlowcarbontransition,suchinfrastructurewillhaveahugeimpactonthelivingconditionsinHàN?i.ItwillprofittotheHàN?ipeopleandmodifytheirdailymobilityinasafer,cleanerandmorecomfortableway.EIBVice-PresidentNicolaBeer,whoisinchargeofBanksoperationsinSoutheastAsia:ThedevelopmentofHàN?iMetroLine3,includingthenewlyinauguratedelevatedsection,marksthefirstdeliveryundertheJustEnergyTransitionPartnershipandunderscoresourcommitmenttosustainabletransportinVi?tNam.Oncefullyoperational,Line3isexpectedtoserveupto90millionpassengersannually,helpingtoboostpublictransportusageinHàN?ifrom15percentto40percentandbringingVi?tNamclosertoitsnet-zeroemissionsgoalby2050.IthasbeenagreatopportunitytocollaboratewithourVietnameseandinternationalpartnersonsuchanimpactfulproject,combiningourexpertisetobringeffectivesustainablemobilitysolutionsalongwithleadingEuropeantechnologies.ShantanuChakraborty,ADBCountryDirectorforVi?tNam,saidthaturbanvehiclesinAsiascitiesaredoublingeverysixyears,andareamajorsourceofgreenhousegas.Manyofthesecities,includingHàNoi,sufferfromveryhighairpollution,withasmuchas80percentofsuchpollutionattributabletotransport.Toaddressthis,ADBisworkingextensivelywithitsmembercountriestodevelopcomprehensiveandintegratedtransportsystems.HàN?imetroline3willprovideaffordable,reliable,andsafepublictransport.Inaddition,itwillreducegreenhousegasemissionsandcuttraveltimealongtheprojectcorridorby25percent.—VNSLêV?nBình,ChairmanoftheVi?tNamFatherlandFrontCommitteeofNinhThu?nProvince,attendedthegroundbreakingceremonyfortheconstructionofaGreatSolidarityhouseforpoorlocals.VNAPhotoNINHTHU?N-NinhThu?nProvinceaimstobuild500housesbytheendof2024andeliminatetemporary,damaged,anddegradedhousesforthepoorandnear-poorbytheendof2025.Tohelpthepoorandnear-poorachievesettledlivingandastablelivelihood,theprovinceismobilisingallresourcesfromrelevantauthoritiestosupportandbuildhousingfordisadvantagedhouseholds.TheNinhThu?nProvincialPeoplesCommitteeisdirectingagenciestostudyandproposetheestablishmentofafundtosupporttheeliminationoftemporaryanddilapidatedhousingforpoorandnear-poorhouseholdsandtodevelopaprojecttoremovesuchhousing.Over2024–2025,theprovinceplanstosupporttheconstructionof1,948houses,with1,653newand295renovated,ataprojectedtotalcostofoverVN?205billion(US$8million).Ph?mTh?BíchHà,ViceChairwomanoftheVi?tNamFatherlandFrontCommitteeofNinhThu?n,saidthattheVi?tNamFatherlandFrontatalllevelsintheprovincewillcontinuemobilisingagenciesandbusinessestodonateandsupporttheconstructionoffreeGreatSolidarityhousesforpoorpeople.Shealsosharedthatrecently,theGovernmentandthePresidiumoftheCentralCommitteeoftheVi?tNamFatherlandFrontlaunchedaprogrammetosupportthenationwideefforttoeliminatetemporaryanddilapidatedhousingunderthethemeAWarmHomeforOurPeople.Inthisprogramme,V?nhPhúcprovincesupportedNinhThu?nwithVN?70billiontocarryouthousingconstructionforpoorandnear-poorhouseholds.Thu?nNamDistrictisassistingwiththeconstructionof47housesfordisadvantagedhouseholdsinthecommunesofPh??cNam,Ph??cNinh,Ph??cDiêm,Ph??cMinh,andPh??cDinh.Additionally,37housesarebeingbuiltinthehighlandcommuneofPh??cHà,eachcostingVN?100million,withVN?90millionprovidedassupportandtheremaindercontributedbythehouseholdsthemselves.AccordingtotheStandingCommitteeoftheVi?tNamFatherlandFrontCommitteeofNinhThu?n,theprovincespovertyandnear-povertyratesremainrelativelyhighcomparedtothenationalaverage,withover1,600householdsstilllivingintemporary,rundown,anddamagedhousesfacingsignificantchallenges.Toshowsolidaritywiththehousingchallengesfacedbythepoor,Tr?nQu?cNam,chairmanoftheProvincialPeoplesCommittee,hassentanopenlettertobusinesses,entrepreneurs,andbenefactorsinandoutsidetheprovince,appealingforcontinuedsupporttohelpbuildhousingforpoorandnear-poorhouseholdsforastablelivingenvironment.Recently,theVi?tNamFatherlandFrontCommitteeofNinhThu?nhasbeenimplementingsupportfortheconstructionofGreatSolidarityhousesunderthe2023–2025housingsupportprojectforpoorandnear-poorhouseholds.In2023,243houseswerebuiltandhandedover;in2024,500housesareplanned,withnearly300alreadycompleted,and500housesareplannedfor2025.-VNS
ByTrungHi?nThùyGiangDrNguy?nDuy??ng,headoftheL?ngCúHealthCentrein??ngV?nDistrictinthenorthernmountainousprovinceofHàGiang,onhiswaytogivehealthcheck-uptolocalresidents.VNA/VNSPhotosThegrassrootshealthcarenetworkispivotaltoprovidingaccessibleandaffordablehealthcaretopeopleacrossVi?tNam.Withsufficientinvestment,theseprimaryhealthcarefacilitiescanfulfiltheirmissionofpreventivecareandearlytreatment,DeputyMinisterofHealth??XuanTuyênhassaid.Bystrengtheningthecapabilityofthesecentres,hospitalscanalleviatechronicovercrowdingandexpandpublicaccesstohigh-qualityhealthcareservices.Newupgrades,newoutcomesTheV?nhH?uAHealthCentreinHòaBìnhDistrict,B?cLiêuProvince,servesasanexampleofhowlocalhealthcarefacilitiescanmakeasubstantialimpact.LedbyDrPh?mTh?BíchThu,thecentrenowmanagesover1,000patientswithhypertensionand600withdiabetes.Thissuccessinmanagingchronicdiseasesisnoteworthy,asfewhealthcentreshaveachievedsimilarresults.DrThuattributesthistoherteamsdiligenteffortsinpatientscreeningsandoutreach,activelyencouragingresidentstoseekhealthchecksforearlydetectionandregularfollow-up.DrThusapproachincludesassigningspecificstafftodesignatedareasandorganisingvisitstoremotevillageslikeGi?ngTra,located5-6kilometresaway.Thesevisits,scheduledmultipletimesayear,aimtoeducateresidentsandscreenforchronicdiseases,facilitatingearlyinterventionandongoingmanagement.TheV?nhH?uAHealthCentre,anewlyconstructedtwo-storyfacilitywith16rooms,officiallyopenedinJanuary2024.Operatingaround-the-clock,thecentreprovidesemergencycare,patientmonitoring,andreferralsforcasesthatrequirehigher-levelhospitalisation.Withateamofeighthealthcarestaff,thecentreservesroughly600patientsmonthlyinV?nhH?uACommune,whichhasapopulationofover9,000people,90percentofwhomarecoveredbypublichealthinsurance.TheV?nhH?uAHealthCentre,locatedinHòaBìnhDistrict,B?cLiêuProvince,hasbeennewlybuilttoencouragemorefrequentvisitstothecentre.Thecentrehandles70-80percentofthecommuneshypertensionanddiabetescases,alsoofferingmaternitycareandhealthmonitoringfor70-80pregnantwomenannually.Dr.Thusaidthataprimarygoalisbuildingpublictrust,whichencouragesmorefrequentpatientvisitsandtherebygeneratesstablerevenuethatbenefitsboththestaffandthecommunity.Withthecentresrecentupgrades,strengtheningourprofessionalskillstomeetthecommunitysneedsiscrucial,shesaid.Whenpeopletrustus,theywillseekcaremoreregularly,creatingastableincomesourceandasustainablefutureforthehealthcentre.Meanwhile,theCamTuy?nHealthCentreinCamL?District,Qu?ngTr?Province,inauguratedin2022,haswitnessedincreasedpatientvisitsduetoimprovedfacilityandequipment.Thetwo-storycentrecovers1,500squaremetresandoffersarangeofservices,includingmedicalcheck-ups,primarycare,vaccinations,andhealtheducation,servingmorethan5,000households.Thefacilityssix-memberteam,comprisingaphysician,amidwife,twonurses,andapharmacist,nowhandles15-17patientsdaily,upfrom7-10priortotheupgrades.Dr.HoàngNg?c??c,headoftheCamTuy?nHealthCentre,explainedthatthenewfacilitiesandstafftraininghadexpandedtheircapabilities.Theteamcannowhandleawiderarrayofprocedures,includingemergencyresponse,treatmentofanaphylacticshock,respiratoryissues,highfevers,seizures,bronchitis,andminorsurgeries,accordingto??c.DrHoàngNg?c??c,headofCamTuy?nHealthCentre,examinesababypatientatthecentreinCamL?District,Qu?ngTr?Province.Inthepast,evenminorcaseshadtobereferredtohigher-levelhospitals,asthecentresold,deterioratingfacilitiesdiscouragedvisits.Withtheimprovedinfrastructure,peoplebenefitfromcomfortableamenities,suchasfansandseatinginwaitingareas,aswellasspaciousexamrooms,post-vaccinationmonitoring,andday-stayrooms.PublichealthsgatekeepersTheMinistryofHealthreportsthatVi?tNamhasover11,400healthcentresacrossitscommunes,wards,towns,andvillages.Statisticsshowgrowingpublicuseofthesegrassrootsservices,withhealthinsurance-coveredvisitsatprimarycarefacilitiesincreasingfrom86millionin2012to113millionin2022,accountingforover70percentoftotalnationalhealthcarevisits.Traditionalmedicineservicesremainpopular,makingup14.6percentofdistrict-levelvisitsand30.5percentatthecommunelevel.ArecentoversightreportbytheNationalAssemblysSocialAffairsCommitteehighlightedtheextensivereachofVi?tNamsgrassrootshealthcarenetwork.Currently,99.6percentofcommunes,wards,andtownshipshaveahealthcarecentre,and92.4percenthaveatleastonemedicaldoctor.District-levelhealthcarestaffmakeup34.6percentoftotalhealthcarepersonnel,withcommune-levelstaffcomprising15.8percent.Thereportsaidthatpublicsatisfactionisincreasing,particularlyregardingthequalityandattitudesofhealthcareworkers.PhanLêThuH?ng,deputydirectorofthehealthministrysPlanningandFinanceDepartment,notedthatVi?tNamsgrassrootshealthcarenetworkhadbeensystematicallyorganisedtoprovideextensivecoverage,servingasthegatekeepersofpublichealth.Healthcentresoperateineverycommune,providingessentialservicestothecommunityandhelpingregulatethehealthcaresystem.MinisterofHealth?àoH?ngLansaidthatthePartyandStatehadstrengthenedthisgrassrootsnetwork,recognisingitasthebackboneofthecountryshealthcaresystem.TheNationalAssemblypassedaresolutioninJuly2021toallocateVN?24.13trillion(US$952million)forpublichealthcarefrom2021to2025.MoreoverinJanuary2022itaddedVN?14trillion($552million)forprimaryhealthcareconstructionandrenovation.InApril2024,DeputyPrimeMinisterTr?nH?ngHàapprovedaplantoelevateprimaryhealthcarequality.Thisplanaimstoensureeveryhealthcentrehasatleastonepermanentdoctorandincludespoliciestoattractskilledprofessionalstoremoteandunderservedareas.Theinitiativesgoalsincludeprovidinghealthinsurancecoverageforover95percentofthoseusingprimarycareservicesandestablishingmanagedhealthprofilesforover95percentofthepopulation.High-riskindividualswillreceiveannualhealthchecks,aimingforroutinehealthassessmentsforallcitizens.InvestingfortransformativechangeAccordingtodeputydirectorH?ng,about80percentofpatientsrequireonlyprimarycare,whilejust20percentneedhospitalisation.Overcrowdingincentralhospitalsstemsfrombothlimitedspecialisedservicesandhighpatientdemand.Tobalancesupplyanddemand,strengtheninggrassrootscapacityisessential.Nguy?nTh?Nham,residentinV?nhh?uACommune,waitingforhermedicineattheV?nhH?uACommunesHealthCentre.Strengtheningprimaryhealthcarecancontroldemandforcentralhospitalsservices,creatingabalanced,efficienthealthcaresystem,H?ngsaid.Shesuggestedafocusondiseaseprevention,healthpromotion,andmanagingchronicconditionsatthecommunityleveltoreducetheneedforhigher-levelcare.Thisapproachprioritisesintegrated,long-termhealthmanagementwithanemphasisonpreventinghealthrisks.However,DeputyHealthMinister??XuanTuyênpointedoutthatmanyhealthcentresinremoteareasareseverelydeteriorating,hamperingeffectiveservicedelivery.Localfundsaloneareinadequatetoresolvetheseproblems,underscoringtheneedforstrongersupportfromtheGovernment.Tr?nQuangM?nh,directorofYênBáiCityHealthCentre,saidthatsomehealthstationsinYênBáiCity,includingNamC??ng,H?ngHà,andNguy?nTháiH?c,werepronetoflooding.TheNamC??ngHealthStation,locatedinalow-lyingarea,mustmoveequipmenttohigherfloorsduringstorms,limitingitscapacitytoserveinpatients.TuyênsaidtheMinistryofHealthwasurgentlyassessinggrassrootsneeds,withplanstoproposenecessaryinvestmentsthrough2030.Upgradinggrassrootshealthcarerequirescomprehensivepolicieswithstronginvestmentinbothhumanandfinancialresources,hesaid.Heurgedlocalauthoritiestoenhancemedicalcapabilitiesatthegrassrootslevel,implementelectronichealthrecords,andraisepublicawarenessofdiseaseprevention.Theministryalsosoughtincreasedsupporttoupgradeinfrastructure,provideessentialmedicalsupplies,andenhanceservices,buildingpublictrustandadvancingcommune-levelhealthcarereform.VNS
TheYênS?newruralcommuneinHoài??cDistrict.HàN?I—Sinceachievingthenewruralstandardsin2017,Hoài??cDistrictinHàN?ihascontinuedtoimplementthedualgoalofbuildinganadvancednewruralarea,associatedwithcompletingthecriteriaforbecominganurbandistrict.Inparallelwithrealisingthetwogoals,Hoài??cDistrictsappearancehaschangedsignificantly,itscountrysidenowhavingthefaceofacivilisedandmodernurbanarea.Fornearly15consecutiveyears,YênS?hasbeenakeycommuneintheconstructionofnewruralareasandadvancednewruralareasinHoài??cDistrict.Todate,YênS?todayhaswitnessedmanychanges.AkindergarteninYênS?Commune.Thetrafficsystemhasbeeninvestedinandexpanded,themainroadsarepaved.Medicalstations,culturalhouses,flowergardensandparkshavebeenbuilttobettermeetthepeoplesneedsforhealthcareandimprovetheirspirituallife.ChairmanoftheYênS?CommunePeoplesCommittee,Nguy?nBáTr??ngYên,saidthatafteridentifyingeducationandtrainingasoneofthekeycriteria,thecommunehasfocusedoninvestingintheschoolsystem.Uptonow,schoolsinthecommunehavemetnationalstandardslevelone,whiletheYênS?Kindergartenhasmetthestandardofleveltwo,withspaciousandmodernfacilities,meetingtherequirementsofeducationalinnovationinthecurrentperiod.PreservingtraditionalcultureinCaoH?Village,??cGiangCommune.Previously,onbothsidesofthelagooninL?iYênCommune,householdsencroached,dischargingdomesticwastewaterandthewaterwaspollutedwithconstructionwaste.Followingthenewruralconstruction,thecommuneproposedthedistrictrenovatetheL?iYênLagoonwithatotalinvestmentofVN?40billion(US$1.5million).Theprojecthasembankments,newlybuiltroads,aseparatesystemofdomesticwastewatercollectionditches,anewlightingsystemandplantedgreentreesaroundthelagoontocreateabright-green-clean-beautifullandscape.Sincethen,therenovation,careoftreesandenvironmentalsanitationintheareaaroundthelagoonhavebecomeafavouritehobbyofpeopleinthecommune.Nguy?n?ìnhB?o,alocalresident,said:Thelagoonhasbeenimproved,allowingustoenjoyamuchhigherqualityoflifethanbefore.Weareallhappyandvolunteertotakecareofthelandscapearoundthelagoon.Hoài??cbuildsnewruralareaswiththegoalofdevelopingintoanurbandistrict.Hoài??cDistricthasaT??áydikerunningthroughninecommunes.Tobeautifythecountryside,thedistricthasbuiltandmaintaineda19.3kmmodeldikewithbloomingflowerswiththeenthusiasticparticipationofmanyforcessuchastheWomensUnion,theYouthUnionandlocalstudents.Notably,thebudgetforbuildingtheflowerdikeswasfundedwithcontributionsfromthepeopleofmorethanVN?3billion($118,150)toimprovethelandandinvestinseedlings.Afterthedikehadanewappearance,householdslivingalongthedikewereveryexcited,voluntarilytakingcareofandwateringtheplantseveryday.Everyweek,WomenUnionmembersorganiseweedingandgeneralcleaning,spreadingawarenessofprotectingandsprucinguptheenvironmentallandscapeforthepeople.DeputyChairmanoftheHoài??cDistrictPeoplesCommittee,Nguy?nTrungThu?n,saidthatsincebeingrecognisedasanewruraldistrict,theappearanceofvillageshadcontinuedtobeimproved,thepeoplesmaterialandspirituallifehasbeenenrichedandtheyareexcitedandproudwhentheirhometownbecomesalivablecountryside.Uptonow,Hoài??chasmettheconditionsandcompletedthedossiertobeconsideredandrecognisedbytheCentralGovernmentasmeetingtheadvancednewruralstandards.DeputyChiefoftheNewRuralDevelopmentProgrammeCoordinationOfficeofHàN?i,Nguy?nV?nChí,saidthatbuildingadvancednewruralareaswasimplementedsynchronouslyandeffectivelybyHoài??cDistrictwithmanycriteriametandexceededthesettargets.TheresultsachievedinbuildingnewruralareasareconsideredtheleverforHoài??ctodevelopurbanareasandbecomeanurbandistrictinthenearfuture.Accordingtothecapitalsgeneralconstructionplanning,Hoài??cDistrictisdividedintothreemainareasincludingareaoutsidethe?áyRiverdike,areafromthe?áyRiverdiketoRingRoad4andtheareaeastofRingRoad4.Determiningthatinvestmentandupgradingofurbantrafficinfrastructureplaysaparticularlyimportantrole,creatingmomentumforthesocio-economicdevelopmentprocess,thedistricthasinvestedthousandsofbillionsof??ngtorenovateandupgraderuraltrafficroutes.In19communesofthedistrict,atotalof774.51kmofcommune,inter-commune,village,inter-village,alleyandmainroadshavebeenconcretedandasphalted,meetingthetrafficcriteriarequirements.ThedistrictiscarryingoutaprojecttobuildanewHoài??cDistrictGeneralHospitalwhichwillhave500beds.Nguy?nV?nChí,DeputyChiefoftheNewRuralDevelopmentProgrammeCoordinationOfficeofHàN?i(firstleft),visitsthemodelofconvertingineffectivecropstogrowingfruittreeswithhighincomeinYênS?Commune.Hoài??cisadistrictwithrapidurban,industrialandhandicraftdevelopment.Thewholedistricthas52housing,serviceandtradedevelopmentprojectsunderway.Thedistrictalsohasmorethan4,000enterprises,53outof54villageswithcrafts,ofwhich12traditionalcraftvillageshavebeenrecognised,nineindustrialzonesandmanyhigh-qualityagriculturalproductionmodels,contributingtoeconomicrestructuring,buildingnewruralareas,bringingrevenuetothebudget,creatingmanyjobsforpeople.Sofar,Hoài??cDistricthasachieved27outof31urbandistrictcriteriaandonehundredpercentofcommuneshavemetwardcriteriaintermsofinfrastructure.NewruralareashavebeencreatingadrivingforcetohelpHoài??cDistrictsoondevelopintoanurbandistrict.—VNS*ThearticleispublishedunderthecoordinationoftheCoordinationOfficeoftheNew-StyleRuralDevelopmentProgrammeinHàN?i.ConstructionsiteofWesternRingRoadProjectinC?nTh?City.VNA/VNSPhotoC?NTH?–CapitaldisbursementoftheWesternRingRoadprojectinC?nTh?CitywasjustVN?57.4billion(US$2.26million),achieving18.54percentofthetargetbylateOctoberalthoughtheprojectwasallocatedoverVN?300billion($11.86million)thisyear,reportedDepartmentofPlanningandInvestment.Mostprojectsareproposedtoadjustandsupplementthepublicinvestmentplanfor2024basedonactualimplementation,followingtheschedulesetbytheprojectowner.However,inadditiontoprojectswithdisbursementprogressmeetingorexceedingtheplan,someprojectsarebehindschedule.RegardingtheWesternRingRoadprojectinC?nTh?CityconnectingNationalHighway91toNationalHighway61C,thelandclearancehasreached54percent,andapproximately50percentofthesitehasbeenhandedovertocontractors.Fouroutofsevenconstructionpackageshavebeencarriedout.Currently,theprojectisundergoinganinvestmentpolicyadjustment,andoncecompleted,theremainingthreeconstructionpackageswillbeimplemented.AccordingtoNguy?nHoàngTùng,deputydirectoroftheDepartmentofTransport,theprojectfaceddelaysduetotimespentontestingthefoundationandpilesofbridgestructures.Untilthesetestsarecompleted,thenextstepscannotproceed.ThetestingpackagewasonlystartedinJuly2024,andnowtheDepartmentofTransportisinstructingcontractorstoacceptcompletedworkvolumeforsubsequentimplementation,hesaid.Additionally,theshortageofsandremainsasignificantchallengeforthisproject.Risingsandpricesandashortageofsupplyhaveimpactedtheproject.Althoughtheprojecthasreceivedsandfromvarioussources,qualitycheckshavefounditunsuitable,leadingtheinvestortoreturnittothesuppliers,Tùngexplained.Afterinspection,wefoundthatsomesandsourceswerecontaminatedwithsalt,makingthemunusableasC?nTh?Cityhasyettoapprovetheuseofsalt-contaminatedsandforlocalprojects,hesaid.Furthermore,certainareasoftheringroadprojectarestillawaitinglandclearance,affectingtheoverallprojectprogress.TheWesternRingRoadprojectinC?nTh?CitywasofficiallylaunchedinNovember2022withtotalinvestmentofnearlyVN?3.8trillion($150million),ofwhichVN?2trillion($78.9million)isfromtheCentralBudgetandVN?1.8trillion($71million)isfromthelocalbudget,includingVN?2.6trillion($102million)forconstructioncostsandoverVN?1trillion($39.4million)forcompensation,support,andresettlementexpenses.Theprojectisscheduledforimplementationfrom2021to2026,impactingaround1,243households,ofwhich464willrequireresettlement.Theentirerouteis19.3kmlong,withacross-sectionof16.5moneachsideandadesignspeedof50-60kmperhour,andincludes25bridges.VNS
HàN?I–DozensofchildrenwithsevereurologicalbirthdefectsandrareurologicalconditionsinHCMCity,Vinh,HàN?iand?àN?ngarereceivingfreegenitalsurgeriesunderthe‘Thi?nNhanFriendsprogramme–aprojectthatofferschildgenitalreconstructionsurgeriesinVi?tNam.Partofanannualprogrammethatstarted18yearsago,thesesurgeriesarebeingperformedfromOctober18toNovember9byavolunteermedicalteamfromItaly,England,EgyptandtheUAE,ledbyItaliansurgeonDrRobertoDeCastro.ItaliansurgeonDrRobertoDeCastro(left)andhisteamconductexaminationsanddiagnosesforchildrenwithurologyandgenitaldefectattheNationalPediatricHospitalinHàN?ionOctober25.Photocourtesyof‘Thi?nNhanHisFriendsprogrammeThesurgeriestakeplaceatChildrensHospital2inHCMCity,theNgh?AnObstetricsandPediatricsHospitalinVinhCity,theNationalPediatricHospitalandVi?t??cHospitalinHàN?i,andthe?àN?ngChildrenandWomensHospitalin?àN?ngCity.Overdecades,DrDeCastrohasperformedpioneeringsurgicaltechniquestoeffectivelytreatgenitalmalformationsandinjuriesinbothboysandgirlstoallowthemtolivefulllives.OneofDeCastrosbiggestsuccessstoriesisPhùngThi?nNhan,whowasabandonedbyhisbiologicalmotheratbirthinaremoteareainthecentralprovinceofQu?ngNam.WhenNhanwasfoundthreedayslater,hewasbarelyaliveandhadlostmostofhisgenitalsandonelegduetoabrutalattackbywildanimals.Internationaldoctorsofthe‘Thi?nNhanFriendsprogrammeconductexaminationsanddiagnosesforchildrenwithurologyandgenitaldefectattheVi?t??cHospitalinHàN?ionOctober26.Photocourtesyof‘Thi?nNhanFriendsprogrammeTheinfantsurvivedtheincidentandwassubsequentlyadoptedbyjournalistTr?nMaiAnh,movingtoHàN?iwithhisnewfamily.WiththesupportofDeCastro,Thi?nNhanreceivedsuccessfulreconstructivesurgeryinJanuary2011.Hisfostermother,MaiAnh,laterbecamethefounderofthe‘Thi?nNhanFriendsprogrammewhich,togetherwiththeAsiaInjuryPrevention(AIP)Foundation,paysforsurgeries,travelcostsandmedicalsuppliesforpoorVietnamesechildrenneedinggenitalreconstruction.Overtheyears,theThi?nNhanFriendsprogrammehasconducted630surgeries,examinationsanddiagnosesfor2,000children,withanother1,000patientsstillawaitingtreatment.Dozensofleadingexpertsinpaediatricreconstructiveandurologicalsurgeryfromaroundtheworldhaveparticipatedintheprogramme.InVi?tNam,alongwithconductingexaminationsandsurgeries,theinternationalspecialistsalsoholdscientificworkshopsandhands-ontrainingsessionswithVietnamesemedicalstaff,sharingtheirexperiencesandintroducingthelatestadvancedmethodsinpaediatricurologicalsurgery.AccordingtofounderoftheAIPFoundationandco-founderofthe‘Thi?nNhanFriendsprogrammeGreigCraft,themissionoftheprogammeisnotjusttotreatasmallnumberofchildrenwithgenitaldisabilities.Internationalvolunteermedicalteamofthe‘Thi?nNhanHisFriendsprogrammeposeforphotowithmedicalworkersattheVi?t??cHospitalinHàN?ionOctober26.Photocourtesyof‘Thi?nNhanHisFriendsprogrammeByspreadingtheinspirationtoliveandsharingmedicalknowledgeasleadingexpertscometogether,webelievethattheimpactwillextendbeyondtheconfinesoftheprogramme.WearefortunatethatThi?nNhan,ourfirstpatient,sharesthisvisionandhaschosentobecomeascientistinthefuture,hesaid.Eighteenyearsafterbeingfoundinthejungleandgivenasecondchanceatlife,Thi?nNhanhasentereduniversity.HechosethefieldofArtificialIntelligence,believingthatAIhasthepotentialtorevolutionisehealthcareandimprovethelivesofmanypeople,justasmylifewastransformedthroughmedicalintervention.Fromthese18yearsofexperience,theyoungmanisconvincedthatempathyandpatiencewillleadtomiraculousachievements.VNSPeoplecanregisterforapersonalVNPTSmartCAdigitalsignaturedirectlyonVNeID.HàN?I—AsofOctober28,peoplearenowabletocreateapersonaldigitalsignaturedirectlythroughtheMinistryofPublicSecuritysVNeIDapplication,providingfreedigitalsigningaccessonpublicserviceportals.Thisintegrationallowse-identificationappVNeIDlevel2userstoregisterforVNPTSmartCAsignaturesontheVNeIDapp,withtheiridentitiesalreadyverifiedbytheMinistryofPublicSecurity.Thisstreamlinedprocesseliminatestheneedtosubmitphysicaldocuments,makingregistrationmoreaccessibleandconvenient.VNPThasbecomethefirstdigitalsignatureprovidercertifiedtomeetthesecuritystandardsrequiredforintegrationwithVNeID,followingapprovalfromtheNationalPopulationDataCentrefortheMinistryofPublicSecuritysidentityandauthenticationsystemtoconnectwiththeVNPTVinaPhoneInformationSystem.AccordingtoVNPT,thisconnectionbetweenthetwosystemsistheproductofextensivetechnicalresearchandpreparation,ensuringcompliancewithlegalstandardsandmaintainingdatasecurity.VNPTSmartCAsintegrationextendsacrossmorethan900applications,includingtheNationalPublicServicePortal,theMinistryofPublicSecuritysPublicServicePortal,theGeneralDepartmentofTaxationsystems,theStateTreasury,provincialandmunicipalpublicserviceportals,aswellasapplicationsinbanking,finance,insurance,educationandhealthcare.Initscommitmenttothedigitaltransformation,VNPTprovidesdigitalsigningservicescompletelyfreeofchargeforadministrativeprocedures,aimingtoexpanddigitalsignatureusagenationwide.ThisinitiativeisalignedwiththeGovernmentsgoalofequipping50percentoftheadultpopulationwithdigitalorelectronicsignaturesby2025,risingtoover70percentby2030.—VNS
HàN?I—ThelatestresearchfindingsandsolutionstotheproblemsofinjuriesamongchildrenwerepresentedatarecentconferenceinHàN?i.Thefourthnationalscientificconferenceoninjuryprevention,themedReducingtheBurdenofInjuries:TheEffectivenessofSustainablePoliciesandInterventions,washeldonMonday,featuringengagingdiscussionsbyover200Vietnameseandinternationalhealthcareprofessionals.Theconferenceisco-organisedbytheDepartmentofEnvironmentalHealthandtheUniversityofPublicHealth.FiveyearsaftertheThirdNationalScientificConferencein2019,theFourthNationalScientificConferenceonInjuryPreventionwasheldtoshareresearchfindingsandproposesolutionsinthecurrentcontext.DeputyMinisterofHealthLê??cLu?nspokeattheconference.—PhotocourtesyoftheorganisersThisyearsconferenceisanopportunitytoengagestakeholdersandboosttheeffectivenessofinjurypreventionefforts.Delegatesexchangedexperiencesandstrategies,emphasisingtheimportanceofmeasuresfrombothdomesticandinternationalpractices.Speakingattheconference,DeputyMinisterofHealthLê??cLu?nstated:AccordingtotheWHO,injuriesaccountfor11percentoftheglobaldiseaseburden,with80percentindevelopingcountries.StatisticsfromVietnamesehealthcarefacilitiesindicatethat,onaverage,over1.1millionpatientsseektreatmentforinjurieseachyear,resultinginmorethan30,000deaths,headded.DespiteVietnamssignificanteffortsininjuryprevention,itremainsaconcerningissue.Roadtrafficaccidents,drowningandworkplaceaccidentsaretheleadingcausesofinjury-relatedfatalities.Thishighlightsthat,whilesomeprogresshasbeenmade,Vi?tNamneedstocontinueitseffortsandinvestfurthertominimiseinjuriesandtheirconsequences,heemphasised.Theconferencefeaturednearly200domesticexperts,alongsidespecialistsfromtheWorldHealthOrganizationinGeneva,JohnsHopkinsUniversityandvariousinternationalandVietnameseNGOs.DrDavidMeddingsfromtheWorldHealthOrganizationnotedthatdrowning,fallsandroadtrafficaccidentsarethetopcausesofdeathamongchildrenandadolescents.DrowningistheleadingcauseofdeathforchildrenunderfiveinVi?tNam.Dr.DavidMeddingspresentedattheconference.—PhotocourtesyoftheorganisersThirty-twoscientificreportsfromVietnameseandinternationalresearcherswerepresentedattheconference,focusingonroadtrafficinjuryprevention,firstaidandrehabilitation,drowningpreventionandcommunity-basedinjuryprevention.Remarkably,specialiseddiscussionsessionthreeonpreventingdrowningandchildhoodinjuriesreceivedhighpraise.?oànThuHuy?n,CountryDirectorinVi?tNamfortheCampaignforTobacco-FreeKids,presentedsixrecommendationstoensurethesustainabilityofVi?tNamschilddrowningpreventionprogramme.Preventingchilddrowningmustbeseenasamultidisciplinaryissue,primarilytheresponsibilityoffamiliesandcaregivers,shesaid.Drowningpreventioninterventionsmustbeimplementedwithcoordinatedsolutionsandclosecollaborationamongagenciesandorganisations.Enhancingthecapacityofrelevantbodiesandtrainingphysicaleducationteachersinsafeswimminginstructioninschoolsiscrucial,sheadded.Studiesevaluatingtheeffectivenessofinterventions,theireconomicandsocialimpacts,andparticularlytheeffectsofdrowningonfamiliesplayacrucialroleinchilddrowningpreventionefforts.?oànThuHuy?npresentedrecommendationsonVi?tNamschilddrowningpreventionprogramme.—PhotocourtesyoftheorganisersHuy?nalsoemphasisedtheneedtoenhancepoliciesandestablishflexiblemechanismsthatenablebusinessesandprivateorganisationstocollaboratewithschoolsandinvestinswimmingpools,andtoorganisesafeswimmingclassesforstudentsduringthesummermonths.Ongoingcommunicationcampaignstoraiseawarenessandpromotesafebehavioursamongparentsandcaregiversareessential,sheadded.DrNguy?nNg?cAnh,DirectorofthePolicyandDevelopmentResearchCenter(DEPOCEN),presentedfindingsontheeconomicimpactofchilddrowninginVi?tNam.Eachyear,over2,000Vietnamesechildrendrown,leadingtovariouseconomicburdensacrossprovinces.Thetotaleconomicburdenofchildrendrowningnationwidereaches$767million.Theeconomicburdenofdrowningishighestamongchildrenunderfouryearsold,withHàN?ifacingthegreatestimpactat$43million,whileYênBáireportsthelowestat$4million.Planninginterventionprogrammesshouldconsiderlocaleconomicconditions,balancingeconomicbenefitswithsocialequityandfocusingonsupportforvulnerablefamilies.Strategiesmustensureefficientresourceallocationandaligninterventionswiththeneedsofeachprovince.Injuriesresultinsignificantlossoflifeandcreatesubstantialeconomicandsocialburdens,particularlyinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries.Moreover,injuryandviolencepreventionisacrucialindicatorforachievingsustainabledevelopmentgoals.—VNSThepoliticalcommissaroftheCoastGuard,LieutenantGeneralBùiQu?cOai,speaksataconferenceheldinBàR?a-V?ngTàuProvinceonOctober24.—PhotoCourtesyofVCGBàR?A-V?NGTàU—AcontestonVi?tNamsmaritimesovereigntyheldeveryyearincoastalprovincesandcitieswillbecomeanationaleventfrom2030,accordingtotheCoastGuard.Ilovenationalseaandislandsismeanttospreadknowledgeaboutthecountryswatersandislands,thePeoplesArmyandCoastGuard,Vietnameselaws,internationaltreatiesrelatedtothecountrysmaritimeterritories,andthehistoryofthenationstraditionofbuildinganddefendingthecountry,aconferenceheldbytheCoastGuardRegionNo.3CommandbasedinBàR?a-V?ngTàuProvinceheardonThursday(October24).LieutenantGeneralBùiQu?cOai,politicalcommissaroftheCoastGuard,saidthecontestisofgreateducationalandpoliticalsignificanceandattractstheparticipationofalargenumberofstudents,teachersandotherseveryyear.Ithasincreasedpublicawarenessofthecountryssovereigntyoveritsseasandislands,andpromotedcoordinationbetweenvariousagenciesinvolvedindisseminationofthecountrysmaritimelaws,hesaid.Ithasarousedinstudentsapassionforlearningaboutthetaskofprotectingsovereigntyovertheseasandislandsandprotectingthenationandloveforhomeland.TheCoastGuardRegionNo.3CommandonOctober24signeddealswiththedepartmentsoftrainingandeducationofthecoastalprovincesincooperationtoorganisethecontest.—PhotoCourtesyofVCGSince2013theCoastGuradhassuccessfullyorganisedthecontestat389secondaryschoolsin35provincesandcitieswiththeparticipationofmorethan54,000students.Itandthecontestsponsorshaveawardedmorethan4,800scholarships,2,000bicycles,16,000notebooks,and800schoolbagstocontestantswhoperformedwell.—VNS