HA NOI — About 6,000 university students will gather at the biggest Halloween festival in Ha Noi next Sunday.
The festival will take place at West Lake Park from 8am until 10.30pm. Foreigners studying at the city's universities have been invited to attend.
Various outdoor activities will be held at the festival, including a pumpkin carving and a Halloween-themed decoration contest.
Rock band Ngu Cung (Pentatonic) will also perform at the event. A portion of the profits made from ticket sales will be given to flood victims in the country's central provinces.
The festival is being co-organised by the University of Social Science and Humanitices and the Lien Tam Development and Investment SJC.
Beauty queens make climate call
KHANH HOA — Several world beauty queens attended a Miss Earth 2010 pageant that gathered on Tuesday in the southern coastal province of Khanh Hoa to promote water resource protection activities.
Luu Thi Diem Huong, Viet Nam's representative at Miss Earth contest this year, sent out the message: "Join hands to prevent climate change".
Miss Philippines Earth Kris Psyche O. Resus said many countries in the world are facing serious water shortages, so protecting and using clean water reasonably are a global responsibility.
Viet Nam will host the annual Miss Earth between November 4 and December 4, which will celebrate its 10th year this year.
Over 90 beauties from countries and territories will join in environmental protection activities and charity work in Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Hoi An and HCM City, as part of the contest.
The winners will serve as the spokespersons for the Miss Earth Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organisations.
Voice of Viet Nam wins prize
T — Radio the Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) won the Jury's Special Prize awarded by the Asian-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) at the 47th ABU General Assembly, which opened in Tokyo on Tuesday.
VOV took the prize for its documentary Culture Guardians, a 30-minute programme, which fascinated audiences with moving stories of people who have devoted their lives to preserving the beauty and values of traditional cultures.
This is the first time that VOV has won an ABU prize, although in 2009, an entry from VOV4 made it to the final round.
The ABU's Prizes are presented annually, to improve the quality of radio and television programmes and to strengthen cultural and educational understanding between member countries in the union and region.
According to the ABU, this year, 25 countries and territories sent in 199 entries, including 141 TV programmes and 58 for radio.
Gem market debates sector
HA NOI — More than 100 local and foreign representatives from the gemstone sector met at a three-day conference in Ha Noi to discuss ways to better exploit and preserve precious stones and gems.
The conference was jointly held for the first time by the Viet Nam Institute for Science and Technology and the DOJI Group.
Representatives from Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Thailand, China, Russia and Singapore exchanged views with local gemstone makers on the gemstone and jewellery business in Viet Nam.
Participants at the conference will also tour precious stone and gemstone mines in the central province of Nghe An and north western province of Yen Bai. — VNS