The standoff which the White House budget director said may continue until a new Congress takes over in January. The shutdown adds to uncertainties from Washington which have spooked global stock markets, and capped a tumultuous week in which Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned over Trump's foreign policies. More than 400,000 federal employees are reporting to their jobs on Monday but won't get their salaries, while nearly 400,000 others "will be locked out of work with no pay," the American Federation of Government Employees union said. "No private business or company would be permitted to impose on or disrupt the lives of their employees in such a manner," the Federation said in letters to the Senate and House of Representatives. About three-quarters of the government, including the military, is fully funded through September 2019 but the shutdown forced several other major agencies to cease operations from Saturday. A deal to end the funding shortfall appears a distant prospect as … [Read more...] about US lawmakers home for Christmas, govt workers unpaid on shutdown Day 3
Govt news
US indicts Chinese govt hackers over attacks in 12 countries
US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the indictment of the two Chinese hackers was meant to rebuff "China’s economic aggression". —AFP Viet Nam News WASHINGTON — The US Justice Department on Thursday indicted two Chinese hackers tied to Beijing’s security services who allegedly targeted companies and agencies in a dozen countries, which US officials said showed President Xi Jinping had not fulfilled his pledge to stop cybercrime. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the move was being made to rebuff "China’s economic aggression." The Justice Department said the hackers had targeted numerous managed service providers (MSPs), specialist firms which help other companies manage their information technology systems -- potentially giving hackers an entry into the computer networks of dozens of companies. Companies who were hacked were not named, but 45 victims in the United States included key government agencies -- the NASA Goddard Space … [Read more...] about US indicts Chinese govt hackers over attacks in 12 countries
BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 12/12
Vietnam’s agricultural sector records progress Over the past years, Vietnam’s agricultural sector has reaped marked achievements, helping ensure national food security. Vietnamese staples such as coffee, rice, rubber, cashew nuts, pepper, fruit, seafood, wood and timber products have gained firm foothold in the global market. Statistics show that the sector’s gross domestic product (GDP) grows about 2.5 percent while its production value expands by 2.73 percent each year. During the 2013-2017 period, the sector’s total export turnover reached 153 billion USD, with 36.2 billion USD earned in 2017. Seven out of the 10 major products saw export turnover exceeding 1 billion USD. To create impressive changes in agricultural production, the Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VFU) has signed a cooperation programme with the Ministry of Science and Technology, under which the two sides join hands in implementing scientific and technological tasks … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 12/12
Govt to launch smart tourism campaign: deputy PM
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI – Việt Nam’s tourism sector should apply the latest technology to develop, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam told the Travel & Tourism Summit in Hà Nội on Thursday. “The question is with limited capital, how can we promote tourism widely,” he said. “Other countries have hundreds of millions of dollars for PR campaigns, but Việt Nam has only a few million dollars for this purpose, so we need to work out hot to use this budget effectively. “Technology may be the solution to the problem, and the Government is planning to launch a smart tourism campaign,” he said. The leader explained that today most modern travellers use travel apps on smartphones. Tourism is a hot area and involves various sectors and individuals at all levels, he said. “As the director of the National Tourism Directing Board, I realise that the growth of the tourism sector is fast in … [Read more...] about Govt to launch smart tourism campaign: deputy PM
BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 15/11
Mai Linh launches cooperative to attract idle cars Mai Linh Group on November 15 will officially introduce and start the operation of Hoa Binh Xanh Taxi Cooperative in HCMC, which will call for the participation of owners of idle cars. According to the group’s press release, the cooperative is expected to offer more choices to the group’s customers. Early joiners of Hoa Binh Xanh Cooperative will be exempt from the management fee until December 31. They will also receive a uniform, free training courses and practicing certificates. After that, they will have to pay the management fee of only 13.9% of revenues for the duration of their contracts. Hoa Binh Xanh Cooperative will share Mai Linh’s taxi booking app and use call center 1055. The cooperative’s taxicabs will not be forced to have bright colors or be repainted in green, the traditional color of Mai Linh. However, they will have a lightbox highlighting the word “Taxi,” the Hoa Binh Xanh logo … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 15/11