A photo by photographer Thomas Billhardt . (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi still provides a source of inspiration for nominations of the 14th “Bui Xuan Phai: For the Love of Hanoi” Awards amid the COVID-19 tourism freeze. Activities and initiatives regarding Hanoi are part of the “dual goal,” as culture always serves as momentum for the development of any city, according to historian Duong Trung Quoc. Nostalgic works The jury panel has selected dozens of works, ideas and deeds over the past years for nominations. These include projects associated with the city’s development and works by Hanoi citizens and even one foreigner. German photographer Thomas Billhardt, whose photos of the Vietnam War taken in the late 1960s helped him to gain fame worldwide, is the only foreigner nominated for the 14th awards. The photo book exhibition by Billhardt introduces for the first time in Vietnam some 130 black-and-white and colour photos taken during his trips to … [Read more...] about Bui Xuan Phai Awards: Culture – momentum for Hanoi’s development
Gaining much momentum
Vietnam steady but external risks weigh
In any case, public debt will not hit the limit of 65 per cent of GDP, said the Ministry of Finance Vietnam’s real GDP grew 5.03 per cent on-year in the first quarter of 2022, extending the 5.22 per cent pace in the last quarter of 2021 as the services sector rebounded after more parts of its economy were reopened with the relaxation of mobility and distance restrictions. The manufacturing sector continued to take the lead, and most significantly, the overall services sector expanded 4.58 per cent on-year, from 1.22 per cent in the previous quarter and 3.62 per cent in the first quarter of last year. It was clear that service activities were able to benefit from the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions imposed during the second half of last year. Recent data suggests that Vietnam’s underlying growth momentum remained intact in the second quarter of this year. The manufacturing sector continued to power on, registering a 9.24 per cent on-year gain in the first five months, from … [Read more...] about Vietnam steady but external risks weigh
Shares close the week in negative zone
PV Gas's Cà Mau facility. GAS lost almost half of its gain on Thursday, down 2.4 per cent yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng HÀ NỘI — Shares lost rising momentum in the last trading minutes on Friday as divergence continued to expand to the whole market. The VN-Index on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange slid back to the negative territory after a brief rise on Thursday, down 0.29 per cent to close the week at 1,185.48 points. It gained 1.7 per cent on Thursday after four straight declining sessions. Divergence occurred in almost all groups of stocks, from finance to real estate, even to energy and chemicals. According to analysts, in the context of poor liquidity, supply and demand for stocks can change erratically, so it is difficult for the whole industry to follow the same direction. Overall, the gainers slightly outnumbered the losers by 244-239 while 91 closed flat. In the energy sector, PV Gas (GAS) lost almost half of its gain on Thursday, down 2.4 per cent; … [Read more...] about Shares close the week in negative zone
Vietnam’s economic growth accelerates on back of exports: Bloomberg
A car shop in HCMC The US-based news agency cited data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO) saying the Vietnamese economy expanded 7.72 percent year-on-year in the April-June period, compared to 5.05 percent of the previous quarter. That was quicker than the median estimate for a 5.9 percent gain in a Bloomberg survey, and the highest level since at least the first quarter of 2013, it said. The performance helped lift growth in the first-half to 6.42 percent from a year ago, beating the GSO’s forecast for a 5.5 percent pace. The government targets full-year growth at 6 percent-6.5 percent. The gains in momentum coincide with Vietnam emerging as one of the alternative destinations for foreign investment amid trade disruptions from China’s lockdowns, the war in Ukraine, and lingering tensions between Beijing and Washington. The economy also benefited from fiscal stimulus worth about VND347 trillion (US$15 billion), and an easy monetary policy that makes the … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s economic growth accelerates on back of exports: Bloomberg