Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

1,585 new Covid-19 cases logged on September 27

The national Covid-19 caseload rose to 11,475,321 with 1,585 new cases recorded on September 27, according to the Ministry of Health.

With 1,227 patients given the all clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,588,788. Meanwhile, there are 118 patients needing breathing support, cited VNA.

One death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities rose to 43,147.

On September 26, an additional 72,254 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected to 259.983,364.

Noru heads toward central Vietnam, rain starts to fall

Typhoon Noru, after pounding the Philippines, is roaring toward the central coast of Vietnam and is forecast to make landfall in the coming hours, according to the National Center for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting.

At 1pm on September 27, Noru was churning through the south-western part of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, about 270km east of the central coast, with winds gusting 183kph near its centre.

In the next 12 to 24 hours, the super typhoon is forecast to move west at a speed of 20-25kph, lash central coastal provinces, and lose strength.

Noru, the most powerful storm in Vietnam in the past 20 years, is expected to make landfall in the early hours of September 28, with strong winds rattling the mainland for about 10-12 hours, said Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting.

Satellite image of Typhoon Noru, September 26, 2022. Photo: National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting

Rain started to fall in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Da Nang, while big waves continued to batter the central coast, reported VOV correspondents in the region.

Relevant forces and local people are now racing against time to reinforce public works and houses before the typhoon makes landfall.

Hundreds of thousands of local residents living in estuary, low-lying and mountainous areas have been ordered to move to higher ground.

Central coastal provinces have released a sea ban for fishing and tourist vessels. Local residents have been advised to stay indoors during the height of the typhoon. Several localities have temporarily shut schools for schoolchildren’s safety reasons.

In an urgent meeting on September 27, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested central localities to prioritise protecting people’s life and property and put relevant forces on standby.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam on September 27 also decided to temporarily suspend flight services at an additional five airports in the central region. Accordingly, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Tuy Hoa, Buon Ma Thuot, and Lien Khuong were ordered to stop flight services for 24 hours, starting at 12am on September 27.

Earlier, authorities announced the suspension of flight services from and to Da Nang, Phu Bai, Pleiku, Phu Cat and Chu Lai airports on September 27 – 28.

Vietnam always a responsible member of UNCLOS 1982: Singaporean website

Since becoming a signatory to UNCLOS 1982, Vietnam has remained a responsible member and has made significant efforts to endorse and implement its provisions, according to an article posted on Fulcrum.sg, a website of Singapore.

According to the article, when the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was open for signature on December 10, 1982, Vietnam was among the first 117 countries to sign the Convention.

Furthermore, Vietnam has called upon other states in Southeast Asia to respect and comply with UNCLOS. In particular, during its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam repeatedly stressed the relevance of UNCLOS in maintaining regional peace and resolving maritime disputes.

Most recently, together with Germany, Vietnam initiated the establishment of the UNCLOS Group of Friends to accelerate cooperation between like-minded countries on common maritime goals.

An oil rig of Vietnam in the South China Sea. Photo: PetroVietnam

Mentioning the role of UNCLOS 1982, the article said known as the “Constitution of/for the oceans”, the Convention sets out a legal framework for regulating most sea-related activities and provides a platform for international cooperation on maritime-related issues. Furthermore, it stipulates binding mechanisms for settling disputes at sea.

UNCLOS standardizes claims over maritime entitlements and sovereign rights of its signatories including Vietnam. Before UNCLOS, especially in the first half of the twentieth century, there were chaotic situations where countries argued over their maritime boundaries, leading to disputes. The adoption of UNCLOS has helped to reduce these kinds of disputes, as the Convention became a legal basis for the demarcation of overlapping territories, according to VNA.

The Convention has provided a framework for member states, including Vietnam, to cooperate with other states on various issues like crimes at sea, namely piracy and armed robbery against ships, protecting the environment, conducting scientific research, and managing resources.

The importance of UNCLOS to Vietnam has been proven over the past 40 years, especially in terms of legitimizing the country’s maritime claims, enhancing its domestic law and management system, accelerating cooperation with other states, and settling maritime disputes.

Flights suspended in Vietnam as typhoon Noru approaches

A number of flight services have been suspended in the central region of Vietnam as localities get ready for this year’s powerful typhoon Noru.

Da Nang, Phu Bai, Pleiku, Phu Cat and Chu Lai airports were ordered to stop flight services on September 27 – 28, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

In addition, the schedule of flights to and from Vinh, Dong Hoi, Tuy Hoa, Lien Khuong and Buon Ma Thuot airports is expected to be adjusted due to the impact of the typhoon.

Noru with winds gusting 166kph near its center is forecast to strike central Vietnam at midnight on September 27 or early on September 28. Photo: VOV

At 4am on September 27, Noru was swirling around the eastern part of the Hoang Sa archipelago in Vietnam’s East Sea, packing winds of more than 166kph near its center.

Noru is one of the most powerful storms to hit the central region over the past 20 years, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The meteorological agency has issued a red alert – the level four out of the five levels of disaster risk – as super typhoon Noru is heading toward the central coast of Vietnam, reported VOV.

The warning has been activated in the coastal localities of Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh which are forecast to be hit hard by the super typhoon.

The meteorological agency also issued a disaster risk warning at level 3 in Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Phu Yen, and Kon Tum provinces.

Noru that developed from a low tropical depression off the Philippines on September 22 reached super typhoon status early on September 25 after suddenly gaining strength.

Noru swept across northern Philippines on September 25, killing at least six and flooding parts of the region.

Cuban PM’s visit to deepen fraternal ties with Vietnam: diplomat

Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz will visit Vietnam from September 28-October 2.

Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz’s upcoming official visit to Vietnam aims to further strengthen the fraternal solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and mutual trust between the Party, State and people of Cuba and Vietnam, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung.

The Cuban delegation is scheduled to arrive at Noi Bai's International Airport in Hanoi in the evening of September 28.

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Cuba, ambassador Tung highlighted the significance of the visit, adding that this is also an opportunity for senior leaders of the two countries to discuss and come up with specific orientations and measures to further promote the bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation.

During recent years, Party and State leaders, and people of the two countries have constantly consolidated fraternity, solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and mutual trust, which have been reflected across the fields, he said.

Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) meets Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz in Havana on September 19, 2021. Photo: VNA

Despite the Covid-19 crisis, the two sides’ Party, State, Government, and National Assembly leaders have regularly maintained exchange on measures to beef up and deepen the bilateral relations, with three phone talks between their Party chiefs in 2020 alone. Last year, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc made an official visit to Cuba.

In addition, cooperation mechanisms have been established in all channels of Party, State, Government, while ties between ministries, sectors, localities and socio-political organisations have been also maintained and proven effective, the ambassador said.

Economic, trade, and investment cooperation have seen development, especially in terms of investment, according to the ambassador. Vietnam is now the largest investor from the Asia-Oceania region in Cuba.

The two countries have also maintained cooperation and mutual support at international and multilateral forums.

One of the main purposes of the visit by the Cuban PM is to further expand bilateral economic, trade and investment relations, cited VNS.

According to the ambassador, senior leaders are expected to agree on specific directions and measures to further improve the Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee cooperation mechanism whilst encouraging their firms to invest in mutual areas of strength, especially food processing and production, renewable energy, and tourism infrastructure.

“I hope that during the visit of the Cuban PM, the two sides can sign specific contracts and projects in the above-mentioned areas,” Tung said.

During this visit, the two countries will also sign a joint action plan to implement the bilateral economic agenda in the 2023 - 2025 period, covering bilateral cooperation in over 10 fields, including economic bond, trade, agriculture, industry, construction, transportation, science - technology, among others, he said.

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