Fed announces US rate increaseThe US central bank has said it will raise its benchmark interest rate citing a strengthened economic outlook. Policymakers also signalled they would increase rates twice more this year, while raising the forecast for rate hikes in 2019. The central bank is trying to balance a low unemployment rate with the potential for higher inflation. Wednesday's rate increase was widely expected, but there are new faces on the committee, raising questions about whether policymakers will move more quickly in coming months. An increase in the Fed's benchmark federal funds rate typically leads to higher rates for consumers and businesses.

Teenager hacks crypto-currency walletA hardware wallet designed to store crypto-currencies, and touted by its manufacturer as tamper-proof, has been hacked by a British 15-year-old. It would allow a malicious attacker to drain the wallet of funds, he said. Craig Young, a researcher at security firm Tripwire commented: "It is very difficult to thoroughly secure any device from attackers with physical access. "In this particular case, it was discovered that anyone with physical access could modify the Ledger hardware wallet to gain access to funds. In effect, this would mean that someone selling this hardware wallet would be able to steal funds from their customers.

VN-Index rises for three consecutive daysThe VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) on March 21 increased for three consecutive days to reach 1,170 points, up nearly 10 points over the previous day. In early morning, the index rose 7.78 points to 1,167.17 points, which over 6 million shares worth nearly 141 billion VND changed hands. More than 77 million units valued at 3,898 billion VND were traded. As many as 69 million shares were traded with a total value of 1,268 billion VND. The transaction volume reached over 20 million units worth 350 billion VND.

VEAM to list 1.33 billion shares on HSXVietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Corporation (VEAM), which currently holds a 30 per cent stake in Honda Vietnam, a 20 per cent stake in Toyota Vietnam, and a 25 per cent stake in Ford Vietnam, will list 1.328 billion shares on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX). Previously, in November 2017, the firm received the securities registration certificate from Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD) to list 1.328 billion shares. Being considered the largest IPO of the year, it expected that after the sale VEAM’s charter capital will increase to VND13.28 trillion ($595.5 million), equalling 1.33 billion shares. Accordingly, the state will hold 51 per cent of the charter capital with 678 million shares, and strategic shareholders will hold 36 per cent, equalling 478 million shares. In addition, the company currently holds a 30 per cent stake in Honda Vietnam, a 20 per cent stake in Toyota Vietnam, and a 25 per cent stake in Ford Vietnam, which bring massive profits.

World pop star hoping for prize at homeVietNamNet Bridge – Pop and soul sensation My Tam is among five female singers battling it out to win Best Music Album. My way: HCM City-based pop star My Tam has been nominated for the Cong Hien (Devotion) Prize for Best Album presented annually by The Thao & Van Hoa newspaper. The songs were produced as Music Videos (MVs) by MT Entertainment, owned by Tam, before release on the album Tam 9. “My dream of introducing Vietnamese music to the world has come true,” said Tam, known as the Queen of Pop, on her fan page, after being the first Vietnamese singer listed on Billboard. The traditional categories include Best Music Video, Best Musician, Best Producer, New Talent, Best Singer, Best Show and Song of the Year.

VN master painter’s work auctioned in FranceVietNamNet Bridge – A silk painting by master Nguyen Nam Son (1890-1973), one of the leading artists in modern Vietnamese fine art, will be auctioned by the Aguttes company at Drouot auction sale centre in Paris, France, on March 26. Delicate work: Silk painting Thon Nu Bac Ky by Nam Son. At the same fair, Nam Son exhibited three other silk paintings. “Though he did not specialise in silk painting, the audience can see delicate lines on the painting,” said Khoi. Long career: Painter Nguyen Nam Son in 1919.

Nearly $10bn investment for three high-tech parksThree national hi-tech parks in Hoa Lac, HCM City and Da Nang have attracted 218 investment projects with a registered capital of nearly US$10 billion, creating jobs for about 50,000 workers. Hoa Lac hi-tech park currently has 81 valid investment projects with total registered capital of $3 billion. HCM City hi-tech park is owning 130 valid investment projects with total registered capital of $6.8 billion. Hoa Lac hi-tech park currently has 81 valid investment projects with total registered capital of $3 billion. In addition, seven projects at the Da Nang hi-tech park have been granted investment registration certificates, with a total investment of more than $160 million till date.

Elephant-carrying truck shocks driversA truck carrying an elephant without proper safety measures surprised drivers on a highway in Ha Tinh Province. The elephant standing on the truck without safety measuresOn March 20, a video clip showing an elephant standing freely on the back of a truck was shared on social media. The open-back truck was running along National Highway 1A with the elephant. Many people were shocked and wondered what would have happened if the elephant decided to escape the truck. The traffic police in Ha Tinh Province confirmed that a truck carried an elephant through Ky Tho Commune at 10 am on March 20.

Hanoi's hospital accused of polluting riverMany people in Trung Tu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, have blamed Hanoi Medical University Hospital for discharging sewage and polluting Lu River. Lu River severely pollutedThe residents discovered the discharge on March 16 and quickly reported it to the municipal authorities, local police and the hospital. Chu Thi Hoa, a local in Trung Tu Ward, said, "Our house is near the river so our life has been turned upside down. The discharged water on March 19 into Lu River still has a yellowish colour and can be clearly seen from afar. Nguyen Van Can from Hanoi Medical University said this was only a rare accident.

Heath ministry urges investigation into false rumour of natural birth deathThe Ministry of Health has called for an urgent investigation into an apparently false rumour about the death of a mother and her child in HCM City while having a natural birth at home. The Ministry of Health has asked for the co-operation of the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Public Security and the Central Propaganda and Education Commission for the investigation. According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien, the natural birth trend has become more popular. The mother was said to have attended a training workshop on giving birth naturally at the cost of VND15 million (USD659). Right after that the health ministry immediately requested HCM City’s Health Department and Tu Du Hospital authorities verify the information, however, no such a case was found.

He emphasised the need for the province to further promote people-to-people diplomatic activities in the border areas between the two nations. The border defence friendship exchange programme will take place in Cao Bang’s Phuc Hoa district and China’s Longzhou district. Vietnam, Malaysia eye stronger audit cooperationState Auditor General of Vietnam Ho Duc Phoc (R) receives Deputy Auditor General of Malaysia Khalid Khan. Both sides have also educated young people about bilateral ties and facilitated the exchange of delegations in culture and communications, particularly the upcoming signing of the cultural cooperation programme for 2019-2020. “Khai oversaw Vietnam's fastest and most stable economic growth during his nine years in office from 1997 to 2006.

The curious case of mini marts and convenience stores in Indonesia and VietnamConvenience store chains are on their way to conquer fast-growing ASEAN markets, but they get little love in Indonesia, the region’s largest market. The minimarts here, littered across the city, tend to be bigger and offer more products than typical convenience stores. Most global convenience stores have limited presence in downtown Jakarta, undermining their relevance to the daily lives of most locals. Moreover, some Indomaret stores have set up sit-in areas for ready-to-eat meals, imitating the concept of global convenience stores. 200 new supermarkets and 4,000 convenience stores are the goals of VinMart and Vinmart+ for 2020.

Health Ministry says ‘no’ to opening drug distribution market to foreignersVietNamNet Bridge - Decree 54 and the draft circular that guides its implementation compiled by the Ministry of Health (MOH) have both raised controversy: foreign investors say the regulations break Vietnam’s WTO (World Trade Organization) commitments. Vietnam still has not opened drug distribution servicesAmCham’s managing director Adam Sitkoff said the presence of multi-national drug companies in Vietnam allows access to high-quality drugs. The draft circular is feared to lead to an increase in drug importers’ and distributors’ operation costs. As Vietnam still has not opened distribution services, it has the right not to open transport and preservation services, which are parts of distribution services. RELATED NEWS$5.2 billion drug market attracts more foreign investorsDrug market bounces back with M&A dealsMai Thanh

Former CEO of Fossil Vietnam takes charge in FacebookLe Diep Kieu Trang (38) will manage the development of the biggest social network in Vietnam, Facebook. Her father, Le Van Tri, is former deputy CEO of leading rubber manufacturer Casumina, while her brother, Le Tri Thong, is now vice chairman of Phu Nhuan Jewelry JSC (PNJ). After Misfit was acquired by Fossil Group for $260 million in 2015, Trang worked as CEO of Fossil Vietnam until earlier this March. Currently, Vietnam has around 64 million Facebook users, accounting for 3 per cent of the global user base. According to the latest survey of Nielsen, 53 million Vietnamese people were online by 2017, which will hit 59 million by 2020.

HCM City set to merge emergency numbers into 114VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City has approved the integration of its three emergency numbers as one of the first steps in its makeover as a smart city. The headquarters of the HCM City Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department in District 1. The fire and police departments will soon handle all emergency calls since the city plans to merge the multiple emergency numbers it has now. The city plans to build a data warehouse and a smart city management centre and traffic, security and order will be the first to be tested at the latter place. The 114 centre will be located within this centre.