Government where god supposedly rules

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has been ruled out of the Club World Cup. (Paul ELLIS/AFP) Croatian defender Lovren will miss out as a result of the hamstring problem he suffered during Tuesday's Champions League victory in Salzburg. But Dutch midfielder Wijnaldum, who appeared to suffer a hamstring injury in the Premier League leaders' 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday, was named among the 20-man party which flew out on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp's side enter the Club World Cup at the semi-final stage on Wednesday, with Mexican side Monterrey their opponents in Doha. A statement on Liverpool's official website confirmed Lovren's omission and Wijnaldum's inclusion. Resources are already stretched thinly with a youth team set to play a League Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa on Tuesday, and Fabinho (ankle) and Joel Matip (knee) ruled out of games in the Middle East. "With the Gini injury, Dejan three or four days ago, our squad is not getting bigger. That is not cool," Klopp said. "But that … [Read more...] about Lovren ruled out of Liverpool’s Club World Cup trip

Fuel price stabilisation fund helps the central government manage domestic fuel price in a foreseeable future. The new Government Decree 83, which oversees regulations on fuel trading in the country, will continue to sanction the controversial fund. Fuel traders and transport companies have argued that the fund, which is funded by fuel consumers for the most part and therefore effectively adds to fuel price, delivers little to no benefits for traders and consumers alike. In addition, it also creates a gap between the domestic price for fuel and that of the international market which may encourage certain fraudulent activities and cross-border smuggling. The Government, however, has always maintained that the fund serves as a tool to manage domestic fuel price and is a necessity to make sure the interests of consumers and businesses are protected. The fund is part of an effort to keep fuel price in line with market mechanisms under the State management and help control inflation and … [Read more...] about VN to continue support for fuel price fund

ADDIS ABABA — Ethnic violence and mounting rancour among political elites could force Ethiopia to postpone landmark elections set for May, according to a report released Monday by conflict analysis and prevention group ICG. If tensions continue to rise, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed "may have to seek an election delay," the International Crisis Group (ICG) warned.  "A divisive and bloody campaign, with candidates making openly ethnic-based appeals for votes, could tip the country over the edge," it said.  Following several years of anti-government protests, Abiy was appointed a prime minister in April 2018 by the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, which came to power in the early 1990s. Though his ambitious reform agenda earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, his tenure has been marred by ethnic clashes that displaced nearly three million people last year.  The latest flare-up occurred in October, … [Read more...] about Ethiopia tensions could force election delay: report

Đặng Hùng Võ, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. Photo VGP Báo Chính Phủ (Government Newspaper) talks to Đặng Hùng Võ, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, about solutions to unleash the private sector’s potential, following an article written by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc to promote harnessing resources to create a driving force for Việt Nam’s growth. How much does unleashing the potential and fully utilising the country’s resources matter to Việt Nam? Utilising resources – including land, human resources, financial resources and technology – determines the speed and quality of economic growth in all countries. Take land for example. Land fee collections in Việt Nam only account for 20 per cent of local governments’ revenues, while the rate in industrialised … [Read more...] about Fairness must be guaranteed in use of natural resources

Vietnam's top watchdog has announced the findings of its investigation into state-run MobiFone’s acquisition of pay TV firm AVG, which caused a loss of over $310 million to the state. According to the Government Inspectorate, the Ministry of Information and Communications had violated the Investment Law by approving MobiFone’s acquisition of AVG without the Prime Minister’s approval. The ministry approved the deal despite the fact details of the price of the 95 percent stake in the TV operator and the project’s investment efficiency had not been fully assessed, the inspectorate added. The ministry reported to the Prime Minister and relevant agencies that 30 percent of funding for MobiFone’s acquisition of AVG was expected to come from the telco’s own equity, and the rest from loans. However, funding for the project was not clearly identified when the ministry approved the acquisition. In fact, 100 percent of funding for the acquisition came from … [Read more...] about Multiple ministries responsible for ‘illegal’ state telco acquisition of pay TV firm: watchdog