Thetwowartimebombshavebeensafelydetonated.—VNA/VNSPhotoV?NHPHúC—AuthoritiesinthenorthernprovinceofV?nhPhúconThursdaydetonatedtwobombswhichhadbeendiscoveredinB?chL?uCommuneofS?ngL?District.Thebombs,weighing300-400kgeach,weresaidtobeleftoverfromtheresistanceHAPPYLUKEwaragainstUSimperialists.Earlier,theDivisionofEducationandTrainingofS?ngL?DistrictrequestedthetemporarysuspensionofteachingandlearningonthemorningofOctober31atschoolsinsixcommunesandonetowntoensuresafetyforlocalteachersandstudents.Inrecentyears,somelocalitiesinV?nhPhúchavediscoveredanddetonatedbombsandammunitionleftfromthewar.OnOctober24,awar-timebombweighing1,362kgwasalsoremovedtoasafelocationinthecapitalcityofHàN?i.—VNSS?ngL?Districtsmilitaryofficersmovedthebombstothesafedetonationlocation.—VNA/VNSPhoto

MinisterofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentLêMinhHoanspeaksattheForum.—VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I—FarmersandcooperativesnationwidehaveraisedurgentconcernsaboutrestoringagriculturalproductionfollowingTyphoonYagiandrecentfloods,callingforimmediatesupportinseeds,livestockandagriculturalinputs.Theyalsoproposeddebtdeferrals,extendedrepaymentperiodsandnewloanstohelpaffectedhouseholdsswiftlyresumefarmingactivities.Theissueswerebroughttolightatthe9thNationalFarmersForumheldonMondayinHàN?i,chairedbytheCentralVi?tNamFarmersUnionandtheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopment.TheeventwaspartofthePrideofVietnameseFarmers2024programme.Attheforum,Nguy?nS?Bính,fromPh?tC?AquacultureCooperativeinnorthernQu?ngNinhProvince,saidthatthetyphoonhadwipedoutallthecooperativesaccumulatedfarmingassets,witheachmemberfacinglossesofaroundVN?5-6billion.Torestoreproduction,thecooperativeisinurgentneedoffinancialsupport.BínhurgedtheGovernment,relevantagenciesandtheFarmersUniontoparticipateindamageassessmentsandexpeditethedisbursementofpost-typhoonfinancialassistance.Hecalledonministriesandagenciestocontinueseekingfundsandprovidefarmerswithloans,debtdeferralsandpreferentialinterestratestohelpthemrebuildessentialinfrastructureforproduction.MinisterofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentLêMinhHoanexpressedadmirationforfarmersresilienceinthewakeofTyphoonYagi.Hepraisedtheirdeterminationtorebuildandresumeproduction,notingthatjusttwotothreedaysafterthefloods,manyhadalreadybegunplantingwintercrops.Oneofthemostpressingconcernsforfarmersishowtoaccessfundingquicklytorestartproduction.TheStateBankofVi?tNamhasmovedswiftly,instructingcommercialbankstoassistfarmersinovercomingdifficultiesandrebuildingtheirlivelihoods,MinisterHoansaid.TheministeralsoannouncedthattheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentwouldholdfurtherdiscussionswiththecentralbankandcommercialbanksinthecomingweektoensurethatfundingreachesfarmersassoonaspossible.Hereaffirmedtheministryscommitmenttosupportingfarmersinrebuildinganddevelopingagriculturalproduction.Tacklinglandchallengeswithnewmulti-purposelandregulationsAttheforum,manyfarmersalsohighlightedtheneedforpoliciesandmechanismstosupportagriculturaldevelopment,particularlyintermsoflandplanning.Acommonissueraisedwasthelackofavailablelandforexpandingeconomicallyefficientproductionmodels.Tr?nKimPhi,afarmerfromB?cHòaVillageinNg?Th?yB?cCommune,L?Th?yDistrict,centralQu?ngBìnhProvince,explainedthatraisingsnakeheadfishincanvas-linedpondsonthesandylandofthedistrictisanewindustryprovidingjobsandbetterincomesforfarmers.However,expansionofthemodelishinderedbyashortageofavailableland.Similarly,Nguy?nH?uánh,anoutstandingfarmerfromsouthernCàMauProvince,sharedthatwhiletheregionisrichinaquaticresources,likeshrimpandfish,farmersfacechallengesinexpandingsuccessfulmodelsforeelandmarbledgobyfarming.CàMauProvincesuniquesoilconditionshaveprovenidealforeelfarming,butthecurrentlandplanningdesignates100percentoftheareaforagriculture,preventingchangesinlandusepurposeandlimitingopportunitiesforexpansion.Whilesomehouseholdsleavelandfallowbecausericefarmingresultsinlosses,manyotherswhowanttoswitchtoeelfarmingareunabletodosoduetorestrictionsonchangingagriculturallandusepurpose,ánhsaid.HeurgedtheGovernmenttoreconsiderlandusepoliciesinareaswherecertaincropsorlivestockaremoreeconomicallyviable,allowingfarmerstoimprovetheirhouseholdeconomiesandcontributetolocaldevelopment.PresidentoftheVi?tNamFarmersUnionL??ngQu?c?oànsharedtheseconcerns,notingthathehadvisitedlocalareasandobservedthepotentialforeelfarming.HeinvitedtheSecretaryofCàMauProvincePartyCommitteetovisittheregionandbothagreedtoseeksolutionstoresolvethesechallengesforfarmers.MinisterLêMinhHoanhighlightedthatthe2024LandLawintroducedtheconceptofmulti-purposeland,allowingagriculturallandtobeusedforaquaculture,animalhusbandry,oreventourism.Henoted,however,thatlocalauthoritiesarestilluncertainabouthowtoimplementthesechangesinthelaw.Theministerexpressedconfidencethatthenewlandconceptwouldhelpresolvelong-standinglandconversionissues,fromeelfarminginCàMautosnakeheadfishfarminginQu?ngBìnhandotherregions.Theforumalsoaddressedarangeofotherissues,includingbuildingagriculturalproductbrands,promotingthemondigitalplatforms,andimplementingpoliciestoencouragegreen,sustainableagricultureaimedatreducingemissions,inlinewiththegoalofachievingnetzero.—VNSTheVi?tNamCoastGuardRegionNo.3CommandsSquadron32hassuccessfullyrescuedthreefishermenfromasankboatoffthecoastofKhánhHòaProvinceonOctober12.—PhotoCourtesyofVCGKHáNHHOà—TheVi?tNamCoastGuardRegionNo.3Commandrescueshipincollaborationwithlocalfishingboatshavesuccessfullyrescuedthreefishermenfromaboatthatsankoffthecoastofthesouth-centralprovinceofKhánhHòa.ItannounceditsKhánhHòa-basedSquadron32onOctober12at8:10amreceivedinformationthatthefishermenonboardafishingboatwithoutaregistrationplategotintodifficultiesatsea.Immediatelyafterreceivingtheinformation,Squadron32srescueship9033wassenttothescene.Therescueshipandfishingboatsnearthescenesuccessfullyrescuedthefishermenwhentheboatwassinkingabout1.2nauticalmilesofftheSquadron32sport.AfishingboatwiththreepeopleonboardwassunkbylargewavesatseaoffKhánhHòaProvinceonOctober12.—PhotoCourtesyofVCGItconfirmedtoVi?tNamNewsthatthethreefishermen--Ph?mC?ng??nh,50,Nguy?nL?uV?,44andNguy?nHoàngMinhTuyên,36--areallfromKhánhHòa.Previously,thefishermenleftHònKhóiPortintheprovincesNinhHòatownataround7:50amtogofishing,thentheirboatwashitbyathunderstormandlargewavesatsea.ThevictimsandtheirboatweresafelybroughtashoreattheSquadron32Port.—VNSHAPPYLUKE

LiêmV?n?i?uwascapturedalongwithplasticbagscontainingfourkilosofdrugs.—Photocand.com.vn??NGTHáP—28-year-oldLaV?n?i?uofTanH?ngDistrict,thesouthernprovinceof??ngTháp,hasbeendetainedbytheprovincialpoliceforsmuggling4kgofketamineandmethamphetamineintoVi?tNamfromtheCambodianborder.Officialsalsoconfiscatedevidenceconsistingoffourplasticbags,eachweighing1kg.Thebagswerelightgreen,rectangularandsealed,withforeignletteringresemblingteapackaging.Afterforensictesting,thebagswerefoundtocontainatotalof2,986.59grofketamineand981.16grofmethamphetamine.OnOctober14,theDrugCrimeInvestigationUnitofthe??ngThápProvincialPoliceannouncedanongoinginvestigationintoadrugsmugglingnetworkoperatingacrossthetwocountriesborders.PreliminaryinvestigationsrevealedthatonthenightofSeptember13,ataskforcecomprisedofofficersfromDinhBàInternationalBorderGateBorderPost,theDrugPreventionandControlDepartmentofthe??ngThápBorderGuardCommand,DinhBàCustoms,the??ngThápProvincialPoliceDrugInvestigationUnit,TanH?ngDistrictPoliceandTanH?C?CommunePolicewaspatrollingtheS?H?Riverarea.Thetaskforcecaught?i?uswimmingacrosstheS?H?RiverfromCambodiatoVi?tNam,carryingablackplasticbag.Uponstoppingandsearchingthebag,authoritiesdiscoveredthefourplasticpackagescontainingdrugs.Duringinitialquestioning,?i?uadmittedtobeinghiredtotransportthesyntheticdrugsfromCambodiatoVi?tNam.Uponfurtherinspectionofthesurroundingarea,thetaskforcefoundamotorbike,which?i?uclaimedashisown.Theauthoritiesdocumentedtheincident,seizedandsealedtherelatedevidenceandescortedthesuspecttotheDinhBàInternationalBorderGateBorderPostforfurtherprocessing.Theyhavesincetransferredthecase,thesuspectandtheevidencetothe??ngThápProvincialPoliceforfurtherinvestigationandlegalproceedings.—VNSStudentstakepartintheevent.—VNA/VNSPhoto??VanSINGAPORETheVietnameseStudentAssociationinSingaporehelditsfirst-everV-Challenge2024:IntellectualArenaatCurtinUniversity,drawingalargenumberofVietnamesestudentsinthecountry.TheeventprovidedavaluableplatformfortheparticipantstosharpenessentialskillsforstudyingandlivingabroadwhileimprovingtheirknowledgeaboutVi?tNamsculture,history,andgeography.Over40Vietnamesestudentsfromvariouseducationalinstitutionsparticipatedinthecompetition,whichconsistedoffourroundswithdiversequestions.Thestudentssaidtheyfoundtheeventbothchallengingandrewarding,offeringanopportunitytoconnectwiththeirpeersanddeepentheirunderstandingofthehomeland.Alongsidethecompetition,therewereentertainmentbooths,featuringbraceletcraftingandknitting,andaluckydrawwithprizesfromorganisers.Earlier,theassociationlaunchedaweek-longfundraisingcampaigninsupportofTyphoonYagivictimsathome.—VNSAfarmerrepairsoldraftstoresumeaquacultureactivitiesonChanhRiver,Qu?ngYêntown,Qu?ngNinhprovince,followingthedamagecausedbytyphoonYagi.—VNA/VNSPhotoThanhVanHàN?I—TheGovernmentoftheRepublicofKorea(RoK)hascommittedUS$1milliontotheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP)tosupportVi?tNamsrecoveryeffortsundertheInclusiveearlyrecoveryandreconstructionprogrammeafterTyphoonYagi.TyphoonYagi,themostdestructiHAPPYLUKEvestormtohitVi?tNaminthreedecades,hasaffected3.6millionpeople.Withnearly400,000homesdamagedorsubmerged,andinfrastructureinruins,thestormhasleftthecountryfacingarecoveryeffortestimatedatmorethanVN?81.5trillion($3.3billion).InalignmentwiththeJointUNResponse,UNDPsprogrammeaimstoaddressimmediateneedsandfosterlong-termresilienceincommunitieshardesthitbythedisaster,particularlyinH?iPhòngCityandLàoCai,YênBái,andQu?ngNinhprovinces.Theprogrammewilladdressimmediaterecoveryneeds,includingthedistributionofrecoverykitsandmulti-purposecashtransferstovulnerablehouseholds.Itwillempoweraffectedcommunitiesandstrengthentheirresiliencetofuturedisastersbyrebuildingflood-andstorm-resilienthomesandsmall-scalecommunityinfrastructureandprovidingshort-termemploymentopportunitiesthroughcash-for-workschemes.ChoiYoungsam,KoreanAmbassadortoVi?tNam,saidtheKoreangovernmenthavebeenworkingcloselytogetherwiththeVietnamesegovernmentandinternationalorganisations,includingUNDP,toensurethisemergencyfundwillbeeffectivelyusedandpromptlydistributedtoareasandpeopleindireneedofsupportintheaftermathofthenaturaldisaster.Theimplementationofthisinitiativewillbecarriedoutinclosecoordinationwithlocalauthoritiesandinconsultationwithaffectedcommunities,prioritisingsupporttovulnerablegroups,includingwomen-headedhouseholds,ethnicminorities,andpersonswithdisabilities,toensurethatthosemostinneedreceiveassistance.UNDPResidentPresentativeinVi?tNamRamlaKhalidiexpressedherappreciationforthetimelysupportfromtheRoK,sayingthisgenerouscontributionwillsignificantlybolsterVi?tNamsrecoveryeffortsintheaftermathofTyphoonYagi.—VNS

PotsofsucculentsareusedfordifferentactivitiesoftheHousewithManyLeaves.—PhotocourtesyofthehouseHCMCITY—Overthepastfouryears,asmallcornerofHCMCityhasbeenfilledwithgreentrees,books,environmentallyfriendlyitemsandhasbecomeastopoverforpeoplewholovegreenliving.ItisnamedtheHousewithManyLeaves–aprojectconductedbyagroupofyoungpeopleinthecitytoofferupagreenoasisonHoàH?ngStreetinWard12,District10.SpreadlovefortheenvironmentTheHousewithManyLeavesprojectwasestablishedinDecember2020,stemmingfromanideaof??HoàngQuyBình.Itaimstoofferupmeaningfulactivitiesrelatedtoculture,educationandtheenvironment.Thehouse,whichnowhas36members,hasmorphedintoasocialorganisation,aimingtopromoteagreen,sustainableandenvironmentallyfriendlylifestyle.H?Ng?cKhánhNhi,amemberoftheproject,said:Themodelsmissionistospreadandencouragepeopletopractiseagreenlifestyletogether.Everyactivity,nomatterhowsmall,suchasexchangingtrashforsucculentsordonatingoldclothes,aimstobuildawarenessofenvironmentalprotectionforthecommunity.Overtheyears,themodelhasbeenmaintainedanddeveloped.Almosteveryweek,therearerecyclingandgreenevents,includingexchangingtrashfortrees,whiletheyalsocollectbatteries,milkcartons,plasticbottles,paperandglass.Itisallaimedattryingtochangethecommunitysattitudetorecycling,raiseawarenessandencourageindividualstosorttheirrubbish.Recyclablewastebroughttothehousewillbesorted,cleanedandrecycledintonewproducts,increasingthelifecycleandminimisingtheamountofwasteharmfultotheenvironment.Inreturn,anyonewhobringsthehouserubbishforrecyclingcanreceiveabeautifulsucculentpotinreturn.Inadditiontorecycledwaste,oldclothesarealsooneoftheproductsthatthecommunityoftenbringstothehouse.Oldclothesthatarestillusablewillbesorted,thensoldforVN?10,000(US$0.4)peritematfundraisingmarkets,ortransferredtocollectionpointstobringtopeopleinremotemountainousareas.TheHousewithManyLeavesisfulloftreesplantedandcaredforbyitsmembersandvolunteers,whoalsohelpproduceuniqueandenvironmentallyfriendlyproducts.Mostofthoseproductsaremadefrommaterialsfromnatureorarerecycledproductssuchasdishwashingliquid,laundrydetergentandfloorcleanerfermentedfromsoapberries.Atthehouse,notonlyitsmembers,butalsothepeoplewhobringtrash,feelliketheyarepartofthecommunity,sharingthesameawarenessandresponsibilityfortheenvironment.Themodelhasattractedmanyyoungpeoplefromthecitywhoareinterestedingreenliving.Learningaboutthehousethroughsocialnetworks,PhanTh?Y?nPh??ng,wholivesinDistrict12,cametoexchangetrashfortreesforthefirsttime.Theysaid:IwatchedmanyclipsofthehouseonTiktoksoIwanttoparticipate.Assomeonewhocaresaboutenvironmentalprotection,Ifindtheseactivitiesverymeaningful.Itisfuntobeabletoexchangeunusedplasticbottlesforsucculents.Iheardthatthehousealsocollectsoldclothes,nexttimeIwilldefinitelybringsome.ReadingculturePhanNg?cTh?o,astudentattheUniversityofEconomicsHCMCity,aveteranvolunteer,said:Thisplaceistruly‘home.EverytimeIcome,Ifeelcomfortableandhappy.Atthesametime,Irealisethatmanypeoplehavethesameconcernfortheenvironmentasme.Itisdifficultformetocommunicatewithstrangers,butthepeoplewhocomeherearefriendly,Iknowmanynewfriends,itistrulyaplacetoconnect.Thehousealsohasafreelibrarytospreadthereadingcultureandwithabookcaseofmorethan3,000booksofallgenres,bookloversarewelcometodropinforareadatanytime.Inaddition,thehouseletspeopleborrowbooksforfreebothinpersonandonline.Thefirsttimevisitingthebookshelves,TháiM?uwassoengrossedinreading,shespentfourhoursthere.Thebookshelvesherehavemanytypes,Ijustreadaverygoodbook.M?uhadbeenfollowingthehouseonsocialnetworksforalongtimeandsawthatitwashavingapositiveimpactonthecommunity.Youngpeoplearedoingthesethingsreallyformeaningfulchanges,notjustforachievements,saidM?u.TheHousewithManyLeavesalsoraisesfundstoopenlibrariesforchildreninmanyotherprovincesandcities.InJunelastyearitestablishedBookcasesforChildreninBình??nhandQu?ngNamprovincesafterprovidingbookstofourpreviousschoolsinKonTum,BìnhThu?n,Lam??ngandTayNinh.Lastmonth,thehousereceivedseventonnesofclothes,1,528olditemsandbooks,1,215plasticbottles,905milkcartons,185cansand268kgofpaper.Theactivitiesattractednearly200volunteers.—VNSAreameasurementsofHoànKi?mLakeontheVi?tNamGeospatialInformationPortal.—VNSScreenshotHàN?I—Spatialdatainfrastructure(SDI)hasbeenleveragedinadministrativereformsforsocio-economicdevelopment,environmentprotectionandultimatelye-Governmentmanagement.MultipleVietnamesestateagenciesanddepartmentshavebeencarryingoutprojectstoestablishtheirSDIandgeographicinformationsystems(GIS).Tr?nAnhTu?n,headofthetechnologydivisionoftheDepartmentofSurvey,MappingandGeographicInformation(DOSM)undertheMinistryofNationalResourcesandEnvironment,saidthatleveragingspatialdatainsharedinfrastructurefostersanenvironmentforcooperationandinformationsharing,whileensuringtechnicalcomprehensiveness.Vi?tNamhasdevelopedimportantpoliciesandframeworkstopromoteSDI,suchastheLawonSurveyandMapping,aswellasanationaldevelopmentstrategywhichfocusesonbuildinganationalgeospatialdatainfrastructureby2030.TheDOSMisbuildingandmanagingthenationalSDItoensuredatasharingandintegrationwithotherstateagenciesandbetweenlocalitiesforthedevelopmentofe-Government,oronlinepublicservices.Inthelongterm,thiswillcontributetothedigitaleconomyandadigitalsociety,aswellasconnectwiththeregionalSDInetwork.FollowingthePrimeMinistersDecisionNo40/Q?-TTgdatedJanuary9,2020onbuildingandcompletingthenationalspatialdatabase,theDOSMhasdevelopedgeographicmappingatscalesof1:100,000,1:250,000,1:500,000and1:1,000,000,whichwillcontributetothenationalSDI.Localitiesarealsoactivelyupdatinggeographicdataatmoredetailedscalesof1:2,000and1:5,000.SDIdevelopmentinVi?tNamrequiresbetterapplicationofadvancedtechnologiessuchasartificialintelligenceandIoT(InternetofThings),saidTu?n.Strengtheningcoordinationanddatasharingbetweenstakeholdersarealsoareasoffocus,hesaid,emphasisingtheneedforinvestmentsintechnicalinfrastructureandaspecialisedworkforce.Inadditiontopromotingtechnologyadvancementsandinfrastructureinvestmentsinsharingandintegrationofnationalspatialdataforgovernance,socio-economicgrowthandnationaldefenceandsecurityarealsoofhighimportance,headded.TheDOSMhascompletedatrialoperationontheVi?tNamGeospatialInformationPortal,whichisbuilttosupportdatamanagement,storingandconnectionforthegovernanceneedsofministries,sectorsandlocalities.Thisdatabaseisalsousedinplanning,disasterpreventionandclimatechangeresponse.OncetheVi?tNamGeospatialInformationPortalbeginsofficialoperations,itwillensureeasyandconvenientaccesstocomprehensivenationalgeospatialdata.Theplatformalsooffersvariousservices,includingdatasharing,conversion,analysis,integration,queryanddownloading.—VNS

TouristsvisittheTràS?cajuputforestinT?nhBiênTown,AnGiangsouthernprovince.Theregionisinneedofhighqualitylabourinthefieldoftourismfield.—VNA/VNSPhotoC?ngM?oHàN?I—TheC?uLong(Mekong)Deltahasmanyadvantagesfortourismdevelopment,however,theregionshumanresourceshavenotyetmettherequirementsintermsofquantityandquality,especiallyhigh-endworkers.Therefore,despiteitsgreatpotential,tourismintheMekongDeltahassofarremainedlargelyhidden,accordingtoofficials.ObstaclesrelatedtoworkersThenumberofhighlyskilledandqualifiedworkersisbothlackingandweak,butthosewhodonotmeettherequirementsareinexcess,saidNguy?nAnhTu?n,DirectoroftheInstituteforTourismDevelopmentResearchundertheMinistryofCulture,SportsandTourism.Inaddition,accordingtoTu?n,thecurrentdifficultyoftourismintheMekongDeltaistheshortageofworkersthatmeetforeignlanguagerequirements.About30–40percentoftourguides,touroperatorsand70-80percentofrestaurantreceptionistshavelowforeignlanguageability.Theyalsohavelimitationsintermsofinformationtechnologyinprovidingtourismservicestocustomers.?inhHi?uNgh?a,fromtheC?nTh?CollegeofTourism,saidthathumanresourcesservingthetourismindustryintheMekongDeltawerecurrentlyinabundanceinactualnumber,butfewwereskilled.Thereasonfortheshortfalliswhilethenumberoftourismpersonneltrainingcourseshadincreased,thequality,especiallyhighlyskilledprogrammes,hadnotbeencarefullycalculatedtomeetpracticalrequirements.Moreoveritwasnotjustthatthesectorneededcollegeoruniversitygraduates,butitwasequallyimportantthattheyhadsoftskills,theabilitytomeettaskdemand,applyscienceandtechnology,masterknowledgeandadapttotheeconomicandinternationalintegration,saidNgh?a.AccordingtotheMekongDeltaTourismAssociation,thisyear,thenumberofdirecttourismworkersinthewholeregionisabout67,811people,anincreaseofover9,000comparedtolastyear,butthenumberofpeoplewithprofessionaltrainingisonly43,876,reaching64.70percent.Basedonthisfigure,manyexpertsandbusinessrepresentativesbelievethatthetourismhumanresourcesintheMekongDeltaareabundantandontherise,howeverintermsofthosewhohavebeenactuallytrained,thenumbersarethelowestinthecountry.AccordingtoPermanentDeputyChairmanoftheC?nTh?CityPeoplesCommitteeD??ngT?nHi?n,theregionisfacingsomemajorchallengestohavingahigh-qualitytourismforce.Trainingqualityhasnotmettherealdemand,manytrainingfacilitieshavenotupdatedtheirprogrammesandteachingmethodstosuitpracticalrequirements.Alongwiththatisthelackofconnectionbetweentrainingfacilitiesandtourismbusinesses,limitationsinattractingandretainingtalent,foreignlanguageproficiencyandsoftskillshavenotmetstandards.UrgenttrainingItisurgenttotrainqualityworkers,thatisthesolutionproposedbyexpertsandbusinessestodeveloptourismintheregion.DirectorTu?nsaidthattourismtraininginstitutionsneededtoresearchandreviewrelatedregulationsandstandardstobuildahumanresourcetrainingframeworkthatissuitableforthepracticalneedsoftheregionandinternationalintegration.Fromthebusinessperspective,Tr?nThanhNgh?,DirectoroftheB?nThànhTouristC?nTh?Branch,saidthattrainingbasedonbusinessesneedswerenecessary.Tourismentitiesandtrainingfacilitiesshouldbeconnectedtoeachothertoimplementpracticaltrainingprogrammes,ensuringthatstudentswouldhavetherightjobsaftergraduation,andensuringthatgraduateswouldnotworkinthewrongfieldorbeunemployed.Representativesoftourismbusinessesshoulddirectlyparticipateintraining,bygivinglectures,sothatstudentswouldhaveapracticalperspective.Ph?mV?nThu?,DeputyDirectoroftheVi?tNamNationalTourismAdministrationundertheMinistryofCulture,SportsandTourismsaidthateducationneededshort-termandlong-termroadmap.Ashort-termroadmapshouldbeconductedtoimmediatelymeetspecificconditions,sothattrainingmatchesbusinessandlocalneeds.Eachareacouldproposetolocalauthoritiestobuildtrainingpolicieswithauniqueidentity,suitedtothem.—VNS

Thefirstmetroline,spanning19.7kmfromB?nThànhMarketinDistrict1toSu?iTiênThemeParkinTh???cCity,issettostartoperationslaterthisyear.—VNA/VNSPhotoHCMCITY—HCMCityplanstoissuebondstofinanceitslong-awaitedmetroprojects,aimingtoreducerelianceonOfficialDevelopmentAssistance(ODA).Underamasterplan,thecityplanstodevelop183kmofmetrolinesby2035,requiringanestimatedUS$36billion.Fundingwillcomefromlocalbudgets,centralgovernmentsupport,ODAloans,andothersources.TolessenODAdependence,thebondissuancesareexpectedbetween2025and2035,withannualincreasesofVN?10trilliontoVN?30trillion,adheringtoa120percentdebttobudgetrevenuelimit.Speakingatarecentmeeting,PhanV?nM?i,chairmanofthemunicipalPeoplesCommittee,encouragedcitizenstoinvestinmetrobondstosupportinfrastructuregrowth,despitepotentiallylowerbankdepositinterestrates.Thecityhassubmittedarequestfor14capitalmechanismstothecentralgovernmentforfunding200kmofmetrolines,includinglocalgovernmentandprojectbonds.Currently,onlytwooftheplannedeightlinesandthreemonorailsareunderconstruction.Thefirstline,spanning19.7kmfromB?nThànhMarkettoSu?iTiênThemePark,issettostartoperationslaterthisyear,withtrialrunsalreadyunderway.Theoverallmetroplanaimstoexpandtoover350kmby2045and510kmby2060,withanestimatedtotalcapitalrequirementof$66.8billion.PublicdebtrisksDr.D??ngNh?HùngfromHCMCityUniversityofTechnologyemphasisedtheneedforthecitytoassesspublicdebtriskswhileissuingbondstoreducerelianceonODA.Thecitymuststaywithinadebtlimitof120percentofitsbudgetrevenueandnotedthatmetrorevenuelargelydependsonticketsales,whichwilltaketimetodevelop.Dr.?inhTh?Hi?nhighlightedthaturbanandprojectbondsarecrucialforestablishingthecityasaregionalfinancialhub,supportedbyitsfinancialcapacityandstablerevenue.Dr.LêDuyBìnhfromEconomicaVietnamsaiditwasvitaltoissuebondsfordevelopmentofkeyprojects,criticisingODAreliancefordelaysandcostoverruns.Toattractinvestors,Bìnhidentifiedtheneedforcompetitiveinterestratesandliquidityinthesecondarymarket.Herecommendedratesthatmatchreputablebankslong-termaverages.Hecalledforcollaborationamongfinanceauthoritiestocreatealiquidbondmarketandcautionedagainstoutdatedlow-interestpracticesthatcoulddeterinvestors.Nguy?nTh?Tuy?tH?ngfromDragonCapitalnotedthegrowthpotentialoflocalgovernmentbonds.Butshecalledforattractiveinterestrates,andcrediblepaymentcapabilitiestoattractinvestors,asthesebondsareoftenviewedaslesssecurethancentralgovernmentbonds.Shesaiditwasimportanttopromotetransparencyinfinancialinformationtoreassureinvestors,especiallygivenpastissueswithtimelypayments.Inarelatedmove,thegovernmenthadlatelyproposedusingbondissuancetofundthe$67.3billionNorth-Southhigh-speedrailprojectalongwithothersources.—VNSFemaleofficersofTh?X??ngWard,B?cGiangCityinstructlocalpeopletoscanQRcodestotakepartinthesurvey.B?CGIANG–Morethan12,300peopleinthenorthernprovinceofB?cGiangtookpartinasurveyonlocalgovernmentservicesatthecommune/wardandtown-leveloffices.ThesurveywasconductedfromOctober2to4bytheprovincialPartyCommissionforMassMobilisationandPeoplesCommittee.L?cNg?nDistrict,Vi?tYênTownandL?cNamDistrictreportedalargenumberofsurveyparticipants.L?cNg?nDistrictreported1,837respondents,whileVi?tYênTownandL?cNamDistrictreceived1,586and1,464responses,respectively.Themajorityofsurveyresponsesindicatethatthepublicissatisfiedwiththeatmosphereatthecommune-leveloffices,includingtheneat,orderly,welcomingofficeenvironment,courteousgovernmentpersonnel,andpromptprocedurehandling.AccordingtotheprovincialPartyCommissionforMassMobilisation,thesurveyaimedtoevaluatetheresultsofimprovementstoofficesandservicesofferedbythecommunalpeoplescommittees.ItwillbethefoundationforsuggestionsmadetotheprovincialPartyCommitteesStandingCommitteeonraisingthestandardsatlocalgovernmentofficesintermsofprofessionalcommunication,workingstyle,andconductofcadres,civilservants,andpublicemployees.Theassessmentlevelwillbeusedasabasisfordeterminingwhetherornotagenciesin2024satisfytherequirementsoffriendlygovernance.Thesurveyfeedbackwascollectedatthecommunalreceptiondesks.ResidentsofX??ngGiangWard,B?cGiangCity,areinstructedbyfemaleofficerstoparticipateinthesurveybyscanningQRcodes.Tomakethecollectionprocesseasierandguaranteeathoroughandimpartialsurvey,theprovincePartyCommissionforMassMobilisationworkedwithfunctionalunitstocreateQRcodesfor209commune-leveloffices.ResidentswereinstructedtoscantheQRcodesinordertocompletethesurveywhentheyvisitedthecommune-levelone-stopshoptocompleteadministrativetasks.Sevenquestionsabouttheattitudesofcivilservantsandcadres,facilities,servicequality,management,andoperationwereincludedinthesurvey.TheprovincialWomensUnionwasinchargeofcollaboratingwiththeprovincialPartyCommissionforMassMobilisationtooverseethegatheringofopinionsduringthesurveyperiod.Atthedistrict,town,andcitylevels,thesteeringcommitteesforcreatingfriendlygovernmentswereresponsibleforoverseeingthesurveycollectionprocess.Informationregardingthepollwaspreviouslydisseminatedbycommune-levellocalauthoritiesusingwebsitesandsocialmediaplatforms,includingFacebookandZalo.Localswerealsoinformedaboutthesurveybycommunitymobilisationgroups,villageandresidentialareaheads,andothers.–VNS

B?cGiangspoliceofficersdonatemoneyandessentialitemstoafamilyofTr?nV?nLànhinSaLyCommune.—PhotocourtesyofB?cGiangProvincialPoliceB?CGIANG—B?cGiangProvincialPolicesYouthandWomenCommitteeshaverecentlylaunchedaheartwarminginitiative,Companion–Share-ConnectwithLove,atSaLyCommune,L?cNg?nDistrict.Theinitiative,heldincommemorationofthe80thanniversaryofthePeoplesPublicSecurityForcesandthe20thanniversaryofNationalSecurityDay,focusedonsupportingthelocalcommunityandbuildingsocialties.KeyactivitiesincludedrenovatingtwodilapidatedhousesinthecommunetoprovidesecurehousingforvulnerablefamiliesandrepaintingtheSaLyMartyrsCemeteryasagestureofrespectandremembrance.Thecommitteeofficersalsoinstalledasecuritycamerasystemforlocalpoliceuseandguidedresidentsoncreatingonlineaccountsandregisteringforpublicservices.Theyalsoconductedlegaleducationworkshopsatalocalsecondaryschoolandoffered40giftpackagestochildrenandfamiliesinneed.SaLyCommunespolicegotheextramilebyworkingonSundaystoprovideIDcardservicestoresidents.—PhotocourtesyofB?cGiangProvincialPoliceTheinitiativewasfinancedbydonationsfrompolicepersonnelacrosstheprovince,approximatelyVN?80million(US$3,200)invalue.Thedonationsincludedcashandavarietyofgoods,rangingfromessentialsuppliestomorespecialiseditemssuchassolarpanels.HeadoftheYouthCommittee?oànV?nPh??ngcitestheinitiativeasavaluableopportunityforpoliticalandideologicaleducationwithinthepoliceforce.Byengaginginactivitiesthatbenefitsociety,policeofficerscultivateasenseofempathy,responsibility,anddedicationtopublicservice.Onthesameday,B?cGiangProvincialPolicealsohostedaculturalexchangenightwiththelocalcommunity,furtherstrengtheningbondsandbuildingapositiveimageofpoliceofficers.SaLyisoneofthemosteconomicallychallengedcommunesintheprovince,inhabitedprimarilybySánChíandTàyethnicminorities.Agricultureandforestryaretheirprimarylivelihoods,with9.24percentofhouseholdsclassifiedaspoorand12.97percentnear-poor.—VNSHeavyrainscausefloodinginresidentialareasonT?nTh?tThuy?tStreet,??ngHàCity,Qu?ngTr?Province.—VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I—Heavyrains,floodsandthunderstormssweepingthroughcentralVi?tNaminrecentdayshavecausedsignificantdamagetolives,propertyandinfrastructure,theDepartmentofDykeManagementandNaturalDisasterPreventionandControlhasreported.FloodwatersclaimedthelifeofaresidentinB?cHóa(chǎn)Village,Qu?ngBìnhProvince,whodrownedwhileattemptingtorescueastudent.Thefloodsdamagedtenhouses,rippingroofsoffsevenhomesinQu?ngTr?andthreeinLam??ng.Agriculturallossesincluded1.5haofcornand322fruittreesinLam??ngProvincedestroyed.InfrastructureinQu?ngBìnhwasseverelyimpacted,with52sectionsofnationalhighwayssubmergedbyupto1.5mofwaterandalandslideoccurringonanothersection.AschoolinQu?ngTr?wasalsodamagedandnearly1,000householdsinQu?ngBìnhwerecutoffbythefloodscausedbyrainsfromNovember3toNovember6.Evacuationswerenecessaryfor328householdsacrossaffectedareas,with287householdsinQu?ngBìnhand41inTh?aThiên-Hu?relocatedtosafety.TheNationalCentreforHydro-MeteorologicalForecastinghasissuedacontinuedrainfallwarningfortheregionfromQu?ngTr?toKhánhHòa,predictinglocaliseddownpoursof50-100mm,withsomeareasreceivingover200mmuntiltheendofThursday.Thecentrecautionsthattherain,whichmayexceed100mminjustsixhoursincertainareas,posesasignificantfloodandlandslideriskforlow-lyingareas,smallriversandsteepslopes.Thenaturaldisasterrisklevelforthisstormperiodremainsatlevelone.TheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmenthasdirectedlocalauthoritiestoadherestrictlytoemergencydirectives,instructingprovincesfromHàT?nhtoBình??nhtoproactivelyevacuateresidentsinhigh-riskareas.Localagencieshavebeenmobilisedunderthefouron-the-spotprinciple,ensuringemergencysupplies,personnel,andequipmentarereadytorespondtoallsituationseffectively.Ministriesandlocalauthoritiesarecoordinatingeffortstosafeguardreservoirsanddownstreamareas,carefullymanagingreservoirlevelstomitigatefurtherfloodrisk.Personnelareoncontinuousduty,overseeingtransportsafetyinaffectedareas,particularlyonsubmergedroutes,landslide-pronezonesandothermajorthoroughfares.Broadcastingandmediaagencieshavebeenaskedtoincreasepublicsafetymessages,keepingresidentsinformedaboutweatherdevelopments.Coastalprovincesarealsoadvisedtoprepareforpossiblestrongwinds,highwavesandthunderstormsatsea.Emergencyresponseteamsareonstandbyacrossaffectedregions,withregularsituationreportsrelayedtotheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmenttoensureallactioniscoordinatedandtimely.—VNS

AfterCOVID-19,therealestatemarketdeclinedasresultoftheshortcomingsandlimitationsinthepreviousperiodwereexposedunderthepressureoftheglobalpandemic.—VNA/VNSPhotoH?ng??tHàN?I—Withthepricehikesinthepastfewyears,HàN?iandHCMCityapartmentshavebecomeunaffordableformostofitscitizens.AccordingtoarecentreportbytheNationalAssemblyssupervisiondelegationontherealestatemarketlaws,policiesandsocialhousingdevelopment,about3,63commercialhousingandurbandevelopmentprojectswereinitiatedin2015-2023,coveringatotalareaofnearly11,200hectares.However,in2022and2023,therealestatemarketdeclinedasresultoftheshortcomingsandlimitationsinthepreviousperiodwereexposedunderthepressureoftheCOVID-19pandemic,leadingtoalimitedsupply.Duringthesetwoyears,housingpricessoared,exceedingtheincomeincreaseofmostpeopleinthetwomostpopulatedcitiesinthecountry.Today,HàN?iandHCMCitynolongerhavearealestatemarketsegmentwithinthereachofmostcitizens,accordingtothereport.In2022,HàN?isawasurgeinitsapartmentprices.HCMCityalsoreportedpricehikesandasharpdeclineinrealestatetransactions,leadingtoadisparitybetweenpricesandvalues.Notably,asignificantnumberofhousingprojectswerefacingobstaclesanddelaysduringthisperiod.Withhugeresourcespouredintotheseprojects,thisstagnationcausedinefficiencyinfundingandlanduse,drivingupsaleprices.HàN?ihasresolved158outofthe404housingprojectsfacingissues,whileHCMCitycounts220projectsinlimbo.Inthepastthreeyears,realestatedevelopmentinthecapitalcityhasbeenstagnantwithnonewprojectsapprovedforinvestment,thereportsaid.Mostoftheresidencesonthemarketbelongtoprojectsapprovedinthepreviousperiod.Meanwhile,approximately800socialhousingprojectswereinitiatedbetween2015and2023,totalling567,000apartments.Amongthese,373projectswerecompleted,129beganconstructionand298wereapprovedforinvestment.Ingeneral,socialhousinglawsandpoliciesduring2015-2023lackstability.Someofthekeyregulationsforsocialhousingdevelopmentdidnotreceiveadequateattentionorspecificguidelines,resultingindifficultiesforlocalities,theNAreportreads.Duringthisperiod,manylocalitiesfailedtomeetthedeadlinesfortheirsocialhousingdevelopmentprogramme.Theapprovalprocessforsocialhousingbeneficiariesandpriceevaluationoftentakeslongerthanscheduled,whichgreatlyaffectstheinvestmentcycle,capitalrecovery,interestpaymentsforinvestorsandpublicaccesstosocialhousing.Theaveragepriceforasocialhousingdepartmentremainstoohighcomparedtotheincomeofintendedbeneficiaries.ThefinancialsupportfromStatebudgettowardspreferentialsocialhousingcreditprogrammesisstillinadequate,whilethelendingproceduresarecomplicatedandoverlapping,andthemaximumloanamountforsocialpolicybeneficiariesislimitedanddidnotalignwiththeactualsituation,theNAdocumentreads.TheNAsupervisiondelegationrecommendedthatthegovernment,alongwithrelevantagencies,establisheffectivemechanismstoradicallyaddressstagnantrealestateprojects,therebyfreeingupresourcesforthemarketandcreatemomentumforsocio-economicgrowth.Authoritiesmustalsopreventthemarketfrom‘overheatingor‘freezing,whichposethreatstotheoverallsocio-economicdevelopment.Theyalsorecommendeddiversifyingrealestateproducts,tobalancesupplyanddemandinalignmentwiththeaverageincomeofthepeopleandeffectivelydeploysocialhousingdevelopmentprogrammeswiththeallocatedsupportpackageofVN?120trillion(US$4.7billion).—VNSLêNg?cNgh?,headofCátD?aRangerStationunderCátBàNationalPark,inapatrolinCátBàNationalPark.Photonguoiduatin.vnH?IPHòNG–TheforestrangersofCátBàNationalParkinH?iPhòngCityhavenotonlydedicatedtheiryouthtoprotectingtheforest,buttheyhavealsopassedontheirloveforittothenextgeneration.LêNg?cNgh?,headofCátD?aRangerStationunderCátBàNationalPark,isoneoftherangerswhohasbeenattachedtotheforestformorethan40years.In1983,IstartedworkingasalaboureratCátBàForestStation.In1986,whenCátBàNationalParkwasestablished,Ibecamearangerhereandhavebeeneversince.Mygreatestjoyiscontributinginasmallwaytoprotectingtheforest,Ngh?recalled.Ngh?isoneofthefirstrangersoftheCátBàNationalPark.Overnearly40years,manyhaveretired,somelosttheirworkingability,leavingonlyhimandoneothercolleaguewhostillremaintoprotecttheforest.Accordingtotheforestranger,whentheparkwasfirstestablished,thebiggestchallengewastransitioningfromforestexploitationtoforestprotection.Fortherangers,thejobbecameevenmorechallengingduetoconflictswithmanylocalpeoplewhohadlongreliedontheforestforwood,medicinalplants,andhunting,Ngh?toldnguoiduatin.vn.Between1986and1990,conflictsescalatedaslocalpeopledependentontheforestresentedtherangersofCátBàNationalParkforrestrictingtheiraccesstotheirlivelihood,hesaid.Since1990,thetensionshavegraduallyeasedandstopped.Nowadays,therangersaregreetedwarmlybypeopleinmanyareassuchasVi?tH?i,GiaLu?n,Hi?nHào,Xuan?ám,andTranChauinCátH?iDistrict.Explainingthischange,Ngh?saidthatthroughactiveoutreachandpersuasion,peoplehavecometounderstandandsympathisewiththerangerswork.Inparticular,astourismhasdeveloped,manylocalshaveshiftedtotourism-relatedjobs,whichofferhigherandmorestableincomes,helpingthemleavebehindthedifficultanddangerouslifeofforestwork.Havingdedicatedmyyouthtoprotectingtheforestandsoonretirement,Ionlyhopethatyoungerrangerswillcontinuethiswork,Ngh?said.Protectingtheforestmeanssafeguardingthelivelihoodoffuturegenerationsandpreservingvaluablegeneticresources,hesaid.SilentlangurguardiansFatherandsonNguy?nHuyC?mandNguy?nHuyThành.Photonguoiduatin.vnAmongthosewholovetheCátBàlangur—theworldssecondmostendangeredprimate,foundonlyinCátBàNationalPark—everyoneknowsNguy?nHuyC?m,deputyheadofEoBùaRangerStationunderCátBàNationalPark.C?mhasbeendedicatedtotheCátBàlangurfornearly20yearsandcapturednumerousinvaluableimagesandfootageofthem.C?msaidthathebeganworkingasarangeratCátBàNationalParkin1994.WhentheparkestablishedalangursanctuaryinGi?Cùng,hewasassignedthere.Later,hebecametheparksspecialenvoytocollaboratewithandassistanon-governmentalorganisationintheCátBàLangurConservationProject.Recently,duetohisparentsseriousillnesses,C?mrequestedtobetransferredtoEoBùaRangerStationtobeclosertothem.ThroughoutmytimewiththeCátBàlangur,twoincidentshaveleftalastingsadness.Thefirstwasinthewinterof2019.Whilepatrollingbysea,Isawamalelangurattackinganothergroup.Itbitanewbornlangur,throwingitintothesea.Despitethecold,IjumpedintothewatertosavethebabylangurandbroughtittotheCátBàNationalParkcentre.ThebabylangurwasthensenttotherescuecentreatCúcPh??ngNationalParkfortreatment.Unfortunately,itdiedenrouteduetosevereinjuries,herecalled.Thesecondincidentoccurredsometimelater,whenhewitnessedamalelangurkillfivenewborns.Afterobservingclosely,Isawoneinfantsbodyfloatingonthewater,stillbarelyalive.Itookitbacktotheparkcentre,butittoodidnotsurvive,C?msaidwitheyesmoistwithtears.C?mslovefortheforestandtheCátBàlangurhasbeenpassedontohisson,Nguy?nHuyThành,bornin1998.ThànhofficiallybecamearangeratCátBàNationalParkinOctober2024.SinceIwasyoung,Iwenttotheforestwithmyfatherwheneverpossible.Igrewtolovetheforestthroughhisstoriesandthoseofotherrangers,especiallytheimagesofthelangurherdsthathecapturedandcherished,Thànhsaid.So,eventhoughIhadopportunitiestoworkincompanieswithincomesthreetofourtimeshigher,IchosetofollowinmyfathersfootstepsasarangertoprotecttheforestandtheCátBàlangur,thenewly-employedrangersaid.LangursinCátBàNationalPark.Photonguoiduatin.vnAccordingtoPh?mV?nPhúc,deputydirectorofCátBàNationalPark,sincethebeginningoftheyear,15newlangurbabieshavebeenborn,bringingthetotalpopulationtooverninetyindividuals—thehighestcountindecades.Recently,goldenmonkeyshavebeenspotteddescendingtotheparkcentretoplay.Atnight,thecallsofgeckosfilltheair,andoccasionally,peoplecatchsightoflargeBurmesepythonsglidingalongtheroadside.NotonlytheCátBàlangur,butotherwildlifeinCátBàNationalParkisalsorevivingthankstoprotectionefforts.VNS