The 2008 Cua Lo Waterways Tourism Festival will officially begin at Van Loc Temple and Binh Minh Square in Cua Lo town, central Nghe An province, on April 30 and May Day with many sports activities, rituals, special art shows and a firework display.

The Australian Consulate General in HCM City will hold numerous cultural events to mark the 35th anniversary of Vietnamese-Australian diplomatic relations.

Eight outstanding and four groups of students from Hanoi University of Science (HUS) of the Vietnam National University (VNU), who were awarded in the 2006-07 academic year, received their scholarships at a ceremony on February 27.

The Vietnam Culture Development Society (VCDS), a New York-based non-profitable organization, has presented 14,300 English-language books and magazines to educational institutions in Vietnam.

A musical and fashion show called “Charming Viet Nam 20 Gala” will take the stage in the Central Hall of the UK on March 4 and 5.

A press briefing was held on February 26 by the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee and the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Tourism Service Company to announce the organisation of the International Parachuting Festival 2008 in the south central coastal city of Nha Trang.

The Vietnam Software Association (VINASA) held a press briefing in Hanoi on February 26 to announce the fifth Sao Khue Award, aiming to honour individuals and organisations who have made contributions to the development of the Vietnam Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

The Ha Long 2008 Tourism Festival, entitled “Ha Long – World natural wonder”, will take place from April 25 to May 1, announced the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee at a meeting with departments and travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City on February 25.

Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, and Fansipan mountain are rated as top three in the voting for seven new world wonders on the website www.new7wonders.com launched by the New Open World.

A delegation of the Administrative Institute under the Ho Chi Minh National Politics Academy headed by institute Director Nguyen Trong Dieu is on a visit to France to boost cooperation in training public employees.

"No Country for Old Men," the Coen brothers' brutal tale of a man pursued by death and the law across the empty moonscapes of West Texas, wins best picture at the 80th Academy Awards on Sunday. All four top acting prizes, meanwhile, go to Europeans.

A Vietnamese resident in the United States of America has decided to invest VND36 billion for the construction of a unique flower garden called “Love and Peace” in Da Lat city in the Central highland province of Lam Dong.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) turned World Wetlands Day observance on February 23 into action with participants planting trees at one of the largest wetlands reserves in the north.

The first International Puppetry Festival was wrapped up in Hanoi on February 23 with eight of the 10 gold medals in individuals going to foreign artists.

A painting exhibition opened at the Hoa Sen Trang (White lotus) art gallery in Hanoi on February 22, featuring daily life in rural areas, nice images of mothers, the beauty of flowers and Vietnamese architectural structures in the past and at present.

Fourteen beauties were selected to participate in the final round of the Miss Mekong Delta 2008 contest held at the Hau River Park in Can Tho city on February 22.

First place in the list of beauty spots voted as the new seven wonders of the world on New Open World’s website has once again affirmed the outstanding value of Ha Long Bay, bringing with it a high responsibility for preserving and promoting the image of this national treasure.

Many Russian poets and writers joined Vietnamese poetry lovers at an annual poetic gala in Moscow on February 21.

A concert entitle “Dem hoa am – Tinh yeu hoa hop” (Night of musical harmony – abiding love) was held in the Lan Anh Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City on February 21 to mark the 16th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Vietnam's National Tourism Year 2008 was officially launched in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on February 21. This creates a good opportunity for Can Tho and its neighbouring provinces to develop tourism into an important sector in the region’s development structure.

The performance “A Kangaroo comes to Vietnam” is part of a ceremony, held by the Australian General Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Vietnamese – Australian diplomatic relations (1973-2008).

A literary and art work contest will last until the third quarter of 2009 in response to the campaign to learn and follow President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example and the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

More than 50 new designs of the Vietnamese traditional dress, the ao dai, by leading fashion designer Si Hoang are on display at the Y Ngoc-Si Hoang Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City.

By 5 pm GMT on February 20, Ha Long Bay of Vietnam was placed first in the list of beauty spots voted as the new seven wonders on New Open World’s website www.new7wonders.com, according to the Vietnam Administration of Tourism.

Sixteen young painters from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) display their works at a fine arts exhibition which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on February 19.

Vietnam’s largest “thuy mac” (ink-and-wash) painting was showcased in Ho Chi Minh City on February 18.

An exhibition entitled “Vietnam Graffiti Project”, aimed at reviewing the Vietnam War, opened on February 17 in Charlottesville city, Virginia, the US.

Laos’ Sekong province has pledged to provide 150cu.m of high quality timber for restoring a number of historical relics in the former imperial city of Hue, said Phan Ngoc Tho, a senior official of the Thua Thien - Hue provincial People’s Committee.

More than 100 outstanding elderly people of Hanoi and neighbouring Bac Ninh province attended a cultural festival in the capital city on February 18.

Director of the National Political Publishing House Nguyen Duy Hung is visiting Venezuela to seek opportunities for cooperation in the publishing field.