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Vietnam logs no new COVID-19 infections on March 1 morning Vietnam documented zero COVID-19 infections in the past 12 hours as of 6:00 am on March 1, leaving the national tally unchanged at 2,448 patients, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Earlier, Vietnam reported 16 COVID-19 cases at 6pm on February 28, including 12 locally infected cases in the northern province of Hai Duong, the country's largest COVID-19 hotspot, and four imported cases in the southern provinces of Tay Ninh and Dong Thap. Of the total infections, there were 1,542 domestically-transmitted cases, including 849 recorded since the latest outbreak hit the northern province of Hai Duong on January 27. Ten cities and provinces nationwide have gone through 16 consecutive days without any locally-infected cases of COVID-19, including Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City. … [Read more...] about VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 1

LONDON -- In October 2020, Miami-based art collector Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile spent almost $67,000 on a 10-second video artwork that he could have watched for free online. Last week, he sold it for $6.6 million. The video by digital artist Beeple, whose real name is Mike Winkelmann, was authenticated by blockchain, which serves as a digital signature to certify who owns it and that it is the original work. It’s a new type of digital asset - known as a non-fungible token (NFT) - that has exploded in popularity during the pandemic as enthusiasts and investors scramble to spend enormous sums of money on items that only exist online. Blockchain technology allows the items to be publicly authenticated as one-of-a-kind, unlike traditional online objects which can be endlessly reproduced. “You can go in the Louvre and take a picture of the Mona Lisa and you can have it there, but it doesn’t have any value because it doesn’t have the provenance or the history of the work,” said … [Read more...] about How a 10-second video clip sold for $6.6 million

The Hanoitimes - The two countries keen on trade and energy cooperation. Vietnam and the United Kingdom will tighten co-operation to implement the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) effectively, promoting the import and export of goods and increasing bilateral trade value between the two countries. A tra (catfish) processing line. Tra products are entitled to a zero % tax rate when exported to the UK. The co-operation plan was a key content discussed by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An and British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward at a meeting held recently in Hanoi. At the meeting, the two leaders agreed that the UKVKTA, which took place on December 31, 2020 and being temporarily applied from January 1, 2021, will be a new driving force to take off the good relations on trade and investment in Vietnam and the UK. Despite extremely negative impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the trade exchange between the two sides still … [Read more...] about Vietnam and UK boost bilateral trade ties

The Hanoitimes - The repository is expected to facilitate free trade and open markets in Vietnam. On the sidelines of the 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings, on November 12, Mr. Greg Hands, the UK’s Minister of State for Trade Policy, and Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Vietnam’s Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, held a virtual signing ceremony of the letter of intent to officially initiate the collaboration in developing a national trade repository (NTR) for Vietnam, which will be linked to the ASEAN trade repository. An online ceremony. Photo: the British embassy in Hanoi This is a UK government funded project for Vietnam as part of the Global Trade Program under the Prosperity Fund. Information transparency is one of the key elements of a fair business environment, especially in developing countries like Vietnam. Once completed, the NTR is expected to facilitate free trade and open markets by providing easier access to regulations and trade facilitation … [Read more...] about UK and Vietnam to develop national trade repository

Oxfam distributing hygiene kits to people in Yemen amid the coronavirus crisis. Photo: Wael Algadi Oxfam today called for a package of nearly $160 billion in immediate debt cancellation and aid to fund a Global Public Health Plan and Emergency Response and help prevent millions of deaths as a result of the coronavirus.The five-point plan of this Global Public Health Plan and Emergency Response would enable poor countries to take action to prevent the spread of the disease and build up the capacity of health systems to care for those affected. The pandemic has caused widespread suffering in rich countries, overwhelming some of the best healthcare systems in the world. However, with the disease now spreading to many poor countries where high levels of poverty and inequality threaten to accelerate the disease, the public health challenges are even greater. Nearly three billion people across the developing world do not have access to clean water, while millions more do not have … [Read more...] about Oxfam: Health spending in poor countries must double to prevent millions of deaths