Hanoi - Floods and heavy rains in Vietnam have killed three more people and left two missing, disaster centres reported Tuesday, bringing the toll of dead and missing since the current round of storms began October 24 to at least 86.

The National Committee for Storm and Flood Control said the worst flooding in almost three decades has left at least 20 people dead and two missing in Hanoi since November 3. Up to 835 millimeters of rain fell on the city between Friday and Tuesday morning.

Victims have drowned or been struck by falling trees and collapsing buildings. Several were electrocuted by live power lines.

Hanoi - Heavy rains and floods in Vietnam have killed at least 49 people and left five missing since Friday, disaster centres reported Monday.

In Hanoi, state media said at least 18 people were killed in the heaviest floods to hit the capital since 1984. Among the dead were three children on their way to school who fell into sewers through drains that lacked protective covers.

Widespread power outages also struck the capital. All schools were closed Monday.

The central province of Ha Tinh reported 17 deaths with the rest of the deaths spread among other provinces in northern and central Vietnam.

Heavy rains continued to fall in Vietnam's northern provinces Monday morning.

Hanoi - Heavy rains flooded Hanoi Friday as the death toll from rain and landslides in Vietnam's central provinces rose to at least 10 in the last week.

According to figures published Friday by the Central Committee for Storm and Flood Control, heavy rains and flood since October 24 have killed 10 people and left one missing in central Vietnam.

Heavy rains beginning early Friday morning paralyzed Hanoi, the country's capital. Local media reported thousands of motorbikes, cars, and buses trapped by high water.

The southern suburb of Ha Dong was reported to have received 350 millimeters of rain so far.

Hanoi- Vietnam's statement of opposition to a weekend commando raid by the United States inside Syrian territory prompted mixed reactions Thursday from Hanoi experts.

Government spokesman Le Dung said Wednesday that Vietnam "opposes (the US's) unilateral military action and considers that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be absolutely respected."

Hanoi - Heavy rains and floods killed at least seven people and left one missing in central Vietnam, officials said Thursday.

"According to the updated figures as of 9 am (0200 GMT) Thursday, seven people have been killed, with one missing and one injured," said Hoang Hiep of the National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control.

Dozens of homes had their roofs blown off, hundreds of hectares of crops were damaged, and landslides have blocked traffic in mountainous areas of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Ngai provinces.

Heavy rain on Wednesday night and Thursday morning caused rivers to rise 2 to 6 metres above sea level.

Forecasters said heavy rain and floods will continue Thursday and Friday.

Hanoi - Vietnamese Communist Party authorities are to fire two editors at a national newspaper that published articles critical of the government's policy, sources at the paper said Wednesday.

"We have received the Party's decision to punish us," said Dang Ngoc, vice editor-in-chief of the newspaper Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity). "The decision said that we had violated Vietnam's press law."

Dai Doan Ket is the voice of Vietnam's Fatherland Front, a powerful patriotic organization affiliated with the Communist Party.