North Korean leader visits mausoleum of grandfather, father to mark new year_HL8
thúc ??y ho?t ??HL8ng chuy?n ??i s? t?i ??a ph??ng.
TensofthousandsofhectaresofriceinM???cDistrict,HàN?i,arefloodedandflattenedduetotheimpactofTyphoonYagi.VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I—TheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmenthascalledonbusinessesandassociationstojoineffortsinprovidingsupportandresourcesfortheswiftrecoveryofcropproduction,followingTyphoonYagiandthesubsequentfloodingandlandslides.Speakingattheministrysworkshoponsupportingcropproductionrecoveryafterthedisastersinthenorthernregion,DeputyMinisterHoàngTrungemphasisedtheurgentneedforriceseeds,estimatingarequirementofaround15,000tonnes.Thenationalreserveholdsonlyabout4,100tonnes.Thedemandforvegetableseedsisover100tonnes,whileonly150kgremaininstorage.Forcorn,over1,000tonnesareneeded,butthereserveholdsjust257tonnes.TheministryestimatedthattherecentstormandfloodshavecausedapproximatelyVN?4trillionindamagetocrops.AsofWednesdaymorning,312,000hectaresofcultivatedlandwerefloodedorflattened,withanestimated100,000hectarescompletelylost.Additionally,3,763aquaculturecagesweredamaged,orwashedawayand22,514livestockandoverthreemillionpoultrydied.Morethan200,000hectaresofricefieldsweresubmerged,50,612hectaresofvegetableswerefloodedand38,104hectaresoffruittreesweredamaged.Localorganisationsarestillcollectingdataforamorepreciseassessment.Theministryswiftlyconvenedmeetingstodirectrecoveryeffortsacrosslivestock,aquaculture,cropproductionandforestrysectors,providingtechnicalguidancetosalvageasmuchoftheaffectedareasaspossible.Emergencydrainagemeasureshavealsobeenimplemented.SpeakingatthemeetingonWednesday,DeputyDirectoroftheministrysDepartmentofCropProductionNguy?nTh?ThuH??ngnotedthatinadditiontoseedsupport,farmersurgentlyneedassistancewithagriculturalinputmaterials.Regardingpost-stormrecovery,H??ngadvisedthatforriceproduction,fieldsshouldbecleanedandwaterdrainedtoprepareforearlywinterplanting.Forvegetablecrops,localauthoritiesshouldpromptlyinspectanddrainthewater,cleanfieldsandpreparethesoilandseedsforreplanting.Priorityshouldbegiventoleafygreens,short-cyclevegetablesandwater-tolerantcropstosupplythemarketduringtheharvesttransition.Inresponsetothedemandforseedlings,theDepartmentofCropProductionhassentrequeststoassociations,businessesanduniversitiestoprepareagriculturalseedsforproductioninnorthernlocalities.Thedepartmentalsourgedseedproducersnottoraisepricesduringthisperiodtohelpeasethedifficultiesfacedbyfarmersinthedisaster-strickenregions.Asof11amonWednesday,18businessesandassociationshadcontributedseeds,fertilisers,agriculturalmaterialsandcash,totallingVN?15.2billion($616,190).—VNSSuccessfulfarmeroffree-rangechickensinB?cGiangHàN?I—ChickenfarmerNguy?nH?uQuy,putshissuccessdowntohardwork,dedication,butalsoembracingnewwaysofthinkinginhisfarmingmethods.Thatsuccess,withfree-rangecrossbredfightingchickensnowbringsinprofitsofbillionsof??ngeveryyear.QuyfamilyschickenfarmingfacilityinB?cGiangProvinceisbuiltonahillsideofacaciatreesspanningover5.4hectares.Recentlywehaveinvestedintheconstructionofthreeadditionalbarns,eachover500metressquare,bringingthetotalnumberofbarnsto20,withacapacityofaround40,000to50,000chickensperyear,Quysaid.Bornin1977,inNgò2Hamlet,??ngK?Commune,YênTh?Distric,thelandofhisbirthisfamousfortheYênTh?HillChickenbrand.Quywentthroughvariousjobs,butnonehelpedhisfamilyachievefinancialstability.Realisingthattheabundantlandinhishometownwasidealforlivestockfarmingandseeingmanyfamiliesprosperfromraisingchickens,hedecidedtoinvestinpoultry,withtheambitionofbuildingasuccessfullifeonhisnativesoil.Nguy?nH?uQuytendstohischickenfarm.PhotoVNA/VNAAfterdoingsomeresearch,hechosetoraisecrossbredfightingchickens,recognisingtheiradvantages-theyhavestrongresistancetodisease,havefastgrowthandaresuitedtothehillyterrain.In2005,usinghissavingsandborrowingfromrelatives,hebeganatrialrunwithabout3,000crossbredfightingchickensinhisbackyard.Asheworked,hecontinuedtogatherknowledgeandexperiencefromvarioussources.Aftermorethanfourmonths,thefirstbatchofchickensthrived,provingtobemoreprofitablethangeneralfarming.Seeingthepotential,hisfamilydecidedtoexpandtheirchickenfarmingoperations.In2007,QuystartedbuildinghischickenfarminNgò2Hamletandpurchasedadditionalhillsidelandfromsurroundinghouseholds,expandingthetotalfarmingareato5.4hectares.Thefarm,nestledonthehillandsurroundedbyacaciaandeucalyptustrees,providesacool,openenvironmentforthechickenstothrive.Moreover,hecleverlyrecyclestheirwasteasfertiliserforthetrees.Today,hisfamilyfarmsellsaround40,000to50,000chickensannually,generatingbillionsof??nginrevenue.In2022alone,thefarmearned8.7billion??ng(aboutUS$3.5million)inrevenue,withanetprofitofapproximately2.4billion??ngafterexpenses.Sharinghisfarmingexperience,Quyexplainedthatraisingfree-rangecrossbredfightingchickenssharesmanysimilaritieswithtraditionalmethods.Thechickensroamfreelyinlargeopenspacesundertheshadeoftrees,allowingthemtoforageforadditionalfoodlikegrassandinsectstosupplementtheirdiet,alongsidetheirregularfeed.Thefarmingprocessiscarriedoutwithstrictattentiontodetail,fromselectingbreedstodailycare,witheachgrowthstagerequiringdifferentapproaches.Thechickensmustbemonitoreddailyandiftheweatherchanges,theyneedtobecheckedevenhourly.Inthefirstmonth,thechickensarefullyvaccinatedagainstdiseasessuchasNewcastledisease,pasteurellosis,andH5N1avianflu.Thefree-rangeareaiscarefullyfencedofftopreventexposuretooutsidepathogens,whilethebarnsaredesignedtobecoolinthesummer,warminthewinterandalwayskeptclean.Toensureeverythingrunsaccordingtoplan,Quymeticulouslyrecordseachstageoftheprocessinalogbooktoavoidmistakesorconfusion.However,Quyadmitsthattherehavebeentimeswhenheandhiswifelostsleepandskippedmealsduetounpredictableweathercausingthechickenstofallill.Fortunately,theirproactiveapproachtofarmingtechniquesandthoroughvaccinationscheduleshelpedminimiseanysignificantlosses.Tokeephischickensintopcondition,Quyembracedmodernfarmingmethods,usingautomatedsystemsforfeedingandwatering.Ontopofthat,hemakessuretocleanandmanagethewastecarefully,sonothingharmfulisreleasedintotheenvironment.Thankstotheseefforts,hischickensareknownfortheirhighqualityandappealingappearance,attractingtradersfromHàN?iandbigwholesalemarketswhocomedirectlytohisfarmtobuy.NotonlyhasQuycreatedwealthforhimselfandhisfamily,buthischickenfarmalsoprovidesjobsforbetweeneighttofourteenlocalworkers,earningthemanaverageincomeofsixmillion??ngperpersonpermonth.Hesalwayswillingtosharehisfarmingexperiencewithothers.Nguy?nH?uQuy(centre)receivestheawardforExemplaryCitizenofB?cGiangProvince2023.PhotoVNA/VNSIn2019,topromotesustainablefarming,QuyandseveralhouseholdsinNgò2Hamletformedachickenfarmingcooperativewith12members.Asthecooperativesleader,hismodelfarmhostsuptotwentyvisitinggroupseachyear.Heoffersadvice,trainingandshareshisknowledgeoffarmingandscientificadvancementswithfellowfarmersinthehamletandcommune,aswellaswithvisitors.Additionally,eachyearhisfamilysupportspoororstrugglinghouseholdswithchickenbreedsandfinancialassistancetohelpthemdeveloptheirownfarms.OneexampleisNguy?nH?uTu?nsfamilyfromNgò2,who,thankstoQuysguidance,haveexpandedtheirflockofcrossbredfightingchickenstoover8,000birdsayear.In2023,Quywashonouredasoneofthe100OutstandingFarmersofVietnamandrecognisedasoneoftheTop10ExemplaryCitizensofB?cGiangProvincefortheyear.HL8
DeputyMinisterofIndustryandTradeNguy?nHoàngLongholdsameetingwithNorwegianAmbassadortoVi?tNamHildeSolbakkenonJETPonWednesday.PhotoMinistryofIndustryandTradeHàN?I–TheJustEnergyTransitionPartnership(JETP)willhelpVi?tNamandmanyotherdevelopingcountriesrealisetheirnet-zeroemissionstargetsby2050,andshifttotheuseofcleanenergy,DeputyMinisterofIndustryandTradeNguy?nHoàngLongsaidataworkingsessionwithNorwegianAmbassadortoVi?tNamHildeSolbakkeninHàN?ionWednesday.Longsaid,toeffectivelycarryingouttheJETP,theMinistryofIndustryandTradeestablishedeightworkinggroupsfocusingondevelopingoffshorewindpower,renewableenergycentre,andsmartpowergrid,providingtrainingtoimproveenergytransitioncapacity,anddevelopinggreenhydrogen,amongothers.ThegroupshavecontributedinitiativestoimplementingNationalPowerDevelopmentPlanVIII,aswellasbolsteringthedevelopmentofrenewableenergyinVietnam,hesaid.RegardingNorwaysenergyinvestmentprojectsinVi?tNam,theofficialsaidastheprojectsareunderthedevelopmentplan,theywillenjoypreferencesandsupportfromJETPspartners,addingtheministrystandsreadytojoinhandswiththeembassyandlocalitiestoaccompanyNorwegianenterprises.HehighlightedthecloseVi?tNam–Norwayrelations,andexpressedhisbeliefthatNorway,whichboastsstrengthsinkeyindustrialsectors,willassistVietnamindevelopingitseconomyandenergysector.Solbakken,forherpart,spokehighlyoftheministrysprogrammesandactionsinimplementingtheJETP,sayingtheestablishmentoftheworkinggroupsisavividdemonstrationforitsresolveinenergytransition.TheambassadoraffirmedthatsupportingVi?tNamintheprocessisamongtheprioritiesofNorwayasapartneroftheJETP.–VNSTh?aThiên-Hu?has437fishingvesselswithalengthofatleast15metresequippedwithvesselmonitoringsystem.Photocand.com.vnTH?ATHIêN-HU?–DeputyMinisterofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentPhùng??cTi?nonWednesdayorderedthecentralprovinceofTh?aThiên–Hu?totightencontroloveroffshorefishingvesselsinanefforttoclampdownonillegal,unreportedandunregulated(IUU)fishing.AtaworkingsessionwiththeStandingBoardoftheprovincialPartyCommittee,Ti?n,alsodeputyheadoftheNationalSteeringCommitteeonIUUFishingPrevention,affirmedthesignificancetoeradicatingIUUfishing,andaskedtheprovincetodirectcompetentlocalities,departmentsandsectorstokeepclosetabsonthesituation,andmeteoutstrictpunishmentstoanyviolations.AreportfromtheprovincialDepartmentofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentshowedthattheprovincehas437fishingvesselswithalengthofatleast15metresequippedwithvesselmonitoringsystem(VMS),includingthreebrokenones.Fromtheoutsetoftheyear,competentauthoritieshavedetected358boatslosingVMSsignalsfromsixhourstounder10daysduetoserviceproviderssatelliteincidents,andpowerdisconnections.Theelectroniccatchdocumentationandtraceabilitysystem(eCDT)hasbeenpilotedatThu?nAnfishingportforhundredsofvesselsentryandexit,ensuringtransparency,andcertifyingseafoodorigin.Asmanyas674fishingboatswithlengthfromsixmetreshavebeenregistered,gotfishinglicences,andupdatedtheirinformationonnationalfisheriesdatabase(Vnfishbase).However,thenumberofthreenosvessels(noregistration,noexamination,andnolicence),is385,mostofthembeingsmallinsize.TheprovincehasdirectedshipownerstocompleteregistrationproceduresbeforeOctober30.–VNSVietnamrankshighintheE-GovernmentDevelopmentIndexgroup.IllustrativePhotovietnamnet.vnHàN?I–Vi?tNammoveduponeplacetorank71stamong193countriesinthe2024editionoftheUnitedNations(UN)E-GovernmentSurvey–AcceleratingDigitalTransformationforSustainableDevelopment,whichwaslaunchedbytheUNonWednesday.Accordingtothereport,Vi?tNam,scoring0.7709intheE-GovernmentDevelopmentIndex(EGDI),wasintheveryhighEGDIgroup.Thecountrywasrankedfifthamong11ASEANmembers.ThatVi?tNamandmanyothercountriesadvancedfromthehightotheveryhighgroupreflectstheHL8irsuccessesinstrengtheningdigitalinfrastructure,expandingInternetconnectivity,andimplementingrobustdigitalgovernmentframeworks,theUNsaid,statingthatVietnamssignificantinvestmentsindigitalpublicservicesarereflectedinitsimprovedEGDIposition.TheUNsuggestednations,scoringveryhighintheTelecommunicationsInfrastructureIndex,acceleratedigitaldevelopmentbyimprovingonlineservicesandhumancapitaldevelopment.ThisyearseditionofthesurveypresentsDenmark,EstoniaandSingaporeasleadingthe2024digitalgovernmentrankingofthe193UNmembersstates,scoringthehighestwhenitcomestothescopeandqualityofonlineservices,thestatusoftelecommunicationinfrastructureandhumancapacity.Runners-upinthehighestdigitalratingclassareRepublicofKorea,Iceland,SaudiArabia,UnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland,Australia,Finland,Netherlands,UnitedArabEmirates,Germany,Japan,Sweden,Norway,NewZealand,SpainandBahrain.RegionalleadersareSouthAfrica(Africa),theUS(Americas),Singapore(Asia),Denmark(Europe)andAustralia(Oceania).Thesurveyshowsthatsignificantstrideshavebeenmadetodigitalgovernance,boostedbyinvestmentsinresilientinfrastructureandcutting-edgetechnologieslikeartificialintelligence,cloudcomputingandbroadband.Yet,whiledigitaltransformationhassparkedinnovationandgrowth,particularlyintheprivatesector,manycountriesstillfacehurdlesinfullyleveragingtheseadvancementstoenhancepublicservicesandparticipation,keycomponentsforachievingtheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs).Owingtoremarkableimprovementsinserviceprovisionandtelecommunicationsinfrastructure,theglobalEGDIaveragehasincreasedoverallwiththeproportionofthepopulationlaggingindigitalgovernmentdevelopmentdecreasingfrom45percentin2022to22.4percentin2024.ThisprogressislargelyduetosignificantadvancementsinAsia,andsteadyimprovementintheAmericas,wheremorecountrieshavejoinedtheveryhighEGDIgroup.Thereportrecommendscountriesdigitaliseallpublicservices,improvetelecommunicationsinfrastructure,andlegalenvironmentfordigitaldevelopment,particularlysuchpioneeringtechnologiesasAIandcloudcomputing,andcreatefavourableconditionsforthepublictoengageinpolicyanddecisionmaking.–VNS
ThedeputyagricultureministerNguy?nHoàngHi?pchairsthemeeting.—PhotofromtheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentHàN?I—TheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentreceivedemergencyaidonWednesdayforthoseaffectedbyTyphoonYagi,withcontributionsfromvariousinternationalorganisationsandgovernments.Duringtheceremony,DeputyMinisterNguy?nHoàngHi?packnowledgedthewidespreadimpactandsignificantdevastationcausedbythetyphoon.Despiteaproactiveresponsefromthegovernmentandrelevantministries,extensivedamagefromthestormhasresultedinsevereconsequences,withinitiallossestimatesrangingfrom$2billionto$2.5billion.Theeconomiclossesareconsiderable,butthisisjustthebeginning,asitdoesnotaccountforthelong-termimpactsthatmoneycannotcompensate,includingthegriefexperiencedbythechildrenandfamilieswholostlovedones,theDeputyMinistersaid.Inthepastfewdays,Vi?tNamhasreceivedemergencysuppliesfromnumerousorganisationsandcountries.Theswiftandpreciseresponsefromembassies,foreigngovernmentsandinternationalorganisationsiscrucialforVi?tNam.Wearecurrentlyassessingtheneedsoftheaffectedareastoensurethataidiseffectivelycoordinated,headded.DeputyMinisterHi?phighlightedthatVi?tNamstoppriorityiseconomicrecovery.Manyfamiliesthathadpreviouslymadeeffortstoescapepovertyarenowbackinimpoverishedconditionsduetothestorm.Consequently,Vi?tNamisseekingsustainedsupportinthefuture,includingassistancewithlivelihoodsanddisasterpreparedness.PaulineTamesis,theUNResidentCoordinatorinVi?tNam,reportedthattheUNhasorganisedassessmentteamstoevaluatethedamagefromTyphoonYagiacrosseightsectors,includingwater,sanitation,health,education,foodassistanceandshelter.ShepledgedtocontinuestrengtheningcapacityandmobilisingresourcestohelpVi?tNamthroughthischallengingperiod.WearecommittedthattheUN,asleadersofthesector,isreadytoproduceajointresponseplanthatwillallowustomobilisethesupportofthedonorsand,inparticular,ensurecoordinationofoureffortssothatwefullysupportthemostvulnerablepopulations,shesaid.AmbassadorIainFrewoftheUKnotedthatrecoveryafteradisastertakestime,andtheUKgovernmenthopestoassistVi?tNamduringtherecoveryandreconstructionphases.Duringtheceremony,USAmbassadorMarcKnapperemphasisedthattheUSwillstandwithVi?tNamduringthisdifficulttimeandrespondaseffectivelyaspossibletosupportaffectedcitizens.WecommendthehardworkofVi?tNamsgovernmentofficials,securityofficersandmilitarypersonnelfortheireffortstoaddresstheneedsofthosewhohavesuffered,heremarked.IndianAmbassadorSandeepAryaexpressedsatisfactionthatemergencyaidfromtheIndiangovernmentandpeoplehasbeenpromptlydeliveredtothoseimpactedbythefloods,notingthattheIndianbusinesscommunityandresidentsinVi?tNamarealsoextendingsupportindividuallyincoordinationwithlocalauthorities.Inclosingtheceremony,DeputyMinisterNguy?nHoàngHi?pextendedheartfeltgratitudeforthesupportfromvariouscountriesandinternationalorganisationsinhelpingVi?tNamrecoverfromtheimpactsofTyphoonYagi,expressingadesireforcontinuedassistanceduringthereconstructionphase.Todate,preliminaryestimatesshowthattheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopment,withsupportfromtheMinistryofForeignAffairsandotherstakeholders,hasmobilisedover$13millionincommitmentsandreceived200tonnesofreliefsuppliesfromthegovernmentsofAustralia,Switzerland,India,Japan(JICA),theASEANAHACentreandvariousUNagencies(UNDP,UNICEF),aswellasSamaritansPurse.Theministryhasefficientlycoordinatedthedistributionofaidtoaffectedareas,includingtoYênBái,LàoCai,CaoB?ng,TuyênQuangandL?ngS?n.Onthesameday,accordingtoinformationfromtheUnitedNationsChildrensFund(UNICEF),theIrishEmbassyannouncedagrantof€250,000(approximatelyVN?6.8billion)torespondtothesevereimpactsofthetyphoon.Thisfunding,providedthroughUNICEF,aimstosupplycleanwaterandsanitationmaterialstoensurethehealthofchildrenandvulnerablehouseholdsaffectedbythedisaster.—VNSSoldiersoftheC?nC?BorderGuardStationpreparesandbagstoreinforceitsheadquartersinpreparationforthetropicaldepressiononWednesday.—VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I—ProvincesandcitiesincentralVi?tNamarebeingwarnedtobereadyforatropicaldepressionwhichitisfearedcouldstrengthenintoatyphoonbyThursdaymorning.InThanhHóa(chǎn)Province,??MinhTu?n,ChairmanoftheprovincialPeoplesCommitteetoldlocalofficialstocloselymonitorandcontinuouslyupdateinformationontheprogressionofthetropicaldepression,aswellasbeingreadyforanypotentialflooding.DistrictsandThanhHóa(chǎn)Citywereorderedtoimmediatelyimplementsafetymeasuresforvesselsandmaritimeactivitiesandkeepboatsinharbourandadvisethosestillatseatofindasafeshelter.TheprovincialAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentDepartmenthasbeenorderedtocloselymonitorthesituation,collaboratingwithrelevantunitstoensurethesafetyofdikes,reservoirsandirrigationsystemsandtopaycloseattentiontoharvestautumncropsandprotectaquaticresources.InthecoastalQu?ngBìnhProvince,abanonseaactivitieswillcommencefrommidnightonThursdayuntilconditionsaredeemedsafe.Fishingteamsatseawereadvisedtomaintaincommunicationandsupportoneanotherinemergencies,whilemeasuresforsecuringassetsonraftsandfishinghutswerealsobeingimplemented.Districtsandtownswereassignedtoinspectareasatriskofflashfloods,landslidesandexecutecontingencyplansforstorms,heavyrainfall,flashfloods,andlandslides,includingtheevacuationofresidentstosaferlocations.Particularattentionshouldbegiventohigh-riskareassuchasPhòngKh?ngHillin??cHóa(chǎn)Commune,Hamlet5inQuy??tTownandR?cVillageinH?ngHóa(chǎn)Commune,alongwiththestockpilingoffoodandessentialsuppliesincaseareasarecutoffforalongtime.Officialsarebeingurgedtokeepincommunicationwithresidentswhowerestillinforestsandtocallthembacksafelybeforetheonsetofanyflooding.Trafficcontrolandguidancemustbearrangedatlow-lyingcrossingsandfloodedareas,withthetemporarysuspensionofoperationsatfloatingbridgesandferriesduringsignificantrainfall.InQu?ngTr?Province,asofWednesday,all2,280vesselsintheprovincereceivedwarningsaboutthetropicaldepressionintheEastSea,promptingthemtomovetosafety.Localunitsassessedtheconditionofdamsandreservoirstoidentifyandrepairanydamage,whilealsodevelopingandupdatingdisasterresponseplansforcriticalinfrastructureanddownstreamareas.ChairmanoftheprovincialPeoplesCommitteeV?V?nH?ngdirectedcoastaldistrictsandC?nC?Islandofficialstocontinueguidingandmanagingvessels,includingtouristboats,ensuringtheirsafeevacuationfromhazardousareasortosheltersandensuringthesafetyoftouristsontheisland.Meantime,Qu?ngNg?iProvincesuspendedallmaritimeactivities,includingpassengertransporttoLyS?nIsland,startingfromWednesdaynoonuntilweatherconditionsreturnedtonormal.ChairmanoftheprovincesPeoplesCommitteeNguy?nHoàngGiangtoldrelevantunitstokeeptrackofvesselsatsea,informingthemofthestormstrajectorytoensuresafeevacuationfromdangerousareas.TheprovincialEducationandTrainingDepartmentwastaskedtomakeadecisiontotemporarilycloseschoolsifneeded.InQu?ngNamProvince,ColonelHoàngV?nM?n,PoliticalCommissaroftheProvincialBorderGuardCommand,reportedthatborderguardpostswerecloselymanagingtheactivitiesofvessels,ensuringthesafetyofresidents,propertyandaquacultureontheislandsandalongthecoast.Tornado,heavyrainsInHàT?nhProvince,Nguy?nKh?cPhong,PartySecretaryofTh?nhL?cCommuneinL?cHàDistrict,reportedthatatornadocausedbythetropicaldepressiondamagedthreehomesandseveralstructuresinNamS?nhamlet,uprootingabout200coastaltrees.Followingtheincident,localauthoritiesmobilisedcommunitymembers,includingtheWomensUnionandveteranstoquicklyrepairroofsanddamagedstructures.TheHàT?nhadministrationalsoinstructedlocalauthoritiesincoastalandmountainousdistrictstoassesshigh-riskareasforflashfloods,landslidesandthenevacuatelocalresidents.TheNationalCentreforMeteorologyandHydrologysaidthatthetropicaldepressionwaspredictedtocauseheavyrainfallbetweenWednesdayandFridayacrossthenorthandcentralregions,withrainfalltotalsrangingfrom100to300mmandexceeding500mminsomeplaces.BetweenWednesdayandThursday,theCentralHighlandsandsouthernregionswouldalsoexperiencemoderatetoheavyrain,withsomeareasseeingupto150mm.Rainfallwasexpectedtobemostintenseintheafternoonsandevenings.HeadoftheforecastingcentresofficeNguy?nV?nH??ngsaidthatthetropicaldepressionwaslikelytostrengthenintoatyphoononThursday,movingprimarilywestwardbeforeshiftingtoawest-northwesttrajectorytowardthecentralprovinces.Withtheforecastedrainfall,mountainousareasfromHàT?nhProvincetoQu?ngNg?iProvincemusremainvigilantabouttherisksofflashfloodsandlandslides.By7amonThursday,thetyphoonwasprojectedtobemovingsouthwestatabout20km/h,locatedapproximately210kmsoutheastofQu?ngTr?Provinceand120kmeastof?àN?ng.—VNS
HCMCityhasbeenmakinganefforttobringhomelesspeopleandchildrenintosocialsupportcentres.—Photothanhnien.vnHCMCITY—HCMCityisbringinghomelesspeopleintosocialshelters,contributingtotacklingtheissueofbeggarsandpettycrimes.AccordingtoarecentconferencebytheHCMCityDepartmentofLabour,WarInvalids,andSocialAffairs,thecityhasbeenimplementingapolicytosupporthomelesspeople,beggars(includingchildren)andothergroupsinneedofurgentprotectionforthelastyear.Duringthistime,over2,350homelesspeopleweremovedtosocialshelters,a49percentincreaseyear-on-year.Thisincludes145children,336elderlypeople,over1,000working-agepeople(16to60yearsold),92physicallydisabledpeople,368mentallydisabledpeople,andothers.Over1,000ofthesehomelesspeoplehaveregisteredaddressesinothercitiesandprovinces,andover500ofthemdonothaveaddresses.ThemunicipalDepartmentofLabour,WarInvalids,andSocialAffairsalsohandled220casesofindividualsinneedofurgentprotection.ItworkedwithrelevantauthoritiestoprovideIDcardswithembeddedchipsandsetupdigitalidentityaccountsforover1,500people,andprocessedmorethan300casesofindividualswithoutidentificationdocuments.Nguy?nT?ngMinh,deputydirectoroftheDepartmentofLabour,WarInvalids,andSocialAffairsinHCMCity,saidthattheseresultswereduetotheclosecooperationbetweendepartmentsandlocalauthorities.Thenumberofhomelesspeopleandcriminalincidents,especiallytheftanddrug-relatedcrimes,hasdecreased,improvingbothpublicsafetyandurbanappearance.However,homelessnessstillpersistsduetoeconomicissues,withmanypeopleunabletohavestablejobs,hesaid.Peoplefromdifferentregions,sufferingfromdifferenthardships,havemigratedtothesoutherneconomiccentreinanattempttomakealiving.Thiscontinuestoputpressureonthecityandtheystruggletofullyaddresstheissueofpanhandling,particularlyduringholidaysandfestiveseasons,andatareassuchasreligioussites,busstations,petrolstations,andtraditionalmarkets.Ontheotherhand,somehomelesspeopletrytoavoiddetectionfromtheauthoritiesbypretendingtoselllotteryticketsandothersmallitems.Certainindividualsareexploitingandinstructingbeggars(includingchildren)tooperateinwaysthatallowthemtostayundertheradar,hesaid.TheDepartmentofLabour,WarInvalids,andSocialAffairshasproposedthatthemunicipalPeoplesCommitteedirectrelevantauthoritiestostepuppublicawarenessefforts,encouragecommunitysupport,andimprovecoordinationtohelpvulnerablegroups,homelesspeople,andthoseneedingurgentprotection.Thecitys1022hotlineisavailabletoreceivereportsfromthepubliconchildrenorhomelessbeggarssothatauthoritiescanprovidetimelysupport.HCMCitycurrentlyhas16publicsocialsupportcentres,caringfor6,505people.Therearealso64privatesocialsupportcentreshousing3,177people.—VNS
ThesigningceremonybetweenEmbassyofIrelandandUNICEFVi?tNamforthe€250,000fundingtohelpUNICEFinprovidingrelieftotyphoon-hitregionsofVi?tNam.—PhotocourtesyofUNICEFVi?tNamHàN?I—TheEmbassyofIrelandinVi?tNamonSeptember18hasannouncedfundingof€250,000tosupportUNICEFinprovidingcleanwater,sanitation,andhygienesupporttovulnerablechildrenandfamiliesaffectedbythetyphoonYagiinnorthernregionofVi?tNam.Followingarapidneedsassessment,conductedbytheGovernmentofVi?tNamincollaborationwithresidentUNagencies,anddatacollectedthroughsectorcoordinationmechanisms,UNICEFhasidentifiedcriticalgapsinwater,sanitation,andhygiene(WASH)servicesastopprioritiesfortheinitialemergencyresponse.Irelands€250,000contributionwilldirectlysupporttheseefforts,ensuringthatfamiliesreceiveimmediateassistanceintheformofcleanwaterandaccesstosanitationfacilities.Thiswillincludewatertanks,waterfilters,soap,handsanitisersandwaterpurificationtablets.AmbassadorofIrelandtoVi?tNamDeirdreNíFhallúin,saidthatIrelandiscommittedtosupportingVi?tNamduringthistimeofgreatneed.Ourcontributionof€250,000reflectsoursolidaritywiththepeopleofVi?tNamandourcommitmenttoaddressingthemosturgentneedsofthoseaffected.ByworkingwithUNICEF,weareensuringthatoursupportreachesthemostvulnerable—particularlychildren—byprovidingaccesstocleanwaterandsanitation,whicharecrucialforpreventingdiseaseandsafeguardinghealth.Weofferourheartfeltcondolencestothosewhohavelostfamilymembers,andourthoughtsarewiththosewhohavelosttheirhomesandlivelihoods.UNICEFRepresentativeinVi?tNamSilviaDanailov,acknowledgedtheEmbassyofIrelandscontribution,statingthatWhenemergencieshit,childrenarethemostaffectedandtheyareourfirstpriority.ThroughthesupportoftheEmbassyofIreland,wewillbeabletoprovidecleanwaterandsanitationtothemostaffectedfamiliestohelpthemcopewiththeeffectsoftheflooding.WearegratefulforthestrongsupportfromtheEmbassyofIreland,whichisalignedtotheprioritiesidentifiedbytheGovernmentofVi?tNam.Therecentfloodshaveseverelydisruptedaccesstosafewaterandsanitation,whichareessentialforthehealthandwell-beingofchildrenandfamilies.ThankstoIrelandssupport,UNICEFcannowaccelerateitsresponse,ensuringthataffectedcommunitiesreceivethecleanwater,hygienesupplies,andsanitationservicestheydesperatelyneed,sheadded.ThiscontributionispartofIrelandslongstandingcommitmenttohumanitarianaidanddisasterresponse,furtherstrengtheningthepartnershipbetweenIrelandandVi?tNam.—VNSAnIndianfalconisreleasedintothewild.—VNA/VNSPhotoTáChuyênQU?NGBìNH—FifteenwildanimalswerereturnedtotheirnaturalhabitatonWednesdaybytheCentreforRescue,Conservation,andDevelopmentofLivingCreatures,partofthePhongNha-K?BàngNationalParkManagementBoard.Thereleasedanimalsincludedeightgoldenmonkeys,twoboxturtles,anIndianfalcon,apython,ajunglefowl,aporcupine,andaratsnake.Thesespeciesarelistedamongendangered,precious,andrareanimals.Theanimalshadbeenvoluntarilyhandedovertothecentrebyorganisationsandindividualsforcare,rehabilitation,andeventualreleasebackintothewild.Apythonisreleasedintothewild.—VNA/VNSPhotoTáChuyênFollowingasufficientquarantineperiod,thespecialisedagencyreleasedtheanimalsintothenaturalenvironmentofPhongNha-K?BàngNationalPark,enhancingtheeffectivenessofbiodiversityconservationefforts.Sincethestartoftheyear,thecentrehasreceivedandrescued47wildanimals,with17beingreleasedbackintothewild.Currently,thecentreistakingcareof73wildanimals.—VNS
Representativesdiscussattheforum.—VNA/VNSPhotoH?iY?nBEIJING—Representativesfromnearly30VietnameseandChineseuniversitiesandinstitutesgatheredatadialogueforuminBejingonWednesdaytodiscussjournalismandmediatraining,cooperationinacademicexchange,andpromotionofhumanisticexchangesbetweenthetwonations.Attheopeningsession,ViceRectoroftheUniversityofSocialSciencesandHumanitiesundertheVi?tNamNationalUniversity,HàN?i??ngTh?ThuH??ngstressedthatjournalismandmediatrainingarefacingbothopportunitiesandchallenges,addingeducationestablishmentsneedtotransformtheirmindsetaswellastrainingapproachesandmethodologiestomeettherequirementsofthemultiplatformandmultimediajournalism.Bothsidesagreedtocontinueorganisingtheeventinasuitabletime,carryingoutdialoguesaswellasdiversifytheirformsforsustainablecooperation.Besides,theywillstudytodiversifyjointtrainingprogrammesandpromoteexchangesofscholarsandlecturers.DianlinHuangfromtheCommunicationUniversityofChinatoldtheVietnamNewsAgencythattheeventofferedanopportunityforthetwosidestoenhancetheirmutualunderstandingsoastobolstercollaborationintheareasofhumanresourcestrainingandscientificresearch.—VNSAhealthworkeradministersameaslesvaccinetoachildinHCMCitysDistrict8.—VNA/VNSPhotoHCMCITY—TheHCMCityhealthsectorcontinuesrampingupitsmeaslesvaccinationcampaignaspartofitsefforttodeclareanendtotheoutbreak.Dr.Nguy?nV?nV?nhChau,deputydirectorofthemunicipalDepartmentofHealth,saidthecityreported96newcaseslastweek,showingsignsofstabilisationinthenumberofnewcases,withseveraldistrictsrecordingnocases.Todeclaretheoutbreakresolved,thecityrequires21dayswithoutnewcasespost-vaccination,accordingtoChau.Sincetheoutbreakbegan,therehavebeen743casesinthecity,primarilyinchildrenagedninemonthstofiveyears.Around35,000childrenagedonetofivehavebeenvaccinated,achievingover72percentofthetarget.However,Chaunotedthatcoveragevariesbydistrict,urginglowvaccinationdistrictstoimprovecoverage.Thecityhaslatelysetup12rapidresponseteamstocombatrisingmeaslescasesinschoolsandimprovevaccinationratesamongchildren.Eachteamincludesmembersfromthelocaldiseasecontrolcenterandchildrenshospitals.Theirdutiesincludemonitoringoutbreaks,implementingresponsemeasures,andadvisingschoolsonprevention.FollowingameaslesoutbreakdeclaredinlateAugustinthecity,afreevaccinationcampaignbeganonAugust31toboostcommunityimmunity.Measlesspreadsthroughrespiratorydropletsandpresentssymptomssuchasfever,respiratoryissues,conjunctivitis,andarash.Whilemostchildrenrecoverwithoutcomplications,vulnerablegroupsfacesevererisks.Measlesisahighlycontagiousrespiratorydiseasethatcanspreadrapidlyfollowinganincubationperiodofsevento21days.Medicalexpertscautionthatinadditiontoitpossiblyleadingtodeath,itcanleadtoseriouscomplications,includingpneumonia,encephalitis,otitismedia,keratitisanddiarrhea.Measlescanonlybeeffectivelymanagedwhenthecommunityimmunityratereaches95percentandeachindividualhasreceivedtwodosesofavaccine.—VNSAtextmessageonSeptember24fromtheHCMCityPeoplesCommitteerecommendsparentstakechildrenagedoneto10whohaventreceivedbothmeaslesvaccinedosestoschoolsorhealthstationsforfreevaccinations.—VNSPhotoB?XuanHi?p
DeputyPrimeMinisterTr?nH?ngHàlistensreportsontheprogressoftheNorth-SouthHigh-SpeedRailwayProjectatthe10thsessionofthe13thPartyCentralCommittee(PCC)yesterdayinHàN?i.VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I–Developinghigh-speed,urbanrailwaysandrailwaysacrossVi?tNamwillservethenationaleconomy,accordingtoDeputyPrimeMinisterTr?nH?ngHà.Thedriveshouldbeacatalystforthemechanical,manufacturingandautomationindustries,amongothers,toservethenationaleconomyandpeopleslivelihoods,saidtheDeputyPM.HàwasaddressingreportsontheprogressoftheNorth-Southhighspeedrailprojectatthe10thsessionofthe13thPartyCentralCommittee(PCC)yesterdayinHàN?i.ThePCCagreedtothepolicyofinvestingintheNorth-Southproject,identifyingitasapoliticaltaskandprioritisingresourcesforearlyimplementation.Currently,theMinistryofTransport,relevantministries,agencies,andunitsareurgentlypreparingapre-feasibilityreportfortherailinvestmentproject,preparingthenecessaryproceduresforsubmissiontotheNationalAssembly.AccordingtoDeputyMinisterofTransportNguy?nDanhHuy,theprojectsobjectiveistobuildahigh-speedrailwaylinetomeettransportationneeds,contributingtotherestructuringoftransportmarketalongtheNorth-Southcorridorinanoptimalandsustainablemanner,creatingafoundationanddrivingforceforsocio-economicdevelopment,andensuringnationaldefenceandsecurity.Thespecifictargetistoapprovetheinvestmentpolicybefore2025,cleartheland,andstartbuildingbefore2030,withtheaimofcompletingtheentirelinebefore2045.TheinvestmentscopebeginsinHàN?iatNg?cH?iStation,ahubforpassengerandfreighttransportinthesouthernpartofthecapitalsrailwayhubandendsinHCMCityatTh?ThiêmStation,ahubforpassengertransportintheeasternpartofHCMCitysrailwayhub.Theprojectpassesthrough20provincesandcities,includingHàN?i,HàNam,Nam??nh,NinhBình,ThanhHóa(chǎn),Ngh?An,HàT?nh,Qu?ngBình,Qu?ngTr?,Th?aThiên-Hu?,?àN?ng,Qu?ngNam,Qu?ngNg?i,Bình??nh,PhúYên,KhánhHòa,NinhThu?n,BìnhThu?n,??ngNaiandHCMCity.Tooptimisetransportationcostsandtakeadvantageofthestrengthsofeachmodeoftransport,internationalexperience,existinginfrastructurecapacity,projectedtransportationdemandandthefunctionalityoftheNorth-Southrailway,thepre-feasibilitystudyproposestheconstructionofanewdouble-trackrailway,witha1,435mmgauge,electrified,designedforaspeedof350kmperhourandaloadcapacityof22.5tonnesperaxle,Huysaid.Thetotallengthisapproximately1,541kmwith23passengerstationsandfivefreightstations.Thehigh-speedrailwaywilltransportpassengersandmeetdual-userequirementsfornationaldefenceandsecurity,whilealsobeingabletotransportgoodsifnecessary.TheexistingNorth-Southrailwaywillbeusedforfreightandshort-distancepassengertravel.Thehigh-speedrailwaywillbeconstructedwith60percentofitslengthonbridges,10percentintunnelsand30percentontheground.Atthemeeting,leadersfromtheministriesofPlanningandInvestment,Finance,andScienceandTechnologydiscussedandclarifiedseveralgroupsofissuesinthepre-feasibilityreport,whichisbeingpreparedforsubmissiontotheNationalAssemblyintheupcomingsession.Theseissuesincludetheprojectsinvestmentscope,theeconomicefficiencyofoptionsforspecialisedpassengerorcombinedpassenger-freightservices,andthecomparisonbetweeninvestingintwosegmentsversustheentireline.Additionally,thereweresuggestionstoapplyspecialmechanismsandpoliciesalreadyinplaceforurbanrailwaysinHàN?iandHCMCitytothelocalitieswherethehigh-speedrailwaypassesthrough.DeputyMinisterofScienceandTechnologyBùiTh?Duyproposeddevelopingalistofspecifictechnologiestobeacquired,transferred,andmasteredintherailwayindustry.Inconclusion,DeputyPMHàrequestedtheMinistryofTransporttocontinuefollowingthePCCandthePolitburosdirectivesaswellasopinionsfromministries,sectors,experts,andthepublicintothepre-feasibilityreport.ThereportshouldthenbeupdatedandcompletedforsubmissiontotheNationalAssembly,focusingonissueswithscientificandpracticalfoundations,Hàsaid.Specifically,asidefromtheinvestmentscopefromtheprojectsstartingpointtoitsendpoint,theMinistryofTransportshouldconsiderextendingthehigh-speedrailwaylinefromMóngCáiCityinQu?ngNinhProvincetothesouthernmostCàMauProvince.TheMinistryofTransportshouldanalysetheadvantagesandbenefitsofinvestingintheentireline,whichwouldsynchronisewithothertransportnetworks,comparedtoinvestinginjustafewsegmentsfirst,thedeputyPMtoldthemeeting.Theeffectivenessofahigh-speedrailwayspecialisedforpassengertransport,orcombinedwithfreighttransportwhennecessary,shouldbeconsideredintermsoftheoveralleconomy,ratherthanbeinglimitedtotherailwaysector,hesaid.Furthermore,thepre-feasibilityreportshouldreflecttheviewthattherailwayshouldbedesignedtoachieveastraightalignmentasmuchaspossible,headded.Regardingthemethodofinvestmentimplementation,thedeputyPMaskedtheMinistryofTransporttoclarifytheadvantagesanddisadvantagesoftreatingtheentirerailwayasasingleprojectormultiplesub-projects.Healsoproposedspecialmechanismsandpoliciesforphasedinvestment,centralandlocalbudgetallocationinonegooreveryfiveyears,theuseofbonds,ODA,andotherlegitimatesources,andtheutilisationofpublicdebtlimits.Additionally,theMinistryofTransportshouldproposesolutionstoenhancedecentralisationandassignresponsibilityforlocalauthoritiesinpreparinglandandbuildingtechnicalinfrastructureandstations.Meanwhile,theGovernmentwouldoverseethemanagementofstandards,design,infrastructure,vehicles,andinformationandoperationssystemsaswellasmobiliseresourcesfromprivateenterprisestoreducetheStatescosts.SpecialmechanismsandpoliciesthathavebeenappliedtourbanrailwaysinHàN?iandHCMCityshouldbeconsideredforthelocalitieswherethehigh-speedrailwaypassesthrough,saidHà.HàalsotaskedtheMinistryofIndustryandTradewithco-ordinatingwiththeMinistryofTransport,theVi?tNamRailwayAuthority,Vi?tNamRailwaysandsomeenterprisestodevelopandimplementaroadmapfortechnologyacquisition,transferandmasteryintherailwayindustry.Theseincludetheproductionofequipment,operationandmanagementtoensuresynchronisationanduniformityintechnology,standardsandregulations.TheMinistryofEducationandTraining,incoordinationwiththeMinistryofTransport,shouldimplementtrainingprogrammestopreparehumanresourcescapableofmasteringtechnology,technicaldesign,equipmentmanufacturing,operationandmanagementintherailwaysector.VNSH?LongwasdevastatedbyTyphoonYagi.VNA/VNSPhotoMinhHi?uH?LONG—OnalateSeptemberday,itseemedlikeH?LongCity(Qu?ngNinhProvince)hasreturnedtoitsnormalrhythmafterthedevastationcausedbyTyphoonYagi.Nobodywouldhaverecognisedthenortherncoastalcity,hometotheworld-renownedH?LongBay,thatjusttwoweeksearlierwasinruinsandseverelydamagedbythedestructivepowerofnature.Amongthehardest-hitareasbyYagi,H?Longhadhundredsofhousesdestroyed,thousandsoftreesuprooted,roadscutoffandinfrastructureheavilydamaged.Thetyphoonplungedthecityintodayswithoutelectricityandwater,andwithnearlyparalysedtelecommunications.Immediatelyafterthestormsubsidedandthewaterreceded,thelocalgovernmentandresidentsofH?Longlaunchedemergencyreliefeffortsandbeganworkingtorecoverfromthedisasterasquicklyaspossible.ChairmanofH?LongCityPeoplesCommitteeNguy?nTi?nD?ngremarkedthatwitha:Lightning-fast,round-the-clockandstorm-beatingspirit,thecitylaunchedaseven-daycampaigntorecoverfromtheimpactsofYagirightafteritmadelandfallhereonSeptember9.Officials,citizensandlocalforcesworkedtirelessly,dayandnight,tocleanupandrepairthedamagecausedbythestorm.Effortsfocusedonclearingfallentrees,repairingdamagedbuildingsandcleaninguptheenvironmenttorestorenormallifeandreopenthecitystourism,servicesandbusinesses.InB?iCháyWard,Nguy?nThanhTùng,ChairmanofthePeoplesCommittee,saidthatuponreceivingdirectivesfromthecity,thewardsetupfourtaskforces,withleadersdirectlyoverseeingrecoveryeffortson-site.Theyfocusedonensuringenvironmentalhygiene,trafficsafetyandpreventingfloodingandlandslides.Thewardalsocreated25volunteergroupstohelpminimisedamagetopublicandprivateproperty.Afterthestorm,allofthewardsofficials,alongwiththelocalmilitia,veterans,andwomensassociations,weremobilisedtoassistwithstreetclean-upsandenvironmentalhygiene.Duringtheseven-daycampaign,officialsworkedtirelesslyfrom6amtomidnighteverydaytorestorethestreetstotheircleanandbeautifulcondition,Tùngsaid.Throughoutthecampaign,familiarscenesofresidentsworkingtogetherwithlocalauthoritiestocleanuptheaftermathofthestormcouldbeseenacrossthecity.Fallentrees,debrisandrubbishwerecleared,whiledamagedhomesandbelongingswerecleanedup,reflectingastrongsenseofcommunitysolidarity.BùiTh?Qu?nh,aresidentinB?iCháyWard,saidthatthestormhadknockeddownmanytrees,leavingstreetscoveredinmudandwaste.Weweresaddenedtoseethewidespreaddamagetothetrees.Asaresult,thevillagersbandedtogethertocleanup,replacetreesandcleardrainstodealwiththestormsaftermath,Qu?nhsaid.Despiteprogress,therewerestillchallengesinsomeareas,particularlywherepowerhadnotyetbeenrestored,limitingtheavailabilityofmachinerytocleardebrisinmoredifficultterrains.ChairmanoftheH?LongCityBusinessAssociation,Nguy?nThanhC?nh,saidthatfollowingthecitysdirectives,largeandsmallbusinessesintheareahadprovidedover200trucksand100excavatorstoclearfallentreesanddebrisfrombeaches,freeofcharge,for33wardsandcommunesofH?Long.Eventhoughbusinessessufferedsignificantlossesduetothestorm,theystillcametogethertosupportthecommunitywiththousandsoffreemeals,dozensofwaterfiltrationmachines,roofrepairassistanceanddirectcashdonations,totallingmorethanVN?400million(US$16,000),C?nhadded.Inadditiontorescueandclean-upefforts,utilitieslikeelectricity,waterandtelecommunicationswererestoredasquicklyaspossible,withworkersoperatingaroundtheclocktoensureessentialservicesforresidentswerereinstated.H?LongquicklywelcomesvisitorsagainafterrecoveringfromTyphoonYagi.—VNA/VNSPhotoRevivingaworldheritageregionFromacityinruins,H?Longhaslargelybeenrestoredtoitspreviouscleanlinessandbeauty.AccordingtotheH?LongPeoplesCommittee,withinsevendays,nearly65,000peoplehadbeenmobilisedtohelpwiththerecoveryefforts,withover1,000vehiclesand922chainsawsdeployedforcuttingtrees.Closeto600volunteergroupsinthevillagesandneighbourhoods,involvingthousandsofparticipants,contributedtotheclean-upandrecoveryfromthestorm.Now,100percentofthecitysstreetsandneighbourhoodshavebeencleared,over50,000cu.mofwastehavebeencollected,morethan80percentoffallentreeshavebeenreplanted,andover70percentofelectricityhasbeenrestored.Additionally,100percentofroadsarenowpassableandallschoolsandhospitalshaveresumedsafeoperations.Tourism,servicesandbusinessactivitiesaregraduallyreturningtonormal.Whilethecityhasnotyetfullyreturnedtoitspre-stormcondition,therapidrecoveryhasleftresidentsandvisitorswithpositiveimpressionsofthecitysresilientspirit.JeDong-Sun,atouristfromSouthKorea,wasquotedassaying:Weheardaboutthestormsdestruction,butbythetimewearrived,therecoverywasalreadywellunderway.Thehotelwasstillabletoofferagoodstay.Ilookforwardtoreturningtoseethecityevenmorebeautifulandgreen.Althoughsignificantprogresshasbeenmade,muchworkremainstobedone.Thelocalgovernment,businessesandresidentsareallcommittedtorestoringthecitytoitsformergreen,cleanandbeautifulstate.SecretaryoftheH?LongCityPartyCommittee,V?Quy?tTi?nsaidthataftertheseven-daycampaign,thecitywouldcontinuetomobiliseallavailableresourcestocleanupresidentialareas,launchacampaigntocleanH?LongBayandbeautifytheurbanenvironment.Thecityalsoplanstoplanttrees,flowersandsustainableurbanspacesaspartofitsvisiontobuildaCityofFlowersandaCityofFestivals.WiththemottoNoonewillbeleftwithoutahome,andnoonewillbeleftbehind,H?Longisquicklyimplementingsupportpoliciestohelpresidentsrecoverfromthestorm.Todate,thecityhasprovidedVN?14billion($569,000)inemergencyaidto33wardsandcommunesforstormrecoveryefforts.Additionally,thecityisofferingsupporttofamilieswholostlovedonesorsufferedsignificantdamage,particularlythosewhohadtoevacuate.H?Longisalsoimprovingurbanmanagement,resourceprotectionandenvironmentalconservation,addressingissuesthatsurfacedintheaftermathofthestorm.Thecitywillexplorenewregulationsforurbanplanningandconstructionstandards,especiallyforcoastalareasandproposeguidelinesforchoosingsuitableplantspeciesforcoastalenvironmentsandstandardsforoffshoreindustries.Withdetermination,resilienceandtheunityofthelocalgovernment,businesses,andpeople,H?LongCityispoisedtorebuilditselfintoanevenmorebeautiful,modernandprosperouscity.—VNS