riêng tiêu chí th?n th?ng minh s? t?p trung xay d?ng sau.

mua s?m… ?? ng??i dan d? dàng ti?p c?nBASFVietnambeginsconstructionoffournewclassroomsanda1,000sq.mplaygroundatthePh??ngNinhPrimarySecondarySchoolinH?uGiangProvinceonSeptember20.—PhotocourtesyofthecompanyH?UGIANG—GermanchemicalcompanyBASFhasbrokengroundonabuildingatthePh??ngNinhPrimarySecondarySchoolintheC?uLong(Mekong)DeltaprovinceofH?uGiang,whichwillbenefitaround150students.SituatedinaremoteareainPh?ngHi?pDistrict,theschool,builtinthe1990s,isinarundownandunsafeconditionforstudentsandschoolstaff,especiallyduringtherainandfloodseason.TheworkbeganonSeptember20tobuildfournewclassroomsanda1,000sq.mplayground.Itisexpectedtobecompletedinthefirstquarterof2025.Thecompanyhasrenovatedeightschoolssince2015tosupporteducationinthecountry.ErickContreras,managingdirectorofBASFVietnam,said:AtBASF,wesupporttheUnitedNationssustainabledevelopmentgoalofprovidingqualityeducationtothecommunity.Offeringthenextgenerationthebeststartinlifewithsaferandmorecomfortablelearningfacilitiesthroughschoolrenovationisoneofoursocialengagementpriorities.Itisespeciallymeaningfulthisyearaswecelebrateour30thanniversaryinVi?tNamandcontinuetodrivethislong-termprogrammewithourkeycustomersandbusinesspartnerstosupportthecountrysfuturetalent.—VNS

MembersofThànhChíCo-operativeinTràVinhProvincesCàngLongDistrictharvestseedlesslimes.—VNA/VNSPhotoThanhHoàTRàVINH—FarmersinTràVinhProvinceareexpandingthecultivationofseedlesslimesastheyhavehighexportdemandandprofits.ThemodelofgrowingseedlesslimeswithlinkagesamongstakeholdersforexportingoffersfarmersaprofitofVN?400million(US$15,900)perhectareayear,whichisseventoeighttimesmorethangrowingrice,accordingtofarmers.T?Qu?cHuyinCàngLongDistrictsHuy?nH?iCommunehasturnedhis5,500sq.munproductivericefieldintoaseedlesslimeorchardandhasearnedstableincomefortwoyearsfromgrowing200seedlesslimetrees.HelinkswithThànhChíCo-operativeinthecommunetogrowthefruit,isinstructedonfarmingtechniquesandsecuressalesatapricethatisVN?3,000akghigherthanmarketprices.Hesaidtheco-operativebuysthefruitatapriceofatleastVN?10,000akginthemainharvestseasoncomparedtothemarketpriceofaboutVN?4,000-5,000akg.Intheoff-season,themarketpriceisVN?20,000-VN?30,000akg,andtheco-operativepaysVN?3,000akghigherthantheseprices,hesaid.Heharvestsabout30tonnesayearandearnsanaverageprofitofVN?300million($12,000),hesaid.IreceivedasoftloanofVN?50million($2,000)fromtheprovincesFarmersAssociationandwillexpandgrowingseedlesslimes,hesaid.Besidesits100members,ThànhChíCo-operativehaslinkedwithmanyfarmersinCàngLongandotherdistrictstogrowthefruitasithascontractedwithacompanytogrowandexportthefruittotheEU.Phan??cTài,itsdirector,saidthecompanyneedsabout100tonnesofseedlesslimesforexportamonthbuthisco-operativecanonlymeet30-50percentofthedemand.Theco-operativewilllinkwithmorefarmerstoexpandgrowingareasandexpectstodevelopanadditional50haeachyearfromnowto2027,hesaid.Theco-operativehaslinkedwithfarmerstogrowatotalof120haofseedlesslimestoglobalgoodagriculturalpractices(GlobalGAP)standardsasofMaythisyear.TheC?uLong(Mekong)Deltaprovincehasencouragedfarmerstoturnunproductivericefieldsintogrowingotherhighvaluecrops,includingseedlesslimes.TháiPh??cL?c,chairmanoftheprovinceCo-operativesAlliance,saidthatbesidesCàngLong,seedlesslimegrowingareasareexpandingtothedistrictsofChauThành,TràCúandTi?uC?n.Thealliancewillco-operatewiththeselocalitiestocreatefavourableconditionsforThànhChíCo-operativetoaccessfinancialsupporttobuildwarehouses,developlabels,brandnamesandgrowingcodes,hesaid.Ph?mQu?cVi?t,deputychairmanoftheFarmersAssociation,saidtheprovinceexpectstodevelopanadditional50haofseedlesslimefromnowtoyear-end,mostlyinChauThànhandTràCúdistricts.Seedlesslimesareeasytogrow,havefewdiseases,requirelesstendingandlowproductioncost,andhavehighdemand.Limesadapttoclimatechangeandrequirelessirrigationwater.Vi?tsaid:Theassociationissupportingsoftloansforitsmembersandco-operativegroupstoimplementthemodelofgrowingseedlesslimeswithlinkagesforexport.TheassociationhasprovidedsoftloansofVN?2billion($79,000)tosupportfarmersandstart-upswhogrowseedlesslimesinCàngLong,ChauThành,Ti?uC?nandTràCúdistricts,hesaid.—VNSAresettlementareaforlocalresidentsinLàngN?Village,whichwassweptawaybyflashfloodsduringTyphoonYagiinLàoCaiProvince.—VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I—Inlightofclimatechangeandtheincreasingfrequencyofextremeweatherphenomenon,relevantministriesmustconsiderappropriatemodelsforhousingandeducationalfacilitiesindisaster-proneareastomitigatedamageandenhancedisasterresponsecapabilities.FollowingtheterriblelossesfromTyphoonYagi,Tr?nNg?cChính,PresidentoftheVi?tNamUrbanPlanningandDevelopmentAssociation,saidtherelevantministrieshadtoreassessdevastatedregions,investigatedirectandindirectcausesoflandslidesandflashfloodsandidentifysuitableplacesforconstructinglocalsettlements.Theplanningofresettlementzonesinmountainousregionswouldrequiretheinvolvementofmultipleministries.Theselectionofvillageconstructionsitesmustadheretoaclearperspectivethatthelocationswouldavoidflashfloodsandmudslides,hesaid.Furthermore,thesitesmustprovideadequatelivingconditions,includingaccesstowater,electricity,schools,healthcarefacilitiesandtransportlinks.Whenselectingaresettlementsite,theMinistryofConstructionhadtoconsiderthescaleofdevelopment,currentandfuturelandareaandreserveland.Meanwhile,theMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentshouldaddressnotonlyhousing,butalsoemploymentopportunitiesforresidents,headded.ViceprincipalofNguy?nTr?iUniversity,Ng?Do?n??c,toldtheVoiceofVi?tNam(VoV)onlinenewspaperthattopreventandminimisehumancasualtiescausedbyextremeweather,theinvolvementofspecialisedagenciesalongsidelocalauthoritieswasessential.Acomprehensiveassessmentofthesafetylevelsofexistingresidentialareasshouldbeconducted,withplansforevacuationforvillagesatrisk.TheStateandlocalauthoritieswereresponsibleforplanningandconstructinghousingforethnicminoritiesandregionsvulnerabletonaturaldisasters.Inadditiontoselectinglocationsforresidentialsettlements,thedesignandconstructionofhomesshouldenhancetraditionalarchitecturalstyleswhileadaptingtolocalgeographicalandclimaticconditions.Weshouldappreciatethetraditionalstructuresthatlocalcommunitieshaveinhabitedforgenerations,hesaid.Manyresidentslivedinstilthousessituatedonunevenorsteepterrain.Flatteningtheareasmightdisruptthenaturallandscape.Additionallystilthousesofferedmorelivingspaceandcouldberesilienttolocalflooding.Itsessentialtomodernisethetraditionalhomesscientificallytoensurestabilityandcomfort,hesaid.Regardingbuildingmaterialsforhomesinthenorthernmountainousareasatriskoflandslidesandflashfloods,TháiV?nSam,DeputyChairmanandGeneralSecretaryoftheVi?tNamAssociationsforBuildingMaterials,saidthatusingmaterialslikebambooandwooddidnotensurethesturdinessrequiredtowithstandnaturaldisasters.Ifconditionspermitted,housesshouldbeconstructedwithreinforcedconcreteframes,whilewallsandpartitionscouldbemadefromnon-firedbuildingmaterials,suchasconcreteblocksandpanelsystems.Ifoptingforaflatroof,itmustbesolid,otherwise,fibrecementshouldbeused.Therewerenowmanytypesofnon-firedbuildingmaterialsavailablethatcomplywithregulations,hesaid.ChiefoftheOfficeoftheVi?tNamAssociationofArchitects,Ph?mThanhTùng,saidclimatechangewascomplexandVi?tNamstilllackedappropriateresponsestrategiesforit.Thecountrywasadvisedtomaketheplanningandpositioningofhousingforcommunitiesinmountainousareas,particularlyconcerningsafetyrisks.ConstructionoftheresettlementareaforlocalresidentsinLàngN?Village,whichwassweptawaybyflashfloodsduringTyphoonYagi,islaunchedonSaturdayinLàoCaiProvince.—VNA/VNSPhotoTheplanningmustbebasedongeologicalconditionsandinvolvegeotechnicalengineers,architectsandenvironmentalspecialists,hesaid.Expertsalsoemphasisedthattheselectionoflandforconstructingvillagesmustbeconductedsystematicallyandscientifically.EstablishingaHousingCouncilforethnicminoritieswascrucial,involvinggeologists,planners,architectsandmeteorologicalexperts.Basedongeologicalandtechnicalstudiesofeachareaandanalysesofclimatic,hydrologicalandwaterresourceconditions,thehousingcouncilshouldcompilealistofpotentialsites,detaillingtheiradvantagesanddisadvantages.Usingascoringsystem,localauthoritiescouldidentifytheoptimalsiteforresidentialplanning,prioritisingthesafetyofresidents.Theplanningframeworkmustprohibitdevelopmentsthatposearisktopublicsafety,suchasminingsitesorwastedisposalareas.Fromapolicyperspective,theMinistryofConstructionshouldreviewandrefinebuildingstandardsandregulationsforhousing,particularlyindisaster-proneareas.Thestandardswererequiredtoaccountforclimatechangeadaptationanddisasterresilience.Dependingonlocalconditions,eachregionshouldtailorthestandardstomeetpracticalneeds.Inadditiontoplanning,selectingsitesanddesigninghousesthatadapttoclimatechangeinthenorthernmountainousprovinces,eachlocalityshouldalsoconstructsafesheltersnearresidentialareastofacilitateemergencyevacuationswhennecessary.Datarevealedthatthetyphoonresultedinhundredsofthousandsofhomesbeingdamagedorsweptawayintheaffectedprovinces.LàoCaiProvincewassignificantlyaffectedbythetyphoon.Statisticsshowthatasof12September2024,nearly9,200homesintheprovincehadcollapsedorhadbeensweptaway,isolating97hamletsacross25communes.Ofthese,444homeswerecompletelydestroyed.InYênBáiProvince,floodingcauseddamagetoover25,000homes,withhundredsoffamilieslosingtheirroofs.—VNScó th?i ?i?m ch?t l??ng ? nhi?m m?i tr??ng kh?ng khí ? m?c báo ??ng.

Hi?n ? nhi?m m?i tr??ng kh?ng khí.Vi?c ban hành Ngh? ??nh quy ??nh phí b?o v? m?i tr??ng ??i v?i khí th?i là c?n thi?t.

s?n xu?t khí than; Nhà máy nhi?t ?i?n; C? s? s?n xu?t xi m?ng.

ch?t th?i nguy h?i; s? d?ng ph? li?u nh?p kh?u t? n??c ngoài làm nguyên li?u s?n xu?t; C? s? s?n xu?t than c?c.CoastGuardRegionNo.3CommandonSeptember16kickedofftheIlovenationalseaandislandscontestforsecondaryschoolstudentsinHCMCity,andBàR?a-V?ngTàuandBìnhThu?nprovinces.—PhotoCourtesyofVCGBàR?A-V?NGTàU—CoastGuardRegionNo.3CommandonMonday(September16)launcheditsIlovenationalseaandislandscontestforsecondaryschoolstudentsinHCMCity,andBàR?a-V?ngTàuandBìnhThu?nprovinces.Thecontestisexpectedtoattracttheparticipationof28,929studentsfrom33secondaryschoolsinBàR?a-V?ngTàuProvincesBàR?acity,BìnhThu?nProvincesTuyPhongDistrict,andHCMCitysNhàBèDistrict.Thecontestaimstospreadbasicknowledgeaboutthecountrysseaandislands,theVi?tNamPeoplesArmy,theVi?tNamCoastGuard,regulationsofVietnameselawandinternationaltreatiesrelatedtotheseaandislands,andthehistoryofthenationsandlocalpeoplestraditionsofbuildinganddefendingthecountry.ItwillbeimplementedfromSeptember16to28,andisdividedintotworounds.ThefirstroundwillbeanonlinecompetitionfromSeptember16to20.Inthesecondround,100outstandingstudentswillbeselectedtocompeteinpersononSeptember24,26and28.Speakingatthecontestlaunchingceremony,ColonelLêV?nTú,PoliticalCommissaroftheCoastGuardRegion3Command,saidthecontestisdesignedtohaveapowerfulsocialimpactandprovideahealthy,useful,effectiveandpracticalplaygroundforstudents.Thestudentswillbeequippedwithpracticalknowledgetofosterloveforthecountrysseaandislandsandthenspreadthislovetotheirrelativesandfamilies,contributingtothecauseofbuildinganddefendingtheSocialistRepublicofVi?tNam,hesaid.Heaskedtheschoolsboardofdirectorsandteacherstoclearlyannouncethecontestsrulesandcreatefavourableconditionsforstudentstoparticipateinthecontest.Healsoaskedthecontestsorganisingcommitteetoregularlymonitorthecontesttoensureitisconductedaccurately,objectively,andfairly.Sincethebeginningof2024,theCoastGuardRegionNo.3Commandhasorganisedfourcontestsat38secondaryschoolsinsouthernprovincesandcitieswiththeparticipationof35,000students,andawarded210scholarshipsand65bicyclestostudentsindifficultcircumstances.—VNS

A28-year-oldpatientreceivestreatmentforkidneyfunctiondeclinein??kL?kProvince.—VNA/VNSPhotoNguyênDungHàN?I—Kidneydiseasesarebecomingmorecommonamongyoungerpeople,withmanypatientsonlyawareoftheirconditionsatthestagewhenemergencydialysisisrequired.Dr.Nguy?nBách,headoftheDepartmentofNephrologyandHemodialysisinHCMCitysTh?ngNh?tHospital,revealedthataccordingtoscreeningstatistics,about8.75percentofthenationalpopulationisatriskforkidneydiseases.Statisticsalsoshowthatsixtoeightoutof100peoplehavekidneydiseaseswithnosymptoms.Whilemostpatientswithend-stagerenaldisease(ESRD)aretypically60-65yearsold,Vi?tNamisseeingashifttoyoungeragegroups.Inmostcasesforpatientsaged60-65,thecauseofkidneyfailuremainlystemsfromdiabetesorhypertension.However,amongyoungerpeople,itistypicallyduetoglomerulardiseases,saidthedoctor.Glomerulardiseasesaffectverysmallbloodvesselsinthekidneysthathelpremovewasteproductsfromtheblood.Mostglomerulardiseasesshownosymptoms,andcoupledwiththefactthatmanypeopledonthavethehabitofgoingtoregularhealthcheck-ups,alotofpatientsonlyfindoutabouttheirkidneyconditionswhentheyalreadyrequireemergencydialysis,saidDr.Bách.Symptomsemergedwhenthediseasehadalreadyprogressedtoaseverestage,notedthedoctor,addingthatTh?ngNh?tHospitalwasseeinganoverwhelmingnumberofpatientswithend-stagekidneydiseaserequiringdialysisortransplants.V??ngThúyAnh,aresidentofHCMCitysDistrict12,toldS?ckh?e??is?ng(HealthLife)newspaper:Lastmonth,myhusbandexperiencedswellinginhishandsandfeetandfrequentnighttimeurinationwithdarkurine.Whenhewentforacheck-up,hewasdiagnosedwithstagethreekidneydisease.Meanwhile,theCentralHighlandsprovinceof??kL?khascountedabout550casesofchronickidneydiseases,withmanyofthepatientsundertheageof60.Theregionsgeneralhospitalistendingtoabout200patientsrequiringdialysis,about17.5percentoftheminthe18-35agegroup.Theyoungestisonly16yearsold.Dr.HoàngTh?Th?yTiênfromtheDepartmentofIntensiveCareandToxicologyattheCentralHighlandsgeneralhospitalsaidthattheriskofkidneydiseasesamongyoungpeoplehadincreasedfrom6percentto15percent.Thisrisecouldbeattributedtoincreasingratesofdiabetesandhypertensionamongyoungeragegroups,inadditiontothelackofphysicalexerciseandoverconsumptionofhigh-fatandhigh-proteinfood.Commonunhealthyhabitssuchasstayinguplate,consumingalcoholandsmokingalsoleadtoahigherriskofmetabolicdysfunctions,whichinturnincreasethelikelihoodofkidneydiseases.Vi?tNamcurrentlyhasabout400healthfacilitiesofferingdialysisorbloodfiltrationservicesforabout30,000patientswithESRDeachyear.However,thisrepresentsonlyabout30percentofthetotaldemandfordialysisinthecountry.Nguy?nH?uTú,generalsecretaryoftheVi?tNamYoungPhysiciansAssociation,saidthatearlydetectionandtreatmentofchronickidneydiseasewouldhelpslowdeclinesinkidneyfunction.Renalreplacementtherapycouldbringlong-termeconomicbenefitsandreducetheburdenonthehealthcaresystem,headded.AccordingtoDr.Bách,whilekidneydiseasesarenon-infectious,theycanbedangerous,especiallywhenclinicalsymptomshaveemerged.Therefore,regularscreeningsarerecommendedforearlydetectionandintervention.Globalstatisticsrevealedthatchronickidneydiseasesareranked12thamongthemostcommoncausesofdeath,accountingfor4.6percent.Vi?tNamestimatedthatover8.7millionadultsinthecountry,or12.8percentofthenationalpopulation,areaffectedbychronickidneydiseases.—VNSRoboticsurgeryunderwayforpatientN.C.—Photoplo.vnHàN?I—Vi?tNamscutting-edgetechnologyandaffordablehealthcarecostshavemadeitanattractiveoptionforoverseascancerpatientsseekingroboticsurgery.OnesuchpatientisN.C.,a72-year-oldVietnamese-Americandiagnosedwithprostatecancer,whohasreturnedtoVi?tNamforroboticsurgeryatBìnhDanHospitalinHCMCity.Duringaone-houroperation,BìnhDanHospitalsDeputyDirectorNguy?nNg?cChauskillfullymanoeuvredtheroboticarmstoremovehiscanceroustumourandreconnectthebladderandurethra,allowinghimtoresumenormalurinaryfunction.AnotherpatientisL.M.T.,68,whooptedforroboticsurgerytoremovealungtumour.Afterconsideringvarioussurgicalmethods,includingopensurgeryandconventionallaparoscopy,hechoseroboticsurgerytoensuremaximumpreservationoflungfunction.Roboticsurgeryoffersnumerousbenefits,includingenhancedaccuracy,reducedpainandfasterrecovery.Theprocedureislessinvasivethantraditionalmethods,resultinginlessbloodlossandquickerhealing.Chauexplainedthatroboticsurgerycouldaccessareasthatconventionallaparoscopycannot,providingsharper3Dimagingthatallowsformoreprecision,whilesavingupto40percentofthetimecomparedtoclassicoperations.AccordingtoNguy?nV?nVi?tThành,aspecialistinthoracicsurgery,roboticsurgeryprovidesunparalleledprecision,allowingsurgeonstoobservetumoursandbloodvesselsclearly.Thisheightenedvisibilityandtherobotsadvancedfunctionalitygivesurgeonsgreaterconfidenceduringcomplexandextendedsurgeries.BìnhDanHospitalperformsaboutthreeroboticsurgerieseverydayanddemandisrising.MorepatientsfromcountriessuchasSwitzerland,FranceandCambodiaarecomingtoVi?tNamtotakeadvantageofthecountryshigh-qualitymedicalproceduresatlowercosts.RoboticsurgeryinVi?tNamcostsbetweenVN?130million(US$5,300)toVN?150million($6,100),significantlycheaperthaninmanyothercountries,suchasSingapore,whereitcancostuptoVN?1billion($40,700).BìnhDanHospitalhasbecomearegionaltrainingcentreforroboticsurgery.Thehospitalssurgeonsaresoughtafterinternationallytosharetheirexpertise.Withcomparablesurgicaloutcomesatasignificantlylowercost,itisattractingagrowingnumberofinternationalpatients.Vi?tNamssurgicaltechniquesareonparwithinternationalstandards,butthelowercostsareakeyfactorattractingforeignpatientsforroboticsurgery,saidChau.VNS

UNICEFrepresentativeshandoverwatertankstoimpoverishedcommunesinCaoB?ng.—VNA/VNSPhotoCAOB?NG—TheUnitedNationsChildrensFund(UNICEF)onSeptember17handedover456plasticwaterstoragetankstosevenimpoverisheddistrictsinthenortheasternmountainousprovinceofCaoB?ng,oneofthelocalitiesworstimpactedbyTyphoonYagiandsubsequentfloodingandlandslides.AspartofaprojectfundedbytheJapanesegovernmenttoenhancedisasterresilienceandclimatechangeadaptationforchildren,theyareamongthe850tanksworthapproximatelyVN?1.8billion(US$72,977)allocatedtoCaoB?ngandtheneighbouringprovinceofL?ngS?n.Thedonationtargetsareasseverelyimpactedbynaturaldisastersandpoorcommunitieswithahighethnicminoritypopulation,withbeneficiariesincludinghouseholdswithlimitedaccesstocleanwater,thosewithsmallchildren,female-headedones,andthoseofethnicminorities,aswellasschoolsandhealthcentres.Nguy?nV?nTi?n,DeputyDirectoroftheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentsVi?tNamDisasterandDikeManagementAuthority,highlightedtheseveredamagecausedbyTyphoonYagitonorthernmountainousprovinces.Inresponse,thedepartmentandtheministrycollaboratedwithUNICEFtoaidaffectedcommunitiesinovercomingthesechallenges.MaharajanMuthu,HeadofUNICEFVi?tNamsChildSurvivalandDevelopmentProgramme,stressedtheongoingcooperationbetweenUNICEFandtheministryhascontributedsignificantlytoVi?tNamsdevelopmentwork,sustainablenew-styleruralbuilding,andnaturaldisasterpreventionandcontrol.Henotedpastefforts,includingprovidingwatertankstodrought-affectedareasintheMekongDeltain2019-2020andsupplyingwaterfiltrationsystemstothreeprovincesofCàMau,SócTr?ng,andB?cLiêuin2023toaddressdroughtandsaltwaterintrusion.Thisyear,UNICEFwillcontinuetoprovidesupportbyprocuringadditionalwatertanksfordisaster-proneregions.AsofSeptember16,CaoB?ngreported55fatalities,twomissingpersons,andwidespreadlandslidesanddisruptedtransportduetotheimpactofTyphoonYagi.UNICEFstimelyassistanceisexpectedtohelpresidentsstorewaterfordailyuseincaseoffuturedisasters.—VNSThesuspectsandover400kgofseizedexplosivesandfireworks.—VNA/VNSPhotoQU?NGTR?—PoliceinthecentralprovinceQu?ngTr?hasannouncedthesuccessfulseizureofover400kgofillegallytransportedexplosivesandfireworks,followingacoordinatedoperationwithrelevantagencies.Theinterceptionoccurredat2pmonMonday,whenpoliceidentifiedasuspiciousvehicletravellingalongNationalHighwayNo9fromLaoB?oTownshipto??ngHàCity.Thecar,withlicenceplate92C-027.31,wasstoppedforinspection.Uponsearchingthecar,authoritiesdiscovered31sackscontaining130kgofasolidsubstancebelievedtobeexplosives,246boxesoffireworks,and1,000fireworkpellets.Thetotalweightoftheseizeditemsexceeded430kg.Thetwopeopleinthecar,driver??Ng?cM?nh,43,andNguy?nTh?H??ng,35,bothresidentsofHòaNamHamlet,V?nhLongCommune,V?nhLinhDistrict,weredetainedonchargeofillegalpurchaseandtransportationofexplosivematerials.Atthepolicestation,theyadmittedtopurchasingtheexplosivesandfireworksinH??ngHóa(chǎn)Districttosellforprofit.Authoritiesarecontinuingtheirinvestigationintothecase.—VNS