Flash floods triggered by a tropical storm killed eight people in Vietnam, while 14 others remain missing and another was killed by a falling tree.

An elephant carrying two tourists on its back trampled their Vietnamese tour guide to death while he was trying to take their photograph.

Rising flood waters triggered by heavy seasonal rains have killed 17 people in central and southern Vietnam.

Vietnam will hold a mass trial in two weeks for 41 people accused of plotting unrest during mass protests in the Central Highlands, a court official said today.

Vietnamese authorities are launching a major law awareness campaign in the Central Highlands in an effort to prevent further unrest among ethnic minorities.