Vietnamese athletes clinched two silvers and a bronze at the Asian Petanque Championships, which concluded in Hanoi on December 16.

The 1st African Vovinam (Vietnamese martial arts) Championship took place in Algeria from December 13-15.

(VOV) - Phan Thi Ha Thanh gave impressive performance at the 2012 Toyota International Gymnastics Competition on December 15, clinching a gold medal in the women’s vault.

(VOV) -“Underground Revolution”, a festival for Vietnamese rappers opened in Hanoi’s west lake area on December 16 with the participation of many famous, including LK, Kimmese, Mr. A, Rapsoul, Andree and JustaTee.

(VOV) -More than 15,000 citizens from the Indian coastal city Puducherry attended the opening of the 5th Vietnam- India Cultural Festival opened on December 16.

(VOV) - Japanese experts from the Koushikai Association and the International Culture Association presented the northern Quang Ninh province with 140 cherry trees on December 16. 

(VOV) - Ho Chi Minh City opened the 2012 national open tennis tournament—the Vietravel Cup 2012—on December 15. 

(VOV) - The Vietnamese pavilion at the 2013 Cuban International Book Fair has displayed books about President Ho Chi Minh, the revolutionary cause, the renewal process, and the Vietnamese country and people.

(VOV) - The 2012 Vietnam International Choir Competition’s organising board has awarded a special prize to the Philippines’ Triga City choir as well as 10 gold and 9 silver medals to other Vietnamese and international choirs on December 15.

Vietnam Television (VTV) and Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) have agreed to make a collaborative film about the renowned Vietnamese nationalist Phan Boi Chau.

(VOV) - Vietnamese representative Luu Thi Diem Huong performed the evening gown and bikini exhibitions in the semi-final of the Miss Universe 2012 pageant on December 14.

(VOV) - The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh has retained the 8th position in the world rankings over the second week of December.

(VOV) - Phan Thu Quyen, a 23-year-old girl from the southern province of Kien Giang, has defeated 29 contestants to win Miss Photo 2012.

(VOV) - For the first time, Vietnam will participate in the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics World Winter Games, to be hosted by the Republic of Korea (RoK) from January 29 to February 5 next year.

(VOV) - A musical performance was held at Hanoi Opera House on December 14 to celebrate 20 years since diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) were first established.

(VOV) - The Russian capital has hosted an Asian Culture Week from December 11 to 14, attracting the participation of hundreds of Asian students, including from Vietnam.

Seventy-five photographs characterising the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) went on display at an exhibition in the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) headquarters on December 14. 

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh and his Republic of Korea (RoK) counterpart, Choe Kwang-shik, held talks on December 14 to review their cooperation results and draw up a plan for the coming time. 

(VOV) -The first floor of Hanoi’s Keangnam Landmark 72 is hosting the outdoor ‘Snow and Light Festival’ from December 14 to March 17 next year.

(VOV) -Four Vietnamese eSport players have arrived in Malaysia to contest the 2012 One Asian Cup, running from December 14–16.

(VOV) -Vietnamese martial artists have successfully brought home three gold medals from the ongoing 2012 ASEAN Student Games in Laos.

Vietnamese swimmers have failed to make the finals of their events so far at the ongoing World Championships in Turkey. 

Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, Vice chairman of the Vietnamese Writers Association, was elected Vice Secretary General of the Association of Afro-Asiatic Writers at its congress in Cairo earlier this week. 

(VOV) - Vietnam’s U14 football team will be in group E with other teams from Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, East Timor and Myanmar in the U14 Asian championships 2014 qualifiers to be held in Myanmar next year.

(VOV) - An exchange between Vietnamese students and athletes and Australian marathoner Patrick Farmer and Vietnamese student in Australia Mai Nguyen Dinh Huy was held in Hanoi on December 13.

Graves and burial jars recently discovered at Phoi Phoi-Bai Coi archaeological site in the central province of Ha Tinh are the same found in the Republic of Korea (RoK). 

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee held a ceremony in Hanoi on December 13 to commemorate the 704th death anniversary of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of Vietnam’s Zen Buddhism. 

(VOV) - An exhibition titled “The Korean beauty through Vietnamese eyes” opened at the Korean Cultural Centre in Hanoi on December 13.

(VOV) -The 2nd international choir competition opened at the Thua Thien-Hue Sporting Center in Hue City on December 12.

(VOV) - A literature insignia has been awarded to re-nowned Russian translator Inna Zimonina, in recognition of her contributions to promoting Vietnam’s culture to the Russian people.