Vietnam plus news

First-quarter low growth seeks solutions The nation's economic growth in the first half of the year was at a rate lower than that targeted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic hurting production and business activities. The government is mulling over new solutions to drive the economy forwards, with some international forecasts still proving upbeat. Based on economic performance in the first five months of this year, the government has just reported to the National Assembly Standing Committee its fresh forecast that the economy’s total GDP in the first six months of this year will be nearly VND4 quadrillion (US$174.4 billion), up about 5.8% year-on-year, or 0.42 percentage points lower than the target of 6.22% as set out in the Resolution No.01/NQ-CP released on January 1 on the key tasks for the implementation of the socioeconomic development plan and state budget estimates for 2021. The 5.8% rise will also be 0.12 percentage points lower than the government’s [Read More]

The Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched a photo contest about Vietnam for photographers. Part of the Tràng An tourism complex in Ninh Bình Province. A photo contest has been open to Vietnamese and foreign amateur and professional artists to promote the beauty of Vietnamese land and people. The Việt Nam Qua Ống Kính Nhiếp Ảnh Gia Quốc Tế (Vietnam Through The Lens of Foreign Photographers) contest is part of the first Vietnam International Photography Festival which is scheduled to take place later this year in the northern province of Ninh Bình, according to the organisers. The event is open to Vietnamese and foreign amateur and professional artists to submit their works showcasing the beauty of the Vietnamese land and people. All entries must be sent to the organising board’s email address [email protected] before August 20. Each photographer is permitted [Read More]

The woman from the northern province of Bac Giang, who had hypertension, diabetes and other conditions, tested positive for the coronavirus on June 12, displaying symptoms like coughing and difficulty breathing on June 14. After being admitted to the ICU of the Bac Giang Mental Hospital, she experienced high fever and hemorrhaging under the skin on June 16. She fell into a coma on June 17, and despite having received multiple treatments, she died on June 18. Her causes of death were pneumonia due to Covid-19, septic shock and multiple organ failure. The man, from the north central province of Thanh Hoa, had bronchial cancer that had metastasized. He tested positive for the coronavirus on May 15 and was admitted to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. He responded poorly to treatments before dying on June 19. His causes of death were pneumonia due to Covid-19, septic shock and invasive fungal infections. Since the new wave on April 27, Vietnam has recorded 29 [Read More]

Most of Vietnam's economic indicators in April were good: WB report (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The World Bank in Vietnam has recently announced its updated report on Vietnam Macro Monitoring in May 2021, which states that most of Vietnam's economic indicators in April were good. However, it warns of several risks to the Vietnamese economy due to the most recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late April. According to the report, industrial production continued its strong growth momentum last month, increasing by 1.1 percent compared to March, 24.1 percent higher than the same period in 2020. Revenue from retail sales in April also expanded by 2.3 percent month-on-month, after two consecutive months of decline. The consumer price index in April also recorded an increase of 0.5 percent compared to March, reflecting a recovery in household consumption. In terms of exports, a double-digit growth rate was recorded in all major export items, with the fastest [Read More]

Police in Hanoi City have handed over a wanted South Korean man, who is charged with fraud, to the South Korean police after arresting him at a local apartment building. The handover of the hunted man, 58-year-old Shin Youngho, took place on Saturday between the police in Hanoi’s Bac Tu Liem District and their South Korean counterparts at the Noi Bai International Airport. Local police earlier detected the hunted foreigner while he was living in a flat of Sunshine City apartment building in the district’s Dong Ngac Ward. The detection came while the district police were conducting inspections at a number of local accommodation facilities. As the foreigner showed signs of suspicion, police checked his passport and visa and detected his overstay in Vietnam, since his authorized stay period expired on September 20, 2019. Through identity verification, the police discovered that Shin Youngho was being hunted by South Korean police for fraud and property appropriation. After [Read More]

Car sales have dropped sharply because of the fourth Covid-19 outbreak, prompting dealers to offer big discounts. The Vietnam Auto Manufacturers' Association reported that its members sold 25,585 products in May, including 17,581 passenger cars, and 7,482 commercial and 522 specialized vehicles, which represented a 14 percent, 16 percent and 33 percent decrease, respectively, from the previous month. The number of domestically assembled cars sold was 13,825, down 20 percent, while the number of imports sold was 11,760, down 7 percent. Meanwhile, TC Motor reported that it sold 6,053 cars in the month, which was lower than the 6.538 in April. VinFast sold 2,855 cars, a slight increase compared with April (2,717). Most of the bestsellers saw a sales decrease compared with April. About 1,789 Toyota Vios were sold in May (the figure was 1,950 in April), while the figures were 1,620 for Hyundai Accent (2,150), 953 for Hyundai Grand i10s (1,212), and 584 for Honda City (749). [Read More]

Hoang Duc Hanh, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health, on Saturday said the municipal People's Committee would consider relaxing certain Covid-19 control measures. However, exactly when and which kind of businesses and services get to reopen have yet to be announced. Hanoi's Party unit recently stated the city could reopen certain businesses and activities, as well as outdoor sporting activities with 20 people or less, but that the municipal People's Committee must carefully consider the timing and ensure all necessary coronavirus prevention measures are in place to prevent further outbreaks. Tran Dac Phu, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, said whether coronavirus control measures could be relaxed or not does not depend on if a locality has gone 14 or 21 days without new cases. Each locality can decide on an appropriate time to do so, depending on their own unique situation. "The coronavirus situation has [Read More]

Le Thi Kieu Ngan, a female long-haul truck driver with over a decade of on-the-job experience, is using her vlog to prove that trucking is not just a ‘man’s job.’ Ngan often surprises passing motorists when they spot her behind the wheel of her tractor trailer, but after 10 years on the job, the 34-year-old Thu Duc City resident is used to surprised stares. Ngan’s skills behind the wheel have earned her a reputation of having impeccable problem solving skill and the ability to remain calm and collected in the face of crisis thanks to a career spent driving four- and seven- seater cars, tour buses, mid-to-full-size box trucks, and 40-metric-ton tractor trailers. Currently, most of her days are spent delivering new trucks to clients across Vietnam for a Ho Chi Minh City-based automobile sales firm. Though she has plenty of experience on the job, there are still many aspects of her work that are less than pleasant. “I often find myself covered in mud and lubricants after [Read More]