Read what’s in the news today.

Politics

-- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his spouse began their three-day official to Vietnam in Hanoi on Wednesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Society

-- Residents in many localities across Vietnam’s central region have been deprived of freshwater which is essential to agricultural activities and daily use as the area is being hit by water shortage and high salinity.

-- Authorities of the southern province of Kien Giang have asked for the government's approval to upgrade Phu Quoc Island, now a district administered by the province, to be Vietnam’s first island city for better development.

-- Adults carrying children on motorcycles, motorbikes, and electric bicycles without the kids wearing helmets will face stricter penalties starting from next month when traffic police will increase the frequency of patrols across many routes near schools, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.

-- At least one person died and 40 others were hospitalized for emergency treatment after two sleeper buses crashed on Wednesday’s early morning at the intersection of Vo Nguyen Giap Street and National Highway 1 in Dien Khanh District, the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.

Business

-- The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has called on the Ministry of Transport to seek approval from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for the repair of degraded and cracked runways and taxiways at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.

-- The CAAV said on Wednesday that the two projects to establish Vinpearl Air by the leading Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup and Vietravel Airlines by travel firm Vietravel are qualified to be put forward for Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s consideration.

Education

-- Nineteen Vietnamese participants are set to compete in 18 events at the WorldSkills Kazan 2019, the 45th edition of the biennial vocational skill competition that will open today, August 22, in Russia.

Lifestyle

-- Over 250 documents, images, and other items are on display at an exhibition in Hanoi to mark the 50-year implementation of President Ho Chi Minh’s testament in 1969.