Typhoon Yagi Leaves Dozens Dead in Vietnam, Bridge Collapses

A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 (Bui Van Lanh/ VNA via AP)
A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 (Bui Van Lanh/ VNA via AP)
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Typhoon Yagi Leaves Dozens Dead in Vietnam, Bridge Collapses

A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 (Bui Van Lanh/ VNA via AP)
A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 (Bui Van Lanh/ VNA via AP)

Typhoon Yagi left dozens dead in northern Vietnam and widespread damage as it churned westwards, preliminary government estimates showed on Monday.

A busy steel bridge over the engorged Red River in Phu Tho province collapsed Monday morning, local officials told state media. Several motorbikes and cars fell into the river, the initial reports said.

Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall Saturday with winds up to 149 kph (92 mph). It weakened to a tropical depression Sunday, but the country’s meteorological agency has still warned the continuing downpours could cause floods and landslides.

Managers and workers at industrial parks and factories in Haiphong, a coastal city of two million, said on Monday they had no electricity and were trying to salvage equipment from rain in plants whose metal sheets roofing had been blown away.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Haiphong on Sunday and approved a package of $4.62 million to help the port city recover.

Yagi also damaged agricultural land, nearly 116,192 hectares where rice is mostly grown.

The weather agency warned of more floods and landslides, noting that rainfall ranged between 208 millimeters and 433 millimeters (8.2 inches to 17.1 inches) in several parts of the northern region over the past 24 hours.
State-run power provider EVN said that more than 5.7 million customers lost power during the weekend as dozens of power lines were broken, but electricity was restored on Monday to nearly 75% of those affected.

Before hitting Vietnam, Yagi caused at least 20 deaths in the Philippines last week and three deaths in China.



Israeli Finance Minister Says Banks Should Not Obey EU Sanctions on Settlers

20 July 2022, Israel, Barkan: Right-wing settlers march to build a settlement in the West Bank near Barkan. (dpa)
20 July 2022, Israel, Barkan: Right-wing settlers march to build a settlement in the West Bank near Barkan. (dpa)
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Israeli Finance Minister Says Banks Should Not Obey EU Sanctions on Settlers

20 July 2022, Israel, Barkan: Right-wing settlers march to build a settlement in the West Bank near Barkan. (dpa)
20 July 2022, Israel, Barkan: Right-wing settlers march to build a settlement in the West Bank near Barkan. (dpa)

Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday condemned the country's banks that have refused to provide services to Israeli settlers sanctioned by the European Union and warned they may have to pay compensation to them.

The EU last year imposed sanctions on five Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians and Smotrich said there were reports of sanctions being considered against other settlers.

But in a letter to the banking supervisor, he said Israeli banks should not follow a "zero risk" policy since it leads to the abandonment of Israeli clients "under the guise of compliance with foreign sanctions."

In a statement quoting his letter to the regulator, Smotrich called on banks to use their legal, economic, and international strength to fight "unjust sanctions", Reuters reported.

"The banks’ enormous profits enable them to take measured risks on behalf of their clients — especially when it comes to a national moral injustice," Smotrich, who leads the far-right Religious Zionism party, said.

Should banks continue to comply with sanctions and harm clients, Smotrich said he intended to promote immediate legislation that would require banks to pay substantial compensation to affected customers.

He also intends to require the Bank of Israel itself to offer banking services to citizens targeted by sanctions.

Responding to the letter, the Bank of Israel said that while banks must comply with international sanctions to avoid an array of risks, a draft directive it published on Thursday aimed to ensure appropriate banking services were available for the affected customers.

"Circumventing foreign sanctions regimes through the Israeli banking system exposes banking corporations to multiple risks, including compliance risks, anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing risks, legal risks, and reputational risks," the central bank said.

But it said it has taken steps to comply with sanctions "without banks resorting to blanket refusals to serve such customers."

While the sanctions in question concern Israeli settlers, the EU is reviewing its broad pact governing its political and economic ties with Israel in the face of mounting international pressure on Israel amid complaints about the lack of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza in the wake of the war triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack.