Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- The Politburo picked Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and Mai Van Chinh, deputy head of the Central Organization Commission, as heads of the Central Economic Commission and the Central Mass Mobilization Commission, respectively, heard a ceremony presided over by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam in Hanoi on Wednesday.

-- President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines will pay an official visit to Vietnam from August 24 to 30 at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Society

-- Ho Chi Minh City will set off fireworks at the Saigon River Tunnel in Thu Duc City and Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11 to celebrate Vietnam’s National Day on September 2. These shows will last from 9:00 pm to 9:15 pm on the day.

-- Downpours are forecast to continue sweeping many localities in northern Vietnam on Thursday and Friday, while the central region might experience scorching heat on Thursday, with the highest temperature reaching 37 degrees Celsius. Residents in the southern and Central Highlands regions are told to brace for showers late in the afternoon, according to the national weather center.

-- A 40-year-old woman was injured when a tree fell onto a street in Thanh Khe District, Da Nang City during a rainstorm on Wednesday afternoon.

-- Police in Hanoi said on Wednesday that a gang of young men had been caught for stopping motorcyclists, beating them, and cutting their motorbikes’ license plates in some outlying districts.

Lifestyle

-- The Namaste Vietnam 2024 Festival will take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa Province, and Lam Dong Province from August 25 to 31, bringing 20 Indian artists and many Indian firms to Vietnam, Madan Mohan Sethi, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, told a press briefing in the southern metropolis on Wednesday.

-- The world-renowned culinary website Taste Atlas has revealed its list of the 100 best rice dishes globally, including three Vietnamese dishes: com tam (broken rice), banh beo (Vietnamese steamed savory rice cake), and banh tet (sticky rice cake with mung beans or pork).

World News

-- At least 15 people were killed in an explosion on Wednesday at a pharmaceuticals manufacturing plant in southern India's Andhra Pradesh state, reported Reuters, citing a district government official.

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