Here are the news stories you should not miss today, February 20.

Society

-- An unseasonal rain that lasted nearly an hour dampened several areas in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday afternoon.

-- The bodies of two young children, who had drowned in a reservoir in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on Saturday afternoon, were found on Sunday morning. 

-- The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has ordered the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to better manage and sternly penalize local poultry farming facilities that do not have permits, as part of an effort to prevent the spread of avian influenza.

-- Police in the northern Vietnamese province of Bac Ninh have arrested two suspects who had allegedly murdered a truck driver to steal over 34 metric tons of steel on the afternoon of February 14.

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City are probing a case in which a young man was stabbed to death by a group of people in District 11 on Saturday night.

Business

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade has asked the municipal administration to figure out a measure to manage the income of online businesses.

-- According to the Vietnam Food Association, a total of 955,900 metric tons of rice produced by local businesses in January is still in stock, while the country’s rice export is shrinking sharply.

-- Authorities in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City have requested the municipal People’s Committee to approve the establishment of a night market along the Ben Nghe Canal.

Lifestyle

-- The People’s Committee in Hoi An, a famous ancient town in the central province of Quang Nam, has proposed a VND200 billion (US$8.8 million) project on building a fire safety system to protect local relics.

-- Nearly 1,000 people in the southern beach city of Vung Tau on Sunday morning volunteered to clean up local beaches. According to Truong Thi Huong, vice-chairwoman of the city’s administration, the activity is expected to be organized once a month.