Tuoitrenews briefs some of the leading stories published today on Vietnamese media:

Politics:

-- A workshop discussing measures to promote investment and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, jointly organized by the National Assemblies of Vietnam and Laos, the Association of Vietnam Investors in Laos and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), has been held in Vientiane.

Society:

-- Australia is expected to approve the 2013-2014 Direct Aid Program for a number of projects focusing on poverty reduction, education, health care, and environmental improvement, among others, to improve the quality of life of underprivileged people in northern Vietnam, according to Hugh Borrowman, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam.

Business:

-- The fifth phase of the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative, launched to make Vietnam’s investment environment more open and transparent, will be implemented from now to end-2014, according to a recent high-level meeting convened by the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative Committee in Hanoi.

Lifestyle:

-- A festival based on popular Vietnamese and Japanese comic books, Titled Comic Books and My Childhood, has been held at the Children's Culture Palace , 36 Ly Thai To Street, on July 27 and 28, for the children in Hanoi.