World cup qualifiers

In 2019, Singapore's total trade in goods with the Pacific Alliance was 6.1 billion USD, or around a third of its total trade in goods with Latin America. (Source: Straitstimes) Singapore (VNA) – Singapore and the Pacific Alliance (PA) have concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement, towards the signing of the deal in late 2021, the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Industry announced on July 22. The Pacific Alliance, which comprises four Latin American nations of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, is the eighth-largest exporter in the world, with a combined population of 230 million, a per capita gross domestic product of 19,000 USD and annual exports totalling 627 billion USD. It is also the eighth-largest economy worldwide, attracting 56 million tourists, making up 41 percent of the GDP of Latin America and the Caribbean, and accounting for 38 percent of its foreign direct investment. In 2019, Singapore's total trade in goods with the PA was 6.1 billion USD, or …

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Singapore's National Day Parade celebrations at the Marina Bay floating platform in 2018. Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s National Day Parade (NDP) this year will be postponed to August 21 after the end of the latest COVID-19 restrictions, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said on July 22. The announcement came as Singapore reverted to stricter preventive measures against the pandemic, which are scheduled to last until August 18, after the National Day (August 9). The heartland fireworks and Red Lions displays previously announced to be held on August 7 and 8 will be cancelled. The NDP rehearsal previously planned for July 24 and the preview on July 31 have also been postponed, said Mindef. The postponement of the event comes after several petitions emerged online calling for the parade’s cancellation out of concern that proceeding with the parade could lead to a further spread of COVID-19. One petition on Change.org calling for the cancellation of NDP had gathered …

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Participants at the meeting (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Australia) Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh on July 22 chaired a meeting of the ASEAN Committee in Canberra (ACC) to sketch out the committee’s operation plan in the rest of the year. This is the third meeting of the ACC so far this year and the first hosted by Vietnam as the chair of the committee from July to December 2021. Participants agreed that the ACC should continue promoting its role of connecting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the host country and strengthening the strategic partnership between the bloc and Australia in all fields, thus promoting the common interests of the countries and people in Australia. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic’s complicated developments in the region and the world, ASEAN member countries showed solidarity and cooperation with Australia, and thanked the country for providing support to members of the association. …

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Vietnamese archers Nguyen Hoang Phi Vu and Do Thi Anh Nguyet in a training session in Tokyo, Japan (Photo: VNA) Tokyo (VNA) - Vietnamese athletes begin competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 23. Archer Do Thi Anh Nguyet was the first Vietnamese athlete to compete at the Games from 9am (local time). This is also the first time that Vietnamese archers have qualified for the global sporting event. The 20-year-old archer is competing against 63 rivals in the women’s recurve bow category, which is her forte. On the same day, Nguyen Hoang Phi Vu, another archer of Vietnam, will also start his journey in the men’s recurve category. He will also confront 63 rivals in the event. If the total points of the two archers are among the top 16, they will advance to the next round of the mixed team category slated for July 24. In addition, their points are counted at the women’s and men’s singles. The Vietnamese delegation to the Tokyo Olympics comprises 43 members, …

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This is the fifth and also the biggest shipment of the deal to purchase 30 million doses signed between AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) with support from the Ministry of Health. To date, over 3.1 million doses of the contract have delivered to Vietnam. The amount accounted for approximately 37 percent of the AstraZeneca vaccine volume Vietnam has received, with the remainder coming from the COVAX Facility or donated by other countries. Nitin Kapoor, President for Asia Area Frontier Markets at AstraZeneca who is also Chairman and General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, said the amount of the vaccine brought to Vietnam in July 2021 shows AstraZeneca's efforts to accelerate its supply to support Vietnam's fight against the pandemic. In total, nearly 8.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been delivered to Vietnam, accounting for 76 percent of the country's Covid-19 vaccine volume. He vowed that the company will continue its …

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Through the forum, women will find out solutions to ensure that digital transformation can be actively applied in women's participation in economic activities. The 8th Vietnam-Korea Women’s Forum opened virtually in Hanoi on July 21, focusing on promoting digital technology towards sustainable development. The event was part of activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Korea in 2022, as well as contributing to the implementation of the cooperation agreement between the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) and the Korean Women’s Development Institute (KWDI). Vice Chairwoman of the VWU Tran Thi Huong speaks at the forum. Photo: Ngu Binh Speaking at the forum, Vice Chairwoman of the VWU Tran Thi Huong said that this year's forum touches on a very topical issue: the ordeal that women are facing amid the Covid-19 pandemic: "Women in the digital world”. "This year's forum is a good opportunity …

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This is the fifth and also the biggest shipment of the deal to purchase 30 million doses signed between AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) with support from the Ministry of Health. To date, over 3.1 million doses of the contract have delivered to Vietnam. The amount accounted for approximately 37 percent of the  AstraZeneca vaccine volume Vietnam has received, with the remainder coming from the COVAX Facility or donated by other countries. Nitin Kapoor, President for Asia Area Frontier Markets at AstraZeneca who is also Chairman and General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, said the amount of the vaccine brought to Vietnam in July 2021 shows AstraZeneca's efforts to accelerate its supply to support Vietnam's fight against the pandemic. In total, nearly 8.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been delivered to Vietnam, accounting for 76 percent of the country's COVID-19 vaccine volume. He vowed that the company will continue its …

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The contingent is commanded by Naval Captain Trinh Xuan Tung, Deputy Commanding Officer of Naval Region 4 of the Vietnam People's Navy (VPN). As scheduled, on July 25, the ships will take part in a fleet review in celebration of the 325th anniversary of the Russian Navy before competing in the “Sea Cup” event for naval units within the framework of the International Army Games 2021 (Army Games 2021). During the journey, passing more than 2,300 nautical miles, the ships maintained combat readiness and were ready to grasp any situations in a timely manner, contributing to ensuring smooth communication with the Headquarters of the Naval Region 4 Command and VPN. Meanwhile, the machinery, weapons and technical equipment of the two warships were well preserved and maintained. On this occasion, the two ships also carried out long-distance maritime training sessions, evaluated combat readiness and mastered weapons, so as to enhance operation of Vietnamese naval warships and show the …

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"Due to the large number of infected people, Russian authorities couldn't trace every source of infection and put them in quarantine camps like the Vietnamese government did. Most of the positive cases were isolated in their homes," said Tran Dam Rang, 27, an Earth Science researcher who has lived in Russia for nine years. He said he had contracted Covid-19 and recovered more than two weeks ago, after a period of self-quarantine and treatment in the dormitory. When a positive case was detected, the dormitory management asked residents of each floor to limit contact with people on other floors. In case positive cases were found on multiple floors, the local health authority isolated the whole building, conducted testing and monitored treatment until there were no infected people left in the building. Only then were the barricades removed. Those not living in the dormitory were instructed to isolate and monitor themselves at home. They would be punished if they left the house of …

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By MyLan Holland-Research assistant, EQuest Asia Sexual harassment at work is a manifestation of unequal power dynamics most often, if not always, between men and women – though this is not to say that women cannot be perpetrators and men victims. Men frequently occupy more senior and better-paid positions, leaving women more vulnerable to sexual harassment precisely because they lack power, are in more insecure positions, may lack self-confidence, or have been socialised to suffer in silence. Embarrassed and afraid of losing their job, most victims keep silent when sexually harassed in the workplace. Patriarchal behaviour, archaic views of female subjugation and male dominance, misconceptions about female sexuality, and a lack of respect for women’s rights all contribute to sexual harassment. The most recent governmental code to address sexual harassment in Vietnam is the Labour Code 2019, which entered into force on January 1 this year, giving a clearer legal definition to …

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