• Government helps Mekong Delta provinces cope with floods
• Nation braces for latest typhoon
• Localities gearing up to cope with storm
• Bracing for storm

Since 2000, provinces in the Mekong Delta have suffered from many floods, with Dong Thap Muoi (The Plain of Reeds) and Tu Giac Long Xuyen (Long Xuyen Quadrangle being the hardest hit. This year they have experienced alarming flood levels that surpassed the highest ever recorded (about 0.5 metres above the third warning level).

Thousands of hectares of crops have been damaged while hundreds of houses have been swept away.

Local authorities, the armed forces and rescue teams joined hands to evacuate local victims to safe areas.

The Mekong Delta is one of the world's regions most vulnerable to climate change.

Third 11^th Party Central Committee conference convenes

• Economic restructuring tops Party conference’s agenda
• Socio-economic development focuses on three breakthroughs

The five day conference aimed to set overall objectives and several key targets for the national economy, to enable the National Assembly to make decisions on economic growth, investment, budget spending, inflation, public debt and the trade deficit, said Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong.

This will facilitate the Government in managing the economy flexibly in line with market mechanisms and coping with current complications, he said.

Mr Trong emphasized the need to restructure the national economy with a focus on increasing its quality, efficiency and competitiveness during the current process of global economic integration.

He asked senior Party members to examine objective and subjective causes for shortcomings and come up with new ideas to help revamp the economy.

Vietnam tightens ties with Netherlands, Uzbekistan and Ukraine

• Cementing friendship with the Netherlands, Uzbekistan and the Ukraine
• Vietnam, Ukraine boost trade ties
• High level talks promote Vietnam- Uzbekistan cooperation
• PM strengthens ties during Netherlands visit

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung led a high-ranking delegation on official visits to the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine, aiming to strengthen the traditional relationships Vietnam has with these countries.

Important agreements were signed and numerous contracts and investment projects were discussed during these visits, which have enhanced the bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and the three European countries in a variety of fields.

Choosing slower economic growth

• Vietnam urged to select a lower economic growth rate
• Developing independent economy in the new context

Ambassadors and representatives from international organizations suggested that Vietnam should target the  slower economic growth rate of 6.5 percent instead of the 7 percent detailed in the five-year socio-economic development plan for 2011-2015.

The recommendation was made at a seminar held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Hanoi on October 4.

Representatives from the World Bank said Vietnam should strive to achieve the lower 6.5 percent GDP growth as the country's economic growth in recent years has been consistently higher than the set targets.

ASEAN strengthens cooperation with other countries

• ASEAN+3 agrees on emergency rice supplies
• ASEAN, India increase agriculture ties
• ASEAN promotes food security and trade

The first meeting of ASEAN-India Ministers of Agriculture took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 8 to discuss issues related to trade services and investment agreements within the framework of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area.

Participants at the event adopted a joint statement, affirming their consensus on establishing the ASEAN-India working group on agriculture to boost cooperation between the two sides in agriculture and forestry.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Plus Three Meeting (AMAF+3) was held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on October 7.

ASEAN member states and the three nations of Japan, China and the Republic of Korea (RoK) approved the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) programme, under which 13 countries will provide a stockpile of 787,000 tonnes of rice to mitigate sudden instabilities in supply and production caused by natural disasters.

Earlier on October 5, the third ASEAN Food Security Conference convened in Jakarta to discuss food security, intellectual property and the agri-food trade, trade regulations and standards, and facilitating the food trade within ASEAN.

Steve Jobs Apple 'visionary' dies

Steve Jobs, co-founder and former chief executive of US technology giant Apple, has died at the age of 56.

Apple said his "brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve".

Jobs announced he was suffering from pancreatic cancer in 2004.
US President Barack Obama said that with his death, the world had "lost a visionary".

"Steve was among the greatest of American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it," said Mr Obama.