Here are today’s leading news stories:

COVID-19 Updates

-- Vietnam’s Ministry of Health documented 3,373 COVID-19 cases on Saturday evening, raising the country’s tally to 884,895, with 804,664 recoveries and 21,620 deaths. Ho Chi Minh City recorded 749 local infections, the lowest in the past month.

-- Authorities in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, have allowed lottery ticket sales and dine-in services to resume operations. Local eateries are only allowed to operate at 50 percent of their capacity and must not serve alcoholic drinks.

Society

-- Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Son, commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard, has been relieved of his position due to serious violations and shortcomings. Son has been replaced by Major General Le Quang Dao, vice commander and chief of staff of the Border Guard High Command.

-- Police in the central province of Quang Nam confirmed on Saturday they were working to determine the cause of death of a man whose body washed up ashore earlier the same day.

-- Authorities in the central province of Quang Ngai have evacuated more than 2,500 residents from areas affected by floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains.

-- Multiple streets and neighborhoods in Ho Chi Minh City were inundated due to the combined effect of a downpour and high tide on Saturday evening.

-- A man has been caught on CCTV pretending to suffer a heat attack to distract the security guard of a convenient store in Ho Chi Minh City before stealing a customer’s motorbike earlier this week.

Sports

-- Vietnam’s 25-year-old boxer Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi defeated her Japanese opponent Etsuko Tada 96-94 to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) world championship on Saturday evening.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!