Dozens of children in Vietnam have been born to infertile parents under a program that pays for the costs of the expensive in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for low-income couples who struggle to conceive naturally. The annual program, known as ‘Uom mam hanh phuc’ (Sowing Happiness), was launched in 2014 by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who spearheaded the introduction of IVF treatment in Vietnam in the late 1990s. Each year, organizers select from hundreds of applications and provide financial as well as medical support to some dozen couples who need help the most. Selected couples are sponsored for all steps of a standard IVF treatment, which is a process of fertilizing an egg with sperm outside of the body. This treatment involves monitoring and stimulating a woman's ovulatory process, removing ova from the woman's ovaries, letting sperm fertilize them in a laboratory, and implanting the resultant embryo in the female’s uterus. A couple plays with their … [Read more...] about Privately-run program sponsors free IVF treatment for infertile couples in Vietnam
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Vietnam – UK free trade agreement takes new step for bilateral ties
The Hanoitimes - A trade deal in place will help ensure continuity in trade relations between the UK and Vietnam after Brexit’s transitional period ends on December 31, 2020. Vietnam and the UK today [December 11] officially concluded the negotiation process for the UK – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA). Overview of the signing ceremony. Source: MoIT. The agreed minutes on the conclusion of the free trade agreement negotiation were signed by Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and the UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss in Hanoi. “The agreed minutes signed today is a first major step towards the signing of the UKVFTA in the coming time,” stated Mr. Anh. The Vietnam minister said both sides started the negotiation process for the deal since August 2018. As the UK is set to leave the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) after the Brexit’s transitional period ends on December 31, 2020, a new FTA between Vietnam and the UK … [Read more...] about Vietnam – UK free trade agreement takes new step for bilateral ties
How a 10-second video clip sold for $6.6 million
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
Vietnam and UK boost bilateral trade ties
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
VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 1
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