Tuoi Tre News briefs you on some of the leading stories published today, March 21, in Vietnamese media.

Politics

-- Vietnam and Thailand have pledged to increase their two-way trade to US$15 billion by 2020, as part of the outcomes of the second meeting of the Vietnam-Thailand Joint Committee on bilateral cooperation held in Hanoi on Friday. The committee also agreed to open a bus route between the two countries, and said that an agreement on the route will be signed in June.Society -- The body of an 8-year-old girl who was reported missing in late January this year in Ho Chi Minh City’s Cu Chi District was found in a field in an area of Cambodia that borders Vietnam’s southwestern Tay Ninh province on March 19, provincial police reported on Friday, adding that the body was taken to Ho Chi Minh City the same day for an autopsy. -- Police in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday detained a 62-year-old man, Ho Bao Son, in District 10 for counterfeiting foreign canned milk intended for pregnant women and children. Police seized hundreds of fake Abbott milk cans and equipment used for counterfeiting. Son has recently been released from prison after serving his three-year sentence for counterfeiting foreign canned milk, police said. -- Vietnam’s naval forces will conduct a live fire exercise including anti-submarine bombs in a sea area east of the south-central province of Khanh Hoa from 7:30 am to 11:30 am on Sunday, March 22, according to a notice from the High Command of the Vietnam People’s Navy, which has asked vessels not to enter the waters specified in the notice during the duration of the exercise.  -- As an impact of climate change, the south-central region of Vietnam is experiencing serious drought, with many areas there lacking water for agricultural production and daily life, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai warned at a meeting held in northern Bac Giang province on Friday to welcome the World Day of Water (March 22).Business -- The US dollar is making its strongest gains against many other strong currencies in the past 40 years, according to Citibank. Since the beginning of this year, the dollar has increased by 14 percent versus other currencies, including the Euro and Japanese yen, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimated. -- While rice exports are facing difficulties due to decreased prices, many Vietnamese businesses said they are boosting the export of rice noodles, rice paper, and other products made of rice flour to many countries including the U.S., Japan and France, where consumer demand for such commodities is on the rise.   Lifestyle -- Three well-known German films, including Berlin is in Germany, One day in Europe, and Global Player, will be shown at the Goethe Hanoi Institute at 7 pm every day from March 23 to 25. The director of the three films is Hannes Stöhr, the institute said.  Sports -- Manchester City (M.C) will compete with West Brom in a match in the 30th round of the Premier League at 7:45 pm on Saturday, March 21 (Vietnam time). M.C badly needs a victory in the upcoming game to refresh themselves after two consecutive failures, according to observers.

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