(VOVWORLD) -The European Parliament halted on Thursday ratification of a new investment pact with China until Beijing lifts sanctions on EU politicians, deepening a dispute in Sino-European relations and denying EU companies greater access to China.

(VOVWORLD) -The Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit that was due to be held in Singapore next month has been canceled, the organisers said on Thursday, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the host country.

(VOVWORLD) - An Egyptian-mediated truce between Israel and Hamas began on Friday.

(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam confirmed 24 local COVID-19 infections on Friday morning, raising the national count in its latest COVID wave to 1,786.

(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam confirmed 119 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours as of Thursday evening.

(VOVWORLD) - 44 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Vietnam as of Thursday noon, with all in quarantine facilities or locked-down areas, according to the Ministry of Health.

(VOVWORLD) - Bac Ninh province has asked the Health Ministry to increase medical supplies for the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases.

(VOVWORLD) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke on Wednesday with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and called for an end to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

(VOVWORLD) - Voters in mountain and border areas in Nghe An, Quang Binh and Kien Giang province will go for early election on Friday.

(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam joined other 26 member states of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) at the ARF Defence Officials’ Dialogue (DOD), which was chaired by Haji Adi Ihram Bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Policy and Strategy at the Brunei Defence Ministry, and David Lewis, Assistant Secretary Southeast Asia under the Australia’s Department of Defence in the form of video conference.