Australias barrier reef

The Management Board of the Cham Island Marine Protected Area in Hoi An city in central Quang Nam province finished a clean-up of the seabed to protect coral reefs in the waters of Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands) on March 8 after a couple of days. Cleaning up the seabed in Cu Lao Cham (Photo: baoquangnam.vn) This was the first-ever clean-up to protect the coral reefs from natural enemies and household waste. Volunteers cleaned up coral reefs in Bai Tra, Bai Nan, Bai Xep, and Bai Bac beaches and caught crown-of-thorns starfish, a natural enemy of coral reefs. The board also measured the vulnerability of marine ecological systems and assessed vegetation coverage to identify specific measures to protect the reefs. …

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Myanmar is experiencing political instability after its army seized power and detained government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership last month. Protests have broken out nationwide and at least 50 people have been killed. Hunter Marston, a PhD researcher with the Australian National University, said that "Vietnam can play a constructive role within ASEAN to encourage Myanmar to return to stability and release political prisoners." He said Vietnam, chair of ASEAN last year, has shown that it values the rule of law, international peace and stability. Tear gas and fire extinguisher gas float around demonstrators during a protest against the military coup in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 8, 2021. Photo by Reuters. According to Marston, ASEAN might not really push for a diplomatic solution to Myanmar but the association could play an important role in negotiations with other countries that are capable of forcing the military to negotiate with the elected government and protesters. Among these, the key countries are Japan, Australia, and China. Australia could push for a diplomatic solution because it has some communication with Myanmar’s military and may not adopt widespread sanctions like the U.S. Japan has a long history of providing aid and assistance to Myanmar, despite repeated military coups in the past, so Japan is a trusted partner and a major investor with a lot of influence over the country. China is probably the most important country for Myanmar's military, and is likely to take a more active approach this time to pushing the military towards return to democracy. Marston said he expected to see the key countries act together, sit down with Myanmar's military generals and tell them that they need to restore democracy for peace in the country, failing which these countries will stop trading or investing in the country. "Speaking with one voice, those external parties can influence Myanmar's military thinking." He …

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No new COVID-19 infections logged on March 9 morning Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6:00 am on March 9, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The country recorded 1,586 domestically-transmitted infections, including 893 cases since the latest outbreak began on January 27. As many as 45,219 people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide, including 506 in hospitals, 14,266 in other quarantine sites, and 30,446 at home. Among the patients under treatment, 65 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 57 twice, and 137 thrice. The Treatment Sub-committee said that 1,920 patients have been declared to be clear of the coronavirus so far. Vietnam launched its COVID-19 vaccination programme on March 8, with healthcare workers being first in the queue. They received AstraZeneca vaccine shots, which was granted the Emergency Use Listing by the World Health Organisation for active immunisation to prevent COVID-19 in individuals aged from 18. In a bid to live safely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (health declaration)./. Dozens of illegal immigrants found in border provinces Police in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have detected tens of Chinese citizens illegally entering Vietnam. The provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control said on March 8 that 34 illegal Chinese immigrants had been sent to concentrated quarantine facilities and tested for COVID-19. Further investigation and contact tracing are underway. Local authorities and residents were asked to stay vigilant and follow pandemic preventive measures. Earlier on March 4 and 7, police in Chau Doc city found automobiles carrying seven and 13 Chinese …

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