 Hello and welcome to the International Daily Roundup with People's Test Patch, where we bring you some of the top stories from across the globe. Let's take a look at today's headlines. WHO warns against relaxing of attitudes on pandemic calls it one big wave. Israel's shell's Lebanon claims infiltration by Hezbollah in occupied territory. Hundreds of Filipinos take to the streets against anti-terror bills called for the U.T.A.R.T.A.'s upstope. Bolivian social movements and trade unions set to protest against election delay. We begin with an update on the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, the number of infections has reached nearly 16.7 million cases, with around 656,000 fatalities reported as of today afternoon. The number of new cases reported yesterday was around 218,000. The World Health Organization has warned against comparing the novel coronavirus with the influenza. WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris, addressing the media, stated that there is a need for vigilance against misconceptions surrounding the virus. Harris insisted that neither is the virus seasonal, nor is it accurate to think of it in terms of waves. She added that it is going to be just one big wave, suggesting that the variation in numbers are not big enough to be seen as a periodic outbreak. Harris also insisted that the best outcome possible would be to flatten the curve. Israeli forces shelled areas in southern Lebanon on Monday. The attack led to the destruction of a house and no casualties have been reported so far. Israel claimed that the attack was to stop Hezbollah militants from infiltrating the Shiba farm territory under Israeli occupation. The claims of infiltration were, however, denied by Hezbollah. In an official statement, Hezbollah called the shelling a one-sided attack on Lebanon. There were speculations within Israel that Hezbollah may try to retaliate for the killing of one of its figures in Syria in an Israeli airstrike last week. Hezbollah had previously stated that retaliation for the killing will come soon. Israel has deployed additional forces on the Lebanese border, anticipating such a move. On Monday, it claimed that several Hezbollah fighters tried to enter Shiba farm, a disputed territory between Lebanon and Syria, under the Israeli occupation since 1967. Israeli forces claimed to have fired on these infiltrators. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diyab called Monday's shelling a violation of the country's sovereignty and UN resolution 1701. He called for caution in the coming days and also raised concerns of greater escalation on the border. The spokesperson of the UN, interim force in Lebanon, issued a statement and asked both the parties to maintain maximum restraint. Thousands of Filipinos across the country marched on Monday and protest against the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and the recently passed anti-terror law. The protest march came hours ahead of Duterte's State of the Nation speech held later in the day. The protests were organized by various social movements, representing the causes of women, farmers, workers and students along with religious groups, business leaders and academics. The protests were held despite preemptive arrest by authorities across the country. According to reports, at least 34 people suspected of being protesters were arrested right before the protests. The rappel reported that in the Calabarzone, administrative region alone, adjoining the capital, 64 people were arrested on their way to join the demonstration. Large rallies were held across the country with protesters demanding ousters of President Duterte and repeal of the controversial anti-terror law. Protesters also condemned political assassination and government's mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite arrest and threats from authorities, organizers have resolved to continue to struggle against rising totalitarianism in the country. In the mean value, Duterte made no mention of the COVID-19 pandemic in his address that he delivered later in the afternoon. The Philippines is fast becoming one of the worst affected nations in Asia, having reported more than 80,000 cases so far. In Bolivia, several social movements and trade unions are set to join the march today against the delayed elections. The march was called by the Central Obrera Boliviana or the COB, a trade union center and the Pact of Unity Alliance of Crossroads movements. Last week, the Supreme Electoral Court of the TSE postponed the election schedule for September 6th through October 18th, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. The COB and the Pact of Unity rejected it as a decision made at the behest of the coup in the State Government led by Jeanine Arnaz. The two movements gave the cause for unification by mobilizations, demanding restoration of the democracy and to abide by the September 6th schedule. The TSE has been criticized for its complicity in the attempts of the country's right-wing to delay the democratic elections. Various indigenous peasant rural and women's organizations announced to carry out massive demonstrations in the capital La Paz and elsewhere under the banner for democracy, health and life. Trade unions have also threatened to carry out indefinite mobilizations and roadblocks across the country. The organizers urged the citizens to wear face masks and gloves and carry hand sanitizers, keeping in mind the rising number of COVID-19 cases. In our infocus section today, we bring you a feature on how Vietnam has successfully combated the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam, with a population of 100 million people, has not recorded a single death from COVID-19. There has not been a single local case of the virus in the last three months. How has Vietnam been so successful in combating the virus, where many richer and more powerful countries have failed? The Vietnamese government's response was quick and organized, and the government mobilized the people to respond as well. Preparations began as soon as the number of cases in neighboring China began to rise, much before other countries took the virus threat seriously. On 16 January, even before it was clear that the virus could spread through human transmission, Vietnam's Ministry of Health informed other government agencies and the people of the dangers of the virus, urging them to act immediately. After human-to-human transmission was confirmed, the health ministry issued detailed instructions to hospitals and clinics on tackling the virus on 21 January. On 24 January, the government decided to carry out screenings at all border posts, an essential step since Vietnam shares a 1,400-kilometer border with China. The schools were also closed at the end of January. On 30 January, Prime Minister Wayne Xuan Phuc established a national steering committee on epidemic prevention. Two days later on February 1st, the prime minister declared a national emergency. This early and aggressive response has allowed Vietnam to already return to normal, even as many countries are still seeing a dramatic rise in cases. Apart from the usage of masks, physical distancing and targeted control, the country has reopened, which means it will also face much less economic damage than other countries. Schools were also reopened in early May. The Communist Party of Vietnam early on issued the motto, fighting the epidemic is like fighting against the enemy. In keeping with this motto, the battle against the virus was fought scientifically. Testing was also scaled up massively. Over 100 laboratories all over Vietnam performed real-time polymerase chain reaction tests, which gave much faster results. By April end, 27,000 test samples could be processed daily. Extensive contact tracing is carried out for every positive result. A multi-tire isolation system was formulated which enabled Vietnam to break the chain of infection without locking down the entire population. Availability of safety equipment was ensured. The government directed public sector companies to manufacture PPEs, ventilators, hand sanitizers, etc. Vietnam also sent 450,000 PPE units to the U.S. in an act of solidarity. The government deployed different communication methods to disseminate safety information, a music video posted by the Minister of Health, which explained hand-washing and physical distancing went viral. Announcements, posters, social media campaigns, texts, messages to citizens. All of these and more are being utilized for information campaigns. To ensure no one suffers from hunger, the government set up food kitchens to feed anyone in need. These efforts were also aided by philanthropists who set up price ATMs to distribute food to those who had lost their incomes. The Vietnamese government, under the leadership of the Communist Party, has thus been able to combat COVID-19 with its socialist approach. The government's multi-sector response incorporated different branches of the public sector and grassroots organizations. The socialist approach, based on scientific action, public sector production of essential goods, and internationalism provides a model for others to follow. The fact that Vietnam, a middle-income country with 100 million people, has only had a total of around 400 cases till late July is a testament to the power of the socialist approach. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thank you for watching.