Here are today’s leading news stories:

COVID-19 Updates

-- Vietnam’s Ministry of Health documented 13,998 COVID-19 cases in 57 provinces and cities on Saturday, raising the country’s tally to 1,294,778, with 1,007,566 recoveries and 26,061 deaths.

Society

-- Temperature in Ho Chi Minh City dropped to 19 degrees Celsius early on Sunday morning due to the effect of an enhanced cold spell, according to the southern hydro-meteorological center.

-- A fire broke out at a wood factory covering thousands of square meters on Hanoi Highway in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday evening. Officers are working to determine the cause of the incident and calculate the damage.

-- A magnitude-3.8 earthquake occurred in Kon Plong District in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum at around 2:00 pm on Saturday. The quake did not pose a disaster risk, according to local authorities.

-- Tri Nam Group JSC began piloting a public bicycle rental service on Le Loi Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday. The trial phase is expected to last until December 10.

Business

-- Vietnam’s industrial production index went up 5.5 percent in November compared to the previous month and rose 5.6 percent year on year, according to the General Statistics Office.

Education

-- First-grade students in the central city of Da Nang will be allowed to resume offline learning on Monday under several conditions aimed at ensuring safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lifestyle

-- Vietnam’s 23-year-old beauty Nguyen Phuc Thuy Tien was crowned Miss Grand International 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday evening.

-- The 17th Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Day kicked off with a ceremony at the White Palace Pham Van Dong Convention Center in Thu Duc City on Saturday evening. The event will last until December 25, featuring 100 virtual stalls by prestigious tour agents in the country.

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