(VOV) - Chess champion Tran Tuan Minh from Hanoi secured third place at the U16 event of the 2013 World Championships, which concluded in Al Ain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on December 29.

(VOV) -Following her success at the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar,double gold medalist Nguyen Thi Anh Vien,is scheduled to attend an intensive training course in the US in January in preparation for next year’s games.

(VOV)-Japanese company Sapporo will sponsor a spectacular music show in HCM City on New Year’s Eve, expecting to attract more than 10,000 revellers.

Over 500 photos, mainly black-and-white, depicting the French architectural imprints on Hai Phong urban development are put on display in the northern port city, as part of activities to mark the 40th  anniversary of the Vietnam – France diplomatic ties.

A Japanese cultural festival to celebrate the New Year “Ake Ome! 2014” took place at the Giang Vo Exhibition Centre in Hanoi on December 29.

(VOV) -A cycling tournament kicked off in HCM City on the morning of the December 29 as part of New Year celebrations.

More than 100 domestic and overseas Vietnamese artists, beauty queens and models will appear at the 26th Duyen Dang Viet Nam (Charming Vietnam) gala to be held at Hoa Binh Theatre in HCM City on January 10 and 11.

(VOV) - The 2013 Vietnam Book Awards, run by the Vietnam Publishers Association, have honoured 100 of the year’s outstanding publications.

(VOV) -Chief coach Do Dinh Khang has confirmed female weightlifter Nguyen Thi Kim Van was retrospectively awarded two gold and one bronze 2013 Asian Championship medals following a spate of positive drug tests from regional competitors.

(VOV) - The Vietnam Folklore Arts Association (VFAA) has presented prizes to 64 notable research projects exploring folk art and culture in a ceremony on December 28.

(VOV) - State President Truong Tan Sang emphasised Da Lat’s 120-year history as a leading tourist destination when addressing the December 27 launch of the Da Lat Cultural and Tourism Week and the fifth Da Lat Flower Festival.

Over 130 photos and paintings by 40 artists in and outside the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong are being displayed in the locality, bringing its achievements over the last 10 years into the spotlight.

(VOV) -Young Russian literary prodigy Mikhail Samarsky arrived in Vietnam on December 26 for 9-day meetings and exchanges with the press and art circles.

(VOV) -An exhibition entitled “Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks: International Legacies” opened in Lam Dong Province’s Da Lat City on December 27.

(VOV) - The Da Lat Flower Festival International Trade Fair 2013 kicked off in Da Lat city of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on December 26.

For the New Year countdown, Hanoians will be treated to a lavish music performance that will take place in Cach Mang Thang Tam (August Revolution) Square in front of the Hanoi Opera House on December 31.

More than 110 photos featuring the development of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho are being showcased at an exhibition that opened in the locality on December 26.

(VOV) -Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) has selected Vietnam’s top ten sporting moments in 2013.

(VOV) -The Voice of Russia has reported the new Russian language publication of the ancient “Việt sử lược” (A Brief History of Vietnam) in Moscow on December 25.

The Vietnam Football Federation is going to sign up BrunoJose Garcia Formoso as the coach of the national futsal (indoorfootball) team.

(VOV) -An exhibition on Vietnamese heritage sites opened in the central province of Quang Binh on December 24.

The Mekong delta province of Tra Vinh launched a “don ca tai tu” (amateur singing) festival for local people on December 23-24 to honour the art, which was recognised as a piece of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

(VOV) -An exhibition of oil paintings, opened in Hanoi on December 24, highlights the major contributions of 30 foreigners to Vietnam’s past struggles for national liberation and construction.

(VOV) -Vietnam will be represented at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre’s contemporary visual arts festival scheduled to take place in March 2014.

Vietnamese football fans will have a chance to see the 2014 World Cup trophy on January 1 in Hanoi.

(VOV) - Chief coach of the national U23 men’s football squad Hoang Van Phuc has handed in his resignation following Vietnam’s loss at the recent 27th SEA Games in Myanmar.

(VOV) -Vietnam’s U19 football squad will meet rivals from Japan, Totttenham and AS Roma in Nutifood Cup 2014 friendlies.

Around 60 famous artists and celebrities have come together for a television show called Huong Tet Viet (Vietnamese Tet flavour) for the Lunar New Year.

(VOV) -A photo titled “Gio Cat” by Vietnamese photographer Tran Viet Van has been selected as one of the 24 best photographs displayed at an exhibition in Portland, the US.

(VOV) -The 27th SEA Games successfully closed in Myanmar on December 22 after 11 days of competition in the spirit of friendship and solidarity.