Here are today’s leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on Monday met with Rustam Minnikhanov, president of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, as part of her ongoing visit, which runs from December 8 to 11.

-- Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan held informal talks with former U.S. President Barack Obama in the southern Vietnamese metropolis on Monday afternoon, as part Obama’s business trip to the Southeast Asian country.   

-- The Party Central Committee's Inspection Commission convened its 41st meeting in Hanoi from December 4 to 6, focusing on the wrongdoings at the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the state-owned Vietnam Steel Corporation.

Society

-- Police in Vinh City, located in the north-central province of Nghe An, on Monday arrested a 47-year-old woman after she was caught on CCTV holding a 13-month-old girl upside down while she was babysitting the infant last week.

-- The number of children infected with respiratory diseases throughout Vietnam has increased sharply over the past week due to chilly weather and low temperature in most parts of the country.

Business

-- The Ministry of Finance has recently sent a dispatch to relevant ministries and sectors, suggesting the reduction of import tariffs on chicken and pork products by 18 to 22 percent.

-- After having declined for four straight weeks, the Vietnamese stock market may rebound in December as analysts and securities companies expect that cheaper shares will attract hungry investors amid the world’s volatility.

Sports

-- The Vietnamese sports delegation won a total of 14 gold medals on Monday, the ninth competition day of the ongoing 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines, ranking third in the medal table behind the hosts and Thailand.

-- Vietnam and Indonesia will compete for the gold medal at the men’s football tournament of the 30th SEA Games on Tuesday evening. The much-anticipated game will be aired on VTV6 Channel at 7:00 pm.

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