Candied coconut - traditional Tet flavor in a biteFor people in southern provinces, mứt dừa (candied coconut) is an indispensable dish during Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. "Mixing coconut meat with sugar needs attention because a proper temperature significantly contributes to the dish’s striking appearance," Mr Phuc, a skilled candied coconut maker, offered his tips in making delectable candied coconut. Amid an ocean of confectionary labels both domestic and foreign, the sweet treat still brings lunar New Year (Tet) flavour to the southern region. According to Thien​, coconut flakes preserved Tet flavour and it’s cheap. "Enjoying one slice of sweet and tasteful coconut, we can feel a traditional Tet flavour and deep affection for the motherland," Thien added.-VNA

Bac Lieu says no to thermal plantThe Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu has rejected the proposed Cai Cung thermal power plant project, saying that it wants to become a national centre of renewable energy and a large producer of shrimp farming. The Japanese-invested thermal power project was expected to improve Bac Lieu’s gross domestic product (GDP) rapidly, just as existing Duyen Hai thermal power plant has done in the neighboring province of Tra Vinh, some experts said. Since the Duyen Hai thermal power plant began operation, Tra Vinh’s GDP has increased from 6 per cent to 12 per cent. “Bac Lieu needs a large area for industrial shrimp farming, including intensive and semi- intensive shrimp farming and organic shrimp farming in submerged forest areas,” Trung said. Hong Young Don, chairman of the SY Panel Group, said: “This renewable energy project is the biggest solar power plant in Bac Lieu.

Commercial banks quietly raising interests rates after Tet HolidayA few days after the Tet Holiday, numerous commercial banks silently raised interest rates due to liquidity-related issues, the whopping demand for capital, and the great competition among Vietnam-based commercial banks. The great gap between before- and after-Tet Holiday interest rates was due to commercial banks' liquidity matters, demand for capital mobilasition and financial performance. In contrast, medium-scale commercial banks offer six-month deposit interest rates of 6.8 per cent. As concluded by the National Financial Supervision Commission (NFSC), the liquidity of the overall financial system was “healthy,” yet only a modest number of commercial banks, especially large-scale commercial banks, could reach this threshold. Vietcombank’s low interest rate enabled the bank’s lending rate to be relatively lower than other large-scale commercial banks.

UK company linked to laundered Bitcoin billionsA UK company has been linked to the laundering of 650,000 stolen bitcoins worth £4.5bn, a BBC Radio 4 investigation has found. The coins were taken by hackers from Tokyo-based Bitcoin exchange Mt Gox, leaving tens of thousands of customers out of pocket. Mt Gox operator Mark Karpeles apologised to investors and said he was co-operating with the investigation. But a group of amateur investigators, WizSec, found that hackers had targeted Mt Gox. Many investors are now pushing to see their Mt Gox bitcoins refunded at the current price, and a decision is expected within the next few months.

President’s India and Bangladesh visits reap successesPresident Tran Dai Quang’s freshly-concluded State visits to India and Bangladesh have gained successes in all spheres, said Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Dinh Quy. Answering reporters’ question about outcomes of President Quang’s visits to India and Bangladesh from March 2-6, the official said the President and Indian and Bangladeshi leaders reached a high consensus on major orientations to enhance relations between Vietnam and the two nations. The President’s Indian trip has helped materialise contents of the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership while strengthening the bilateral relationship. Meanwhile, the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Bangladesh has also been lifted to a new height, more effectively and tangibly, Quy said. Through discussions, leaders and delegations of Vietnam and India and Bangladesh understood more about their countries’ important role in the respective countries’ foreign policies, he noted.

Minister: CPTPP vital to sustainable development in VietnamThe Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Agreement would be a vital deal in utilising free trade and ensuring sustainable development in Vietnam, said Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh. The minister said such sectors as garment-textiles, footwear, food processing, beverage, confectionery, tobacco, wine and beer will benefit most from the deal. Like other member countries, Vietnam has committed to market opening and trade facilitation and liberalisation towards lifting non-tariff barriers, the minister said. The CPTPP is set to take effect in early 2019 after it is ratified by at least six member countries. On February 21, the full text of the CPTPP was announced, which is considered a sign showing that the 11 countries are ready to sign the agreement.

Experts: Water quality in Hanoi’s lakes improvesThe quality of water in many lakes in Hanoi has been improved considerably, leading experts said at a meeting on March 6 to review the one-year using of Redoxy-3C, a water purification product made in Germany to the order of the capital city to tackle pollution in lakes. Hanoi Sewage and Drainage Company workers apply Redoxy-3C in Nghia Tan lakeAccording to the Hanoi Sewage and Drainage Company, Redoxy-3C has been used since September 2016 in 86 lakes inside the city and 44 others in the outskirts. As a result, pollution level in the lakes reduced significantly without harming aquatic creatures, while the oxygen ratio in water becomes higher. According to the Hanoi Sewage and Drainage Company, the using of the product is among its short-term solution. In the long term, it is necessary to raise public awareness of protecting lakes and water in the city.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc to tour New Zealand, AustraliaPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse will pay official visits to New Zealand from March 12-14 and Australia from March 14-18. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan PhucIn Australia, PM Phuc will attend the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney. The visits will be made at the invitations of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The two nations aim to raise bilateral trade to 1.7 billion USD by 2020, making economic cooperation a pillar of their relationship. Australia has landed 378 projects valued at 1.7 billion USD in Vietnam, focusing on industry and construction, services, education, processing industry and agro-forestry-fisheries sector.-VNA

Association to protect steel firms from import restrictionsVietnam Steel Association (VSA) is co-ordinating with relevant agencies to take timely measures and minimise the risks of a new proposal of the United States on import duties for steel. The move comes after US President Donald Trump said last Thursday he would formally announce import duties of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium this week. VSA said it would take up the United States’ restriction on steel imports at the World Trade Organisation, if needed. A VSA representative said the association and other steel enterprises expected to get the support of the Vietnamese Government through negotiations on the Viet Nam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement and would request the United States not to apply the import restrictions to Vietnamese steel. On February 16, US Secretary Wilbur Ross released reports of investigations by the US Department of Commerce into the impact on national security from the import of steel mill products and wrought and unwrought aluminium from Viet Nam and other countries exporting steel to the United States.

Asset quality, profitability of Vietnam banks improved: Moody’sThe asset quality and profitability of 14 Vietnamese banks rated by Moody’s improved moderately year-over-year, driven by robust macroeconomic conditions and growth in core income, Moody’s Investors Service said on Tuesday. "In 2018, we expect the banks will continue to improve their asset quality and profitability, while capitalisation will weaken," said Eugene Tarzimanov, a vice president and senior credit officer at Moody’s. On asset quality in particular, Moody’s said that the improvement in 2017 versus 2016 was helped by problem asset recoveries and write-offs, as well as credit growth. Moody’s said the banks’ asset quality will improve further in 2018, due to recoveries, but rapid credit growth could mask asset risks. With profitability, Moody’s points out that the banks’ asset weighted-average return on assets rose to 0.9 per cent in 2017 from 0.7 per cent in 2016.

Honesty as the best marketing policyIn the age of fake news and unverified information on social media, transparency and honesty once again become the most important factors for good property developers. Honesty as the best marketing policyA maze of fake newsAt a recent land plot sale in western Hanoi, industry insiders have voiced concerns about unverified information. Such unofficial information is very difficult to check but can appear anywhere on social media these days and have great influence on homebuyers’ decisions. In reality, it is not hard to find ample information about upcoming projects through unofficial media channels, including social media, online forums, scam websites, spam messages, and street banners. This is very difficult to do in official media, but very easy on social media and online forums.

President Tran Dai Quang urges firms of VN, Bangladesh to create impetus for trade tiesPresident Tran Dai Quang has urged the business circles of Vietnam and Bangladesh to devise innovation ideas, thus creating new momentum for stronger trade and investment links between the two countries. Cooperation mechanisms have been forming across fields, especially those in trade and investment, he stressed. President Quang briefed local businesses about Vietnam’s outstanding achievements over the three decades of reforms, especially GDP growth, trade, foreign investment attraction, improved investment climate and strongly upgraded transport infrastructure. Before attending the Vietnam – Bangladesh business forum, President Tran Dai Quang hosted a reception for a delegation from the Bangladesh-Vietnam Council for Commerce and Industries (BVCCI). In the afternoon of March 6 (local time), the Vietnamese President left Dhaka, concluding successfully his three-day State visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of President Abdul Hamid.-VNA

CPTPP signing slated for March 8 in ChileThe Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) scheduled to be inked by ministers of the 11 member countries in Chile on March 8. The 11 CPTPP economies make up about 13 percent of the global GDP. After the US withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the predecessor of the CPTPP, in 2017, the remaining 11 countries (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam) agreed to maintain the deal and rename it CPTPP. On February 21, the full text of the CPTPP was announced, which is considered a sign showing that the 11 countries are ready to sign the agreement. Earlier, US President Donald Trump said his country would consider re-entering the CPTPP if the US could get a better deal.-VNA

US Navy officers visit Da Nang’s centre for mentally ill patientsMembers of US Navy ships and aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson visited the Da Nang Nursing Centre for the Mentally Ill on March 6, as part of their first-ever trip to the central city. US naval officers and patients at the Da Nang Nursing Centre for the Mentally Ill in a group photo (Source: nld.com.vn)During the visit, they presented gifts to the centre and took part in different games, such as tug of war, breaking earthen pots, and pouring water into bottles. The US naval vessels, including missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and missile destroyer USS Wayne E.Meyer, began their visit to Da Nang on March 5. During the visit, commanders of the US Navy ships are scheduled to pay courtesy calls to leaders of Da Nang city, the Commander of the Vietnam Navy, and the High Command of the Naval Zone 3. US officers and sailors will join community activities in Da Nang, such as music performances, sport exchange and visits to SOS children’s village, the Social Sponsorship Centre, and the Centre for Orphan Children.

During the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, Tuyen Quang took good care of local poor people and social beneficiaries, and ensure security and social order, she said. Themed “Vietnam Water Cooperation Initiative” (VACI), the event offers a chance for enterprises to show their commitment to protecting water resources and the environment. Exhibitions of photos and technologies and training courses related to water resources management are also part of the event. In addition, the event will also include two courses, "Application of satellite technology in water resources management" and "Monitoring and forecasting of water resources". The proposed plan, aimed at relieving pressure from the city’s social and technical infrastructure, has been met with criticism from social experts who see little benefit from the new requirement.