The Guardian view on Hong Kong: the voice of Beijing, not of justice

Campaigners in Hong Kong and abroad say it is vindictive to imprison pro-democracy protestors over a sit-in. They are right
Student pro-democracy activists Nathan Law (L) and Joshua Wong (R) speak to the media outside Hong Kong’s high court on the day of their sentencing
Student pro-democracy activists Nathan Law (L) and Joshua Wong (R) speak to the media outside Hong Kong’s high court on the day of their sentencing. Photograph: Vernon Yuen/EPA

The jailing of Joshua Wong, Hong Kong’s youthful “face of protest”, and of his fellow activists Nathan Law and Alex Chow, is technically a matter of law but in reality one of politics. Two of them had already carried out community service for unlawful assembly or inciting unlawful assembly; the third had received a suspended sentence. That was not enough. They have been at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement, inspiring many more in Hong Kong to rally in defence of the greater freedoms it has enjoyed compared to the mainland under the “one country-two systems” formula. Authorities have been determined to silence these voices. By appealing against the “rather dangerous” supposed leniency of the original sentences, they have succeeded, for now. Tiếp tục đọc “The Guardian view on Hong Kong: the voice of Beijing, not of justice”

Barcelona terror attack: At least 13 dead and two arrested after van drives into Las Ramblas crowd

Independent.co.uk

Police arrest two suspects after terror attack leaves dozens in hospital

At least 13 people have died and 100 have been injured after a van ploughed into a crowd of people in Las Ramblas area of Barcelona, in an attack that mirrors the spate of recent atrocities by terrorists who used vehicles to ram down civilians across Europe.

Catalan authorities confirmed that 13 people have been killed and 15 people are seriously injured following the attack in the area popular with tourists.

A Belgian national is among the dead, said Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders. Tiếp tục đọc “Barcelona terror attack: At least 13 dead and two arrested after van drives into Las Ramblas crowd”

Hiệp định Tránh Đánh thuế hai lần ở Việt Nam: Thảm đỏ cho ai?

Date published Friday, June 23, 2017

AA – Hiệp định Tránh đánh thuế hai lần (DTT) nhằm loại bỏ thuế đánh trùng. DTT quyết định các nước có thể đánh thuế bao nhiêu đối với các công ty đa quốc gia và các hoạt động xuyên biên giới khác. DTT cũng nhằm mục đích ngăn cản việc một công ty hoặc cá nhân bị đánh thuế hai lần khi họ đặt trụ sở tại một quốc gia nhưng lại làm việc hoặc đăng ký kinh doanh ở một quốc gia khác. Tiếp tục đọc “Hiệp định Tránh Đánh thuế hai lần ở Việt Nam: Thảm đỏ cho ai?”

Bản đồ hoá hiện trạng nước mặt toàn cầu: Mapping long-term global surface water occurrence

ec.europa.eu_In an article published in Nature on 7 December 2016, JRC scientists describe how, in collaboration with Google, they have quantified changes in global surface waters and created interactive maps which highlight the changes in the Earth’s surface water over the past 32 years.

The data show that the impacts of climate on where and when surface water occurs can be measured, and that the presence of surface water can be substantially altered by human activities.The data show that the impacts of climate on where and when surface water occurs can be measured, and that the presence of surface water can be substantially altered by human activities.
©EU/Google 2016

Based on over three million satellite scenes (1 823 Terabytes of data) collected between 1984 and 2015, the Global Surface Water Explorer was produced using 10 000 computers running in parallel. The individual images were transformed into a set of global maps with a 30-metre resolution, which enable users to scroll back in time to measure the changes in the location and persistence of surface water globally, by region, or for a specific area. The maps are available for all users, free of charge. Tiếp tục đọc “Bản đồ hoá hiện trạng nước mặt toàn cầu: Mapping long-term global surface water occurrence”

Exploring Interdependencies in Global Resource Trade

resourcetrade.earth features powerful interactive visualisations that provide easy access to an extensive and authoritative database of international trade in natural resources, developed from United Nations data. The Chatham House Resource Trade database reorganizes UN Comtrade data into a natural resource hierarchy, covering trade in over 1,350 different types of natural resources and resource products, including agricultural, fishery and forestry products, fossil fuels, metals and other minerals, and pearls and gemstones. The site allows users to easily interrogate resource trade flows between more than 200 countries and territories since the year 2000, by monetary value and by weight, at varying degrees of granularity and aggregation.The political economy of natural resources is increasingly shaped by large, structural shifts in the changing natural environment, in the deepening interrelationship between resource systems and actors, and in the rebalancing of global income and power. We consider these dynamics in the stories section of the site, which provides detailed explorations of different facets of resource trade and the economic, political, and environmental implications of resource interdependencies. Featuring expert analysis and insights from Chatham House and others, this section will continue to expand with new content over time. We launch with an overarching look at the scale and significance of resource trade, and Professor Tim Benton considers the state of agricultural trade, food security, and the potential impacts of an outbreak of protectionism affecting the key food commodities.

 

For the first time, resourcetrade.earth opens up complex patterns of resource trade for examination by non-experts as well as policy-makers, civil society groups, business analysts, and everyone with an interest in resource trade dynamics and their environmental impacts.

Lương tối thiểu, chuỗi cung ứng toàn cầu và tăng trưởng toàn diện

Phỏng vấn TS Chang-Hee Lee, Giám đốc ILO Việt Nam

ILO Ngày 16 tháng 8 năm 2017

Ông có thể cho biết quan điểm của ILO về mức tăng lương tối thiểu 6,5% cho năm 2018?

Đây là quyết định chung của Chính phủ, người sử dụng lao động và công đoàn thông qua Hội đồng Tiền lương Quốc gia, và Tổ chức Lao động Quốc tế (ILO) hoàn toàn tôn trọng điều đó. Tôi chắc chắn rằng quá trình đi đến đồng thuận về mức tăng lương tối thiếu không hề đơn giản bởi mỗi bên đứng từ những lập trường và lợi ích riêng.

Có thể có nhiều luồng quan điểm về mức tăng 6,5%. Người lao động và công đoàn nói rằng nó không đủ để đảm bảo mức sống tối thiểu. Ngược lại, người sử dụng lao động, đặc biệt trong các ngành xuất khẩu, lại cho rằng sức cạnh tranh của họ bị ảnh hưởng nếu lương tối thiểu cứ tiếp tục tăng. Đây là những luận điểm mà bạn có thể nghe thấy ở hầu hết các quốc gia có hội nhập thương mại toàn cầu. Tiếp tục đọc “Lương tối thiểu, chuỗi cung ứng toàn cầu và tăng trưởng toàn diện”

US State Department – International Religious Freedom Report for 2016

This report is the opinion of the US State Department,
not of CVD or any of its authors, translators or admins.

 

Vietnam

 

Executive Summary

The constitution states that all people have the right to freedom of belief and religion. Current law, however, provides for significant government control over religious practices and includes vague provisions that permit restrictions on religious freedom in the stated interest of national security and social unity. In November the National Assembly passed a new Law on Belief and Religion, which is scheduled to come into effect in January 2018. The implementation decree for the new law remained pending release. Tiếp tục đọc “US State Department – International Religious Freedom Report for 2016”

Pristine and splendid beauty of Nam Du Archipelago

Last update 14:47 | 16/08/2017

Besides the famous Phu Quoc Island, Nam Du Archipelago, also in Kien Giang province, has been known as a summer paradise in Vietnam. Let’s contemplate the pristine and splendid scenery of Nam Du through the lens of photographers at Zing’s photo contest.

Pristine and splendid beauty of Nam Du Archipelago, travel news, Vietnam guide, Vietnam airlines, Vietnam tour, tour Vietnam, Hanoi, ho chi minh city, Saigon, travelling to Vietnam, Vietnam travelling, Vietnam travel, vn news
Nam Du Archipelago in Kien Hai District is around 80km from Rach Gia City. Tiếp tục đọc “Pristine and splendid beauty of Nam Du Archipelago”

Businesses have to contend with a “forest” of sublicenses

Last update 16:00 | 16/08/2017
VietNamnet Bridge – Despite reform, thousands of sub-licenses still exist, affecting businesses’ performance.

vietnam economy, business news, vn news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, vn news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam breaking news, sublicenses, VCCI, administration reform

After July 2016, when the Investment and Enterprise Laws took effect, many unreasonable sublicenses were abolished, paving the way for 110,000 businesses to emerge.

However, at a recent government press conference, minister and chair of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said 5,700 procedures of different kinds still exist.

Cao Minh Truc, a member of the board of directors of Empire Group, the investor of the Cocobay Da Nang project, said there are too many vague regulations.

After July 2016, when the Investment and Enterprise Laws took effect, many unreasonable sublicenses were abolished, paving the way for 110,000 businesses to emerge.

“The current regulation stipulates that a hotel must have tennis court to be recognized as a 5-star hotel. Our hotel is next to a golf course and the guests mostly play golf. Do we still need a tennis court?” she said.

The regulation also says a 5-star hotel must have a spa. However, legally, there is no ‘spa’ industry in Vietnam, but there is only ‘massage’, she said. Tiếp tục đọc “Businesses have to contend with a “forest” of sublicenses”

Cosmetic surgery deaths highlight clinics’ violations

Last update 17:46 | 16/08/2017

VietNamNet Bridge – Bui Minh Trang, chief inspector of HCM City’s Health Department, said various violations had been detected at cosmetic surgery clinics, such as false advertising and employing surgeon not certified to perform plastic surgery, resulting in several fatalities in recent months.

Cosmetic surgery deaths, clinics’ violations, Viet Thanh Beauty Clinic, Vietnam economy, Vietnamnet bridge, English news about Vietnam, Vietnam news, news about Vietnam, English news, Vietnamnet news, latest news on Vietnam, Vietnam
The Viet Thanh Beauty Clinic. — Photo: VNN

In addition, many clinics hired non-professional staff, he said.

An American man died while having cosmetic surgery at a clinic on Su Van Hanh Street in District 10 on July. The man, identified as Edward Hartley, 53, went to the clinic for surgery to remove loose skin around his hip. He was given an anesthetic at 4pm, but started showing signs of circuit obstruction.

Doctors conducted emergency procedures but failed to revive Hartley. The municipal Health Department has concluded that he suffered anaphylactic shock. Tiếp tục đọc “Cosmetic surgery deaths highlight clinics’ violations”

Transport minister addresses over-charging BOT toll station

Last update 14:39 | 16/08/2017
Minister of Transport Truong Quang Nghia said the investor of Cai Lay BOT toll station in the southern province of Tien Giang had agreed to reduce the fees following opposition.

Transport minister addresses over-charging BOT toll station, social news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, vn news, Vietnam breaking news
Many drivers are putting small notes into bottles when they pay toll fees at Cai Lay BOT toll station to protest at excessive fees

According to drivers, the fees of VND35,000-180,000 (USD1.50-8.18) to travel on a 12-km road with just two lanes was too high. Meanwhile, the fees of for vehicles of from seven seats and lower is just VND40,000 (USD1.80) on Trung Luong-HCM City Highway which is up to 50km and has four lanes. Tiếp tục đọc “Transport minister addresses over-charging BOT toll station”

Student enrollment drops amid tuition increases

Last update 07:42 | 16/08/2017
VietNamNet Bridge – As many as 352,000 students passed exams to enter universities in the first enrollment period, but only 242,000 students have turned up to start school, while 110,000 students have rejected the opportunity. vietnam economy, business news, vn news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, vn news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam breaking news, high school finals, MOET, Phung Xuan Nha
August 7 was the deadline for students to confirm their enrollment, but 30 percent of the students did not follow necessary procedures, according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Fifty-seven schools reported a high rate of students, 90 percent or more. At least 74 schools reported 70-90 percent, while 65 schools reported 50-70 percent. Tiếp tục đọc “Student enrollment drops amid tuition increases”

NA committee discusses BOT controversy

vietnamnews

Update: August, 16/2017 – 10:01

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee held a working session on supervising implementation of BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) traffic projects in the wake of heated protests over one of them in the southern province of Tiền Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí

HÀ NỘI — The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee held a working session on supervising implementation of BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) traffic projects in the wake of heated protests over one of them in the southern province of Tiền Giang.

The BOT model, which primarily cedes construction of public traffic infrastructure to the private sector, has been utilised by the Government to alleviate the burden on the State Budget, especially after official development assistance (ODA) began running thin. Tiếp tục đọc “NA committee discusses BOT controversy”

Khi “đùng một cái” thuế tăng 400% – Người dân sốc vì thuế đất tăng

LĐO | 13/08/2017 | 15:00

Ảnh minh họa. Nguồn: Chinhphu.vn
Ảnh minh họa. Nguồn: Chinhphu.vn

Thuế tăng gấp 3-4 lần sau chỉ một đêm không phải là sốc mà là rất sốc. Sốc không phải chỉ ở tỷ lệ % tăng thêm như một mũi tên thẳng đứng mà sốc còn ở cả cách chúng ta chưa lường được khả năng chịu đựng của dân.