CULTURE AND SPORT

China can put a lacklustre qualifying campaign behind them and write more positive headlines for the national game by clinching their Asian Cup spot in a game against Saudi Arabia Tuesday.

Hundreds of representatives from 54 ethnic groups around the country will attend the opening ceremony of the National Great Solidarity - Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Week at the Culture-Tourism Village of Dong Mo in Son Tay town on November 18 evening.

Vietnamese bodybuilder Nguyen Anh Thong demonstrated an impressive performance in his selection and went on to win gold at the World Bodybuilding & Physique Sports Championship in Hungary.

One of the most acclaimed singers in France, the father of hits in 60s and 70s, Christophe, will come to Vietnam for the first time and perform at a charity concert to raise funds for street children.

The UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia booked their tickets to the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia with victories in their qualifying group games on Friday.

The biennial Vietnam press-caricature painting contest, the Rong Tre (Bamboo Dragon) Cup, kicked off on November 14 welcoming entries from amateur and professional caricaturists living in Vietnam.

Host player Tian Houwei outperformed Vietnamese hopeful Nguyen Tien Minh 2-1 at the first round of the China Open 2013 on November 13.

Vietnam will send four competitors to take part in the World Bodybuilding & Physique Sports Championships in Hungary from November 13-17.

The Mekong Delta provinces of Tra Vinh and Soc Trang are celebrating the ethnic Khmer community's Ok Om Bok Festival with a range of cultural activities.

Several domestic artists have voiced their doubts about the necessity and effectiveness of work permits for artists.

U19 Japan have accepted the Vietnam Football Federation’s invitation to play at the Nutifood Cup in HCM City in early 2014.

Leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism emphasised that it is necessary to apply work permit rules to singers and models.

The UN's top court ruled Monday that the area around a flashpoint ancient temple on the Thai border belongs to Cambodia and that any Thai security forces there should leave.

Bich Khanh, who was crowned Miss Ngoi Sao (Star) Vietnam 2012, is taking part in the Miss Grand International 2013 pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 3-20.

World badminton No 7 Nguyen Tien Minh has been seeded No 1 for the Vietnam Open Super Series which will kick off on December 2 in HCM City.

Renowned Spanish photographer Ramón Fernández Rafer has decided to return to Vietnam, from November 10-30, to perfect his photo exhibitions depicting everyday life in Vietnam.

The UNESCO General Conference’s 37th session in Paris has issued a resolution honouring great Vietnamese poet Nguyen Du and other international cultural figureheads.

Former Italian soccer star Fabio Cannavaro will arrive in HCM City ahead of attending the 2013 Tiger Street Football tournament as an honourable ambassador.

The nation's fashion industry is heating up with three major fashion shows set to take place this month, ahead of next month's Spring-Summer Fashion Week which will attract 24 designers across the nation.