CULTURE AND SPORT

International Free Hugs Day has been celebrated in Vietnam in the past few years with an aim of generally lifting spirits and bridging gaps among people.

The organising board of a beauty contest that took place in Hanoi recently has been fined VND50 million for holding the event without a license.

Japanese photographer Murayama Yasufumi plans to organise a photo exhibition displaying 40 photos of Vietnamese residents, including fishermen, living in the central provinces.

About 4,200 foreign and domestic athletes, both professional and amateur, are expected to participate in the 2014 International Marathon due to take place in the central coastal city of Danang from August 28-31.

A beauty contest in Hanoi was revealed as having been unlicensed after a contestant threw her pageant sash into trash bin.

Vietnam and Singapore have been selected to host the final round of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2014 – a football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation, according to a July 14 draw in Hanoi.

Three overseas Vietnamese have conveyed their love of homeland through a rap song "Viet World Wide” which has been written in English, German and Vietnamese.

Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam overwhelmed Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan (China) in a final match of the US Open Badminton Championship in New York on July 13 (local time), defending his title.

The Vietnamese Cinematography Department is considering how to handle possible violations in the film “Apartment 69″ which has gone viral and stirred up controversy over its content.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and Japan Football Association (JFA) in Hanoi on July 11, opening up many opportunities for bilateral football co-operation in the future.

Elite Vietnam 2014, an iteration of the world renowned Elite Model Look contest, will be held in Vietnam for the first time, starting this July.

A farmer from the northern province of Hai Duong became a quick internet sensation after posting hundreds of off-key songs on social networks.

The annual Toyota Classics will bring their much-awaited show to Buon Ma Thuot City this August in response to the 2014 Tay Nguyen National Tourism Year.

French photographer Jean Marie Duchange is showcasing 34 photos of the Vietnam Central Highland region in the 1950s at an exhibition, which opened at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi on July 10.

Top Vietnamese badminton player Tien Minh defeated Indian rival Chetan Anand on July 9, advancing to the third round of the 2014 US YONEX Open Badminton Championships.

Vietnam will host the first International Fashion Week in HCM City this December with leading Vietnamese designers presenting their collections with their Asian and international counterparts.

The International Grapes and Wine Festival 2014 will take place in Phan Rang-Thap Cham city, central Ninh Thuan province from July 17-19.

The provincial People’s Committee of the south central province of Khanh Hoa recently announced this year’s annual International Yacht Festival is scheduled for August 2-4.

MasterChef USA 2012 winner Christine Ha will showcase her culinary talent at the Taste the Stories charity gala dinner on July 5 in Ho Chi Minh City.