Here are today’s leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday delivered a pre-recorded speech at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held in Vladivostok, Russia, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Society

-- The death toll of the fire that broke out at a karaoke parlor in southern Binh Duong Province on Tuesday night rose to 33 as of Wednesday night, a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed.

-- Thousands of meters of electric cables have been stolen from the Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway in northern Quang Ninh Province after the route was opened to traffic about a week ago.

-- The People’s Court in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on Wednesday sentenced four people to one to four years in prison for arranging for other people to enter Cambodia illegally in 2021.

-- Some fishermen from central Thua Thien-Hue Province reported on Wednesday that they had found the body of an unidentified person that was drifting off Lang Co Beach.

-- A fire broke out at an apartment building on Kinh Duong Vuong Street in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday afternoon and was put out by firefighters shortly after. There were no casualties in the incident.

-- The Ministry of Public Security confirmed on Wednesday they had arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of running a prostitution ring that involves winners and runners-up of beauty pageants, as well as many beauties in the show business of Vietnam and South Korea.

-- Rains are forecast to decrease in intensity in southern Vietnam on Thursday, while downpours have begun to batter northern provinces and are forecast to linger for multiple days, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting reported.

COVID-19 Updates

-- The Ministry of Health documented 3,878 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising the national tally to 11,428,632, with 10,252,898 recoveries and 43,125 deaths.

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