After donating blood

* Philippine and US soldiers will conduct a two-week joint military exercise from Monday, resuming the annual training event after last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic, the Philippine military chief said on Sunday.

* The funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh will be held at Windsor on April 17, with no public access nor public procession beforehand, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said Saturday. The event is to be a “ceremonial royal funeral”, rather than a state funeral, which “very much reflects the duke’s wishes”, a palace spokesman said.

* China has administered 164.47 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Saturday, the National Health Commission said on Sunday. This represents around 24.5 million doses in the past six days, as the country’s vaccine rollout continues to accelerate.

* Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll has risen to 351,334 after 2,616 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, the country registered 71,832 new cases, bringing the national tally to 13,445,006, the ministry said.

* Russia reported on Sunday 8,702 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,090 in Moscow, taking the national infection tally to 4,641,390 since the pandemic began. The government coronavirus taskforce reported 337 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total death toll to 102,986.

* Thailand on Sunday reported 967 new COVID-19 cases, its biggest daily jump, but no new deaths as the country deals with a third wave of infections and a highly contagious variant. Of the infections, 964 were domestic transmissions, including 236 in the capital Bangkok, the epicentre of an outbreak that has spread to most of Thailand’s 77 provinces.

* Malaysia reported 1,739 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, bringing the national total to 360,856. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that eight of the new cases are imported and with 1,731 being local transmissions. Eight more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 1,329.

* Israel views the United States as a “full partner” and will work closely with its ally to ensure any new diplomatic accord with Iran does not compromise regional security, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz told his US counterpart on Sunday.

* French lawmakers voted late on Saturday to abolish domestic flights on routes than can be covered by train in under two-and-a-half hours, as the government seeks to lower carbon emissions even as the air travel industry reels from the global pandemic.

* Israel’s defence minister pledged on Sunday to cooperate with the United States on Iran, voicing hope that Israeli security would be safeguarded under any renewed Iranian nuclear deal that Washington reaches.

* Voting began in Benin’s presidential election on Sunday following a week of violent protests against incumbent Patrice Talon, who is heavily favoured to win a second term.

* The Republic of Korea authorities said on Sunday they will move ahead with a coronavirus vaccination drive this week, after deciding to continue using AstraZeneca PLC’s vaccine for all eligible people 30 years old or over. The ROK on Wednesday suspended providing the AstraZeneca shot to people under 60 as Europe reviewed cases of blood clotting in adults.

* Peruvians were preparing to head to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election marked by uncertainty due to widespread public apathy following decades of graft and mismanagement and a possible low turnout because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

* The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 17,855 to 2,998,268, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 104 to 78,353.

* Tropical cyclone Seroja strenthened off Western Australia on Sunday, with emergency services opening shelters in preparation for high winds and coastal flooding later in the evening.

* People arriving in Ireland from the United States and 15 other countries and regions will have to complete a 14-day mandatory quarantine at a government-designated facility starting from 4 a.m. (Irish time) on April 15, according to a latest decision of the Irish government.

* Munir Akram, the president of United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Pakistan’s UN ambassador, on Friday called on the global community to address the crisis of inequality and mobilize financing for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

* The United Arab Emirates has selected the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut, as the Gulf country rapidly expands into the space sector to diversify its economy.

* The Saudi-led military coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi movement intercepted and destroyed drones launched by the Iran-aligned group towards Khamis Mushait and Jazan in southern Saudi Arabia, state media said on Sunday. The coalition said it would take “necessary operational measures” to protect civilians in line with international law.

* The occupancy rate of Egypt’s hotels, which are running at half capacity due to COVID-19 regulations, was between 40% and 45% in the first quarter, an official from the tourism ministry told Reuters on Sunday. This amounts to an occupancy rate of nearly 25% if hotels were running at full capacity, according to Reuters calculations.

A local health worker prepares an AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 during vaccination in Manila on March 30, 2021, after the government imposed stricter lockdown, as hospitals in the capital struggle to cope with a surge in coronavirus infections.(Jam STA ROSA / AFP)

It comes amid a record surge in coronavirus infections that has forced more than 24 million people in the capital and surrounding provinces into a lockdown.

Several European countries have suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine for younger populations after it was earlier banned outright in several places over blood clot scares.

The EU’s medicines regulator said Wednesday blood clots should be listed as rare side effects of the jab, but the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.

“While we have not seen such incidents in the country, the FDA has recommended to temporarily suspend the use of the vaccine for persons below 60 years old as we await results of the review being done by our local experts, as well as the official guidance of the WHO,” Food and Drug Administration director-general Eric Domingo said.

The Philippines has received around 2.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far — the majority from China’s Sinovac.

It also got 525,600 AstraZeneca doses through the Covax programme, most of which have been administered already, according to official data.

The country expects another three million AstraZeneca doses in the coming months.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s government has been skewered by critics over its handling of the pandemic and efforts to secure vaccines.

The 2.5 million doses received so far represent a fraction of the shots Manila has been negotiating with seven manufacturers to secure.

The bulk of the supply is not expected until later this year.

But the challenge is not limited to stock.

Low public confidence in vaccines remains after the country became the first to deploy the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia in 2016.

A botched rollout led to unfounded claims that several dozen children had died from the jab, and a recent survey showed about 60 percent of the population were unwilling to be inoculated against Covid-19.

“I want to emphasize that this temporary suspension DOES NOT MEAN that the vaccine is unsafe or ineffective — it just means that we are taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of every Filipino,” Domingo said in the statement.

The World Health Organization’s Western Pacific office on Wednesday backed the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the region.

“Available data do not suggest any overall increase in the clotting conditions in the vaccinated population as compared to the general population,” Socorro Escalante, WHO essential medicines coordinator, told reporters.

The European Medicines Agency examined 86 blood clotting cases, 18 of which were fatal, out of around 25 million people in Europe who received the AstraZeneca vaccine. Most of the cases were in women aged under 60.

AFP

A scene in the thriller Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh (The Guardian), a production by Vietnamese-American director Victor Vũ. The film will be distributed in 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and US, after its premiere in Việt Nam on April 30. — Photo courtesy of the producer

HCM CITY — Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh (The Guardian), a production by Vietnamese-American director Victor Vũ, will be distributed in cinemas in 12 countries after its premiere in Việt Nam on April 30.

The film’s producer, Tfilm Entertainment, has announced it is working with its foreign partners to release Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh in Australia, Canada, Hungary, France, Ireland, the UK and US.

The film will also be in cinemas in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Czech Republic.

Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh features three young women who feed and dress life-sized baby dolls as if they are living things.

Its trailer, which features haunting scenes, has attracted more than 103,000 views on YouTube.

Director Vũ combined Vietnamese and Hollywood styles in his film.

“My film reflects the weak points in young people’s psychology,” said Vũ, a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in the US.

Vũ began his career in Việt Nam in 2008 after his first film in the country, Chuyện Tình Xa Xứ (Passport to Love), won the title Favourite Film at the Golden Kite Awards from the Việt Nam Cinematography Association. The romantic comedy was distributed in the US in 2009.

In 2012, his third film, Thiên Mệnh Anh Hùng (Blood Letter), a kung fu production, won the jury prize at the International Film Festival in Hà Nội.

One year later, his Bí Mật Thảm Đỏ (Scandal), a work about the dark side of show business, received the Golden Kite Prize for Best Director.

His two thriller films, Quả Tim Máu (Vengeful Heart) and Người Bất Tử (The Immortal), were blockbusters in 2014 and 2018.

Vũ loves capturing landscapes across Việt Nam in his films.

“I love working in Việt Nam. I have learned a lot about the country’s history, and its traditional culture and lifestyle,” said Vũ.

Vũ’s Mắt Biếc (Dreamy Eyes), released in 2019, was chosen by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to compete in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscar awards ceremony this year.

The film was listed among the industry’s top 10 hits with more than VNĐ127 billion (US$5.5 million) at the Vietnamese box office.

Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh will be distributed in Việt Nam by Thiên Ngân Galaxy Studio. — VNS

Ngô Tùng Bích, 80 years old, teaches poor children in the border area of Bình Phước Province to practise writing letters. — Photo sggp.org.vn

BÌNH PHƯỚC — Though he may be 80 years old, Ngô Tùng Bích is far from retired.

The man in Tân Hòa Village, southern Bình Phước Province, teaches poor children in his area for free.

Tân Hòa, Tân Tiến Commune has a border with Cambodia where people from several ethnic groups live.

Their life remains unstable and depends largely on farming.

After seeing children at school age who were still illiterate or had dropped out of school, Bích opened free classes to teach children from grade one to grade five in 2009.

“On the first days when classes had just opened, I taught them in a hut with a roof made from leaves and some old furniture for five to seven children to sit on,” he told Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper.

Bích had to teach children in five grades at the same time. One group learned maths, one studied writing, another practised reading.

Word of the classes spread in the area and more and more students signed up. During the summer holidays, the class receives up to 30 children.

Bích helps the children review old knowledge and teaches them new things to keep up with the school curriculum.

Bích said he taught children not only maths and literature but also moral lessons to help them become good people.

After learning of Bích’s charity work, many people have donated desks, chairs, books and boards.

Đàm Văn Hàn lives in Tân Hòa Village and his son attends Bích’s class.

“My son’s academic performance was only average because of the family’s economic difficulties and lacking care from parents. Since my son studied with teacher Bích, he has become more diligent, focused on his studies and gradually improved his performance at school,” he said.

Hàn, the father, used to be Bích’s student when Bích opened the first classes ten years ago.

“I want my children and grandchildren in my family to continue studying with teacher Bích. He has taught two generations of my family, but has never taken tuition.”

Bích has even taught disabled children and five years ago, he admitted a 15-year-old boy who had problems with moving his arms and legs.

The boy’s parents trusted Bích to teach him because no school agreed to receive the disabled boy.

“Teaching the disabled boy was such a challenging time because I had to spend hours talking to him, telling him sentences and asking him to repeat to practise speaking. Half a year later, the boy could speak and is now proficient in four basic calculations,” Bích said.

Bích runs the classes for free but his own family is classified as a poor household in the area.

He and his wife live on the financial support of their children who work far from home.

Despite his difficult life, he said: “As long as I am in a good state of health, I will keep teaching. The children’s success is the highest reward for my teaching career.” — VNS