Olympics: Torch relay begins across world’s second-largest country

VICTORIA, Canada, Oct 30, 2009 (AFP) – Canadians got their first look at the Olympic flame as it touched down here marking the official start of the 106-day Vancouver Olympic torch relay across the second-largest country in the world.

It was the first time the flame has been on Canadian soil since 1988 when Calgary hosted the Winter Games and it was a gold medal athlete from those Olympics, speedskater, Catriona Le May Doan, who was the first female torchbearer.

The Canadian military jet arrived 90 minutes late at Victoria International Airport with 75 people, including Olympic officials, politicians, dignitaries and journalists on board.

The 14-hour flight from Greece included a stopover in Iceland before landing in British Columbia’s capital city of Victoria, 69 kilometres (43 miles) southwest of Vancouver.

“The Olympics is such an inspiration across the country,” said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “This is Canada’s moment on the world stage to introduce all the great things we have as Canadians.”

The 45,000 kilometre (27,968 mile) torch relay will see the flame carried across Canada by water, land and air before it arrives in Vancouver which will host the 2010 Winter Games from February 12-28.

The flame arrived in a miner’s lamp and was carried off the airplane by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson. When he got to the bottom of the ramp he gently placed it on the tarmac leaving it there for several seconds before picking it up.

“Victoria is the first Canadian city to have the flame and we have long anticipated this day across Canada. It is now time to light up our country,” Robertson said.

There was also a moment of silence for Jack Poole, the former chairman of the Vancouver organizing committee who died last week just hours before the flame was lit in Olympia, Greece.

The relay will be run by 12,000 torchbearers before making its way to the Vancouver Olympic cauldron.

During a outdoor ceremony at the airport, Robertson handed the flame over to the Premier of the province of British Columbia Gordon Campbell.

“This is the beginning of what will be an incredible time for Canada,” Campbell said. “Our job now is to reflect the spirit of this flame into the heart of all Canadians.”

Said John Furlong, chief executive of the Vancouver organizing committee, who was also on the plane, “It is great for us all to be home from this exciting adventure.

“Our hope is this flame will shine a bright light on our people and country. This is for all Canadians young and old, no one left out. For 106 days we will have the time of our life.”

Joining Le May Doan as the first torchbearer was Victoria triathlete Simon Whitfield who won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games.

The flame is supposed never to go out but ironically one of the few times it happened was during a torch relay in Canada prior to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. A relay official had to re-light the flame with a cigarette lighter.

By the time the flame arrives at BC Place Stadium on the 12th it will have visited over 1,000 Canadian communities and will have travelled the farthest north in its history.

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Country could face drought this winter

Vietnam could suffer a long-term drought in the upcoming winter and spring, the National Hydro Meteorological Forecast Center said October 29.

Northern and central regions may face two to three extremely cold spells in January and February 2010, later than in previous years. The cause for the cold spells will be due to the El-Nino effect, the center said.

An image of Storm Mirinae’s path on Oct. 29, 2009 (Photo: national weather bureau)

Rainfall in the country will be significantly reduced putting many areas at risk of water shortage and long-term drought. The northeastern, northwestern and northern midland regions may experience serious droughts over wide areas.

In the southern region, the rainy season is forecast to end soon. Water levels at the head of the Mekong River were 10-20cm higher at the beginning of the wet season than in previous years. However, the level looks to drop significantly at the end of the season, which could lead to an inundation of seawater into the mainland.

The same day, the national weather bureau said that Storm Mirinae, formed off the Philippines, was heading for the East Sea and would affect Vietnamese waters in the next one or two days.

Early October 30, the storm was centered 460 kilometers east of Luzon Island with the strongest winds near the storm’s eye at around a level 13, or 134-149 kilometers an hour and gusts at level 14-15.

In the next 24 hours, it is forecast to move west at a speed of 25 km an hour and will approach the southwest coast of Luzon early October 31.

As a result of the storm, northern and central areas of the East Sea will see level 7-8 winds the night of October 30 which could strengthen to level 9-10.

The National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control has asked local authorities to prepare for the storm, ban boats from going out, and guide fishermen still at sea to shelter.

According to the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorology Center, tide levels in HCM City will top 1.45 meters at the beginning of November to reach a peak since the beginning of the rainy season in May.

The highest water level on November 2 will be 1.47m at Phu An Station in the Saigon River and 1.44m at Nha Be Station.

At Phu An Station, the tide will occur at 6am and 4:30pm, and at Nha Be Station it will occur at 5:30 am and 4pm.

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Six US-financed HIV/AIDS programmes launched

The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Vietnam will provide a total amount of 1.4 million USD as aid for six HIV/AIDS programmes in the country, the US Embassy said on July 1.
The programmes will be carried out within the framework of three initiatives to scale up the assistance to HIV carriers and vulnerable persons.

The first initiative is designed to finance international and Vietnamese non-governmental organisations to increase the community-based care for and assistance to HIV carriers, orphans and people affected by the disease.

The programmes under this initiative will be carried out in central Nghe An province, and northern Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city from now to September 2009.

The second initiative is to assist the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training’s programmes related to education on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS for secondary school students.

The programmes will be carried out by the Save the Children USA in Ho Chi Minh City , northern Quang Ninh province and central Quang Tri province up to September 2010.

The remaining initiative, aiming to increase scale and quality for health care services for Vietnamese women with HIV/AIDS, will be implemented in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh cities till September 2009.

The PEPFAR in Vietnam focuses on preventing HIV/AIDS spreading and giving care, medical treatment and assistance to HIV/AIDS carriers.

The plan allocates a budget of 88 million USD for its activities in Vietnam within the fiscal year of 2008.

Survey guides future management policy

Hanoi has a total of 147,000 economic units and administrative agencies, which account for 3.56 percent of the country’s figure, according to statistics released by the municipal People’s Committee last week.

The statistics, borne from a survey conducted on July 1 last year, will be used to help the city’s leadership build, supplement and adjust management policies as well as draw up plans for infrastructure development, human resource training and administrative reforms.

Of the 147,000 economic units and administrative agencies registered during the survey, 25,000 were enterprises, 117,000 were private business households, more than 5,000 were administrative units and associations and religious units.

Figures were updated from a 2002 survey and the updated numbers show the significant growth that has taken place. The amount of businesses increased by 31.2 percent from 2002 to 2007. Sectors which have the most businesses include industry: 18,000; trade: 73,000 and hospitality services: 20,000. These three sectors account for 75 percent of the capital’s total number of businesses.

In comparison with the country’s increase rate, which is about 43 percent, Hanoi’s rate is lower, in fact, even lower than that of other areas.