CULTURE AND SPORT

Vietnamese people are paying tribute to President Ho Chi Minh in many ways on the occasion of his 123 rd birthday anniversary (May 19).

Vietnamese players will fly to the Philippines on May 17 to take part in the Asian Chess Championships.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder David Beckham will retire from football at the end of the season, he announced on Thursday.

Vietnam Football Federation will today sign a two-year contract with coach Hoang Van Phuc to take charge of the national and under-23 teams.

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival officially kicked off Wednesday morning with a gust of wind, a rain shower, and a burst of 3D-enhanced colour at the press screening of this year’s opening film: Baz Luhrmann’s long-gestating adaptation of F.

Ho Chi Minh City will host the Southern Land Cuisine Festival and the Southern Fruit Festival as part of its strategy to stimulate tourism demand in 2013, according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Lip syncing and "inappropriate" outfits in liveshows that have generated controversy over the past several years have reduced of late, officials said at a recent meeting in HCM City.

More than 300 artists from 11 troupes from Indonesia, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan have registered to take part in the 3rd Vietnam International Choir Competition in Hoi An City on June 20-21.

The authorities should not be easy going when dealing with illegal constructions on public land, even if they’re built by famous artists, an official said.

Haiphong Museum in coordination with the National History Museum, the heritage centre of Thang Long-Hanoi and Haiphong’s antiques association hosted a major display of the Red River Delta’s civilisation in the city’s museum on May 9.

The newly-released CD by musician Ngoc Dai will be withdrawn by the cultural management board for having sexual lyrics.

The 8th European food festival will open at the Hanoi-based National Library of Vietnam on May 18.

Alex Ferguson, British football's most successful manager, is to retire at the end of the season after 26 trophy-filled years at the helm of Manchester United, the club announced on Wednesday.

Nearly 30 exclusive documentary photographs of France’s famous actress Brigitte Bardot will be displayed in Ho Chi Minh City as from May 10.

Vietnamese director Tran Dung Thanh Huy’s film entitled “16:30” will be shown as part of the Short Film Corner at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

The 2013 Danang International Marathon Competition will be held in central Danang City on September 1.

Singer My Linh and artist Thanh Chuong have breached the law by building houses in forested land in Hanoi, inspectors said.

Vietnam will organise the first National Traditional Martial Arts and Boxing Championships this month.

Richard Silver’s photographs show us the world’s biggest sights, which are not simply depictions of the landmarks but planned, artistic visual constructions.