PANO – After successfully holding the 12th National Party Congress and the 11th session of the National Assembly (NA) of the 13th term, Vietnam is now preparing for elections of NA deputies and people’s councils of the 2016-2021 term at all levels. But in this joyful atmosphere, reactionary forces are trying to distort information to undermine the Party and State. The attempts of reactionary and hostile forces to sabotage the elections aim to realize their long-term scheme of "peaceful evolution." Facts show that reactionary and hostile forces increase the intensity, form and number of their activities against the Vietnamese revolution whenever Vietnam holds a major national event. Therefore, it is necessary for the whole political system, including the armed forces, to sharpen the alert and heighten the resolve to deny hostile plots, attempts and activities. First, all Vietnamese people should understand that the goal of reactionary and hostile forces is to change … [Read more...] about Party, people and army unite to thwart hostile forces
Excluded parties listing system
Women in NA offices falls in a decade
HA NOI -- The number of women working for the National Assembly (NA) in Viet Nam has declined in the past ten years, proven by its falling to 44th in the world rankings, according to a United Nations Development Programme study released yesterday. Speaking at the launch of the study, UN Resident Co-ordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Pratibha Mehta said that in 1997, Viet Nam ranked amongst the top ten countries with the highest number of women in parliament in the world. However, after a decade, the number of women in government has remarkably reduced, accounting for only 24.4 per cent of total candidates. … [Read more...] about Women in NA offices falls in a decade
China said to exclude Apple from procurement list
China's government excluded Apple Inc. iPads and MacBook laptops from the list of products that can be bought with public money because of security concerns, according to government officials familiar with the matter. Ten Apple products -- including the iPad, iPad Mini, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro -- were omitted from a final government procurement list distributed in July, according to officials who read it and asked not to be identified because the information isn't public. The models were on a June version of the list drafted by the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance, the officials said. Apple is the latest U.S. technology company to be excluded from Chinese government purchases amid escalating tensions between the countries over claims of hacking and cyberspying. China's procurement agency told departments to stop buying antivirus software from Symantec Corp. (SYMC) and Kaspersky Lab, while Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) was shut out of a government … [Read more...] about China said to exclude Apple from procurement list
UNDP offers six-point plan to fast-track women in politics in Asia-Pacific
(CPV) - It will take 50 years for gender balance to be achieved in Asia-Pacific national legislatures if the increase in women's participation in parliaments remains at the current pace, says a UN Development Programme (UNDP) study released this week. Economic progress will be limited without equal opportunity for men and women to influence political and economic decision-making, according to the report, which offers a six-step action plan to fast-track women into politics. Globally, women hold slightly less than 20 percent of seats in parliament. In Asia-Pacific, just over 18 percent of all members of national parliaments are women. Women's representation in the Pacific, excluding Australia and New Zealand, is the lowest in the world, lagging behind the Arab region. On average, women are less than 10 percent of ministers in Asia-Pacific, according to the UNDP study. … [Read more...] about UNDP offers six-point plan to fast-track women in politics in Asia-Pacific
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 20/10
Steel exports to increase 44.5% this year Viet Nam was estimated to export around 1.87 million tonnes of steel and steel ingot this year, a 44.5 per cent increase from 2010 figures, Viet Nam Steel Association chairman Nguyen Chi Cuong said. "This year, export of cold-rolled steel, stainless steel, steel bars and zinc-coated steel sheets all increased significantly in comparison with last year," Cuong said. On special thing, Cuong informed the country imported more than 285,000 tonnes of pig iron this year. "This is strange as Viet Nam has never before exported steel ingot - in previous years. The country has needed to import pig iron to serve domestic production," said Cuong. Giving reasons for the increase in steel exports, Cuong said trade promotion schemes had shown a positive effect. "These programmes have helped companies find partners in foreign countries," Cuong said. Cuong said many foreign-backed steel companies and steel-ingot manufactures based in Viet … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 20/10