CULTURE AND SPORT

Miss Philippines was crowned Miss World 2013 in a glittering finale Saturday on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, amid tight security following weeks of hardline Muslim protests.

More than 170 athletes representing 40 countries have registered to compete in the International Mountain Marathon on October 5-6 in the northern tourist resort town of Sa Pa.

The Miss World final takes place on the Indonesian island of Bali Saturday with Muslim hardliners threatening to stage fresh protests and even break through heavy security to rally at the venue.

The Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists’ seventh international photo contest received around 15,360 entries from 1,430 artists representing 51 countries and territories across the world.

A youth street arts festival on September 28 is expected to attract hundreds of young people, said a Hanoi Youth Union official.

An exhibition being held in Hanoi displays photos showing that many old temples in the city have been turned into hotels and shops.

Hanoi will hold the first festival of Chau Van singing from late September to early October, the municipal Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism said on September 23.

Vietnam’s No1 badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh is expected to win the 2013 National Badminton Champions, which opened in HCM City on September 23.

The British contemporary dance company Candoco will make its debut performance in Hanoi on Sunday night to kick off the Great Week – which aims to showcase the best of the UK in Vietnam.

A football match-fixing ring based in Singapore was the world's "largest and most aggressive" such operation, the Interpol chief said in remarks published Tuesday after the arrest of the group's suspected mastermind.

Vietnamese chess player Le Quang Liem and 16 international Grand Masters have registered to participate in the Spice Cup in the US from October 15-19.

Nhạc vàng, or “Soft music”, a popular music during the 1960s and 1970s in southern Vietnam, is now being revived by modern artists.

Football managers and fans are giving praise to the U19 national team although they only finished in second place at the ASEAN U19 Football Championships.

Nearly 2,000 youngsters in Ho Chi Minh City gathered at a festival on September 22 held to raise public awareness of the country’s specific sea and island sovereignty.

Indonesia defeated Vietnam 7-6 in a penalty shootout to claim the ASEAN Under-19 Football Championships on their home turf yesterday.

The theme of next year’s Hue festival would be named “Cultural heritage with integration and development”, said the Festival Organising Committee.

Striker Cong Phuong’s only goal on September 20 helped U19 Vietnam defeat their Laos opponents in the first tough semi-final match of the ASEAN U19 Youth Football Championship in Indonesia, qualifying for the final.

Vietnam’s badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh has cruised to the third round of the Japan Open Tournament after defeating Kento Momota from the host country 2-1 on September 19.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has admitted that the choice of Qatar as 2022 World Cup hosts was influenced by political interests.