Jailed 10 years

The PM had a working session with key leaders of Tuyen Quang on February 23 after attending the launching of the tree-planting festival in the northern mountainous province. He stressed that Tuyen Quang should become an important hub of wood industry of Vietnam and the region, asking the locality to mobilize all resources for the goal. At the same time, Tuyen Quang should expand a number of other agricultural sectors, he said, suggesting that the province increase the area of sugar canes for export and call on investors to invest more in agriculture and forestry. The PM reminded Tuyen Quang, the province to pay greater attention to preserving and promoting unique cultural identities of ethnic minority groups in the locality, thus boosting the development of tourism and service sectors. PM Phuc expressed delight at dramatic changes that the province has made in the past 10 years in both urban and rural areas. However, he noted that the province has still faced many difficulties in socio-economic development and investment attraction, keeping it a poor province. On the occasion, PM Phuc visited the Tan Trao special national relic site in Son Duong district, which comprises 183 smaller relic sites having close relations with the national liberation cause in the middle of the 20th century. He also visited and presented gifts to Cao Thi Co, a Heroic Vietnamese Mother in Tan Quang ward of Tuyen Quang city and Nguyen Dinh Phung, a former revolutionary official in An Tuong ward. Source: VNA …

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Deceased Japanese expert infected with new virus variant: Health Minister A Japanese expert who died in Hanoi on February 13 has been infected with a new variant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, said Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long. Long announced the results of the expert’s genome sequencing at a meeting of permanent Cabinet members in Hanoi on February 24. He did not reveal specifically but said this was the first time the new strain has been detected in Vietnam. The strain, he said, has circulated mainly in the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), and India. According to the minister, Japan, the deceased expert’s home country, has yet to record this strain. To scientists, the strain it not highly transmissible, but the extent of its aggravation is not clear, said Long. Epidemiologists stated that the new strain is not linked to the fresh coronavirus hotspot in Hai Duong province where a variant strain originating from the United States was recorded. The Japanese expert entered Vietnam on January 17 through Tan Son Nhat International Airport. He was placed in quarantine in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Binh District from January 17-31 upon his arrival. He left the quarantine facility and flew to Hanoi on February 1 after testing negative twice, on January 17 and 31. The man stayed at Somerset West Point Hanoi hotel in Quang An ward, Tay Ho district, and travelled back and forth between the hotel and his company Mitsui Vietnam. He was found dead in his hotel room on February 13. Subsequent tests showed he had carried the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Sailors infected with COVID-19 aboard Indonesian vessel off southern coast Five sailors aboard Ocean Amazing, an Indonesian-flagged cargo vessel off the southern coast of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to a report released by the provincial Centre for Disease Control (CDC). Healthcare workers have already collected nasal swabs from the sailors …

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Shrimps processed for export (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City ’s Department of Industry and Trade has set the target to export 48.19 billion USD worth of products in 2021, a year-on-year surge of 10 percent. Under its development plan for 2021 recently submitted to the municipal People’s Committee, the sector said import revenue is estimated at 56.47 billion USD for the whole year, up 11 percent against the previous year. Besides, it eyed to reel in more than 835.68 trillion VND (36.29 billion USD) from retail sales and services revenues in the year, up 10 percent year-on-year. The department said it will carry out necessary measures in a comprehensive fashion to branch out industry and trade, contributing to promoting economic recovery of the southern hub. Earlier, HCM City set a goal of boosting the export of its key products this year and beyond via trade promotion activities and assistance to enterprises. Head of the statistics office Huynh Van Hung said COVID-19 has been largely brought under control around Vietnam, resulting in the production sector exhibiting signs of recovery. Local enterprises, however, continue to face difficulties as many major trading nations are yet to open their markets. He noted that enterprises are in need of diverse and long-term support relating to information on importers of materials and fuel, new markets and partners, and domestic consumption stimulus measures. According to Nguyen Phuong Dong, Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, despite facing myriad challenges, last year the city still saw five goods post export turnover in excess of 1 billion USD: computers-electronic products and components, with 17.8 billion USD; garment-textile 4.3 billion USD; footwear 2.2 billion USD; machinery-equipment-spare parts 2.2 billion USD; and other goods 6.9 billion USD. Together their export value accounted for 83.5 percent of the city’s total. Key export markets remained …

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