Here are the most important news stories about Vietnam you do not want to miss today, August 9.

Politics

-- A ceremony to hoist the flags of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, two days after a similar event in Hanoi, to mark the 44th founding anniversary of ASEAN and the 16th anniversary of Vietnam’s admission to the bloc.

-- Bangladeshi President Md. Abdul Hamid is on a state visit to Vietnam, from August 9 to 13, at the invitation of Vietnamese State President Truong Tan Sang, during which they will work to reinforce the two countries’ traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met with Britain’s Prince Andrew on the sidelines of Singapore’s 50th birthday in the city state on Sunday.

Society

-- A 15-year-old boy got into a quarrel with two other boys, both 16 years old, at a swimming pool in the southern province of Dong Nai on Sunday, then stabbed one of the two to death and injured the other with a switchblade.

-- Police in the central province of Quang Nam on Sunday seized a long-haul bus as it was carrying a wooden box containing 478 bullets en route to Binh Dinh Province.

Business

-- The Airports Corporation of Vietnam is seeking approval from the Ministry of Transport for a VND1 trillion (US$45.93 million) project to increase the capacity of Phu Quoc International Airport to four million passengers a year, from the current 2.65 million passengers per annum.

-- VietinBank, the largest of Vietnam's banks that are partly-owned by private companies, upgraded its branch in Laos to a full bank, with a total charter capital of $50 million, on Sunday.

-- Vietnamese investors were licensed to pump $155.4 million into 47 overseas projects in 22 countries and territories, among which Laos received the biggest investment of $53.9 million, followed by the U.S. ($50.8 million), in the first six months of this year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

Lifestyle

-- A three-member team from Hanoi, which represents Vietnam, won two prizes at the 1^st International High School Students' Photo Festival running from August 4 to 10 in Higashikawa, Japan.

Sports

-- Vietnamese star swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien finished tenth in the qualifying round of the women’s 400m individual medley category at the ongoing world championship in Kazan, Russia, on Sunday, clocking 4:38.78 – the best result in her career so far.

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