Hai vợ chồng thường xuyên tình tứ chốn đông người, ảnh trên Ego:
Venezuela wins sixth Miss Universe crown
| |||||||
The svelte Venezuelan model defeated favourites from Australia and Dominican Republic to became the 58th winner of the crown in a show broadcast live around the world from the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. The first runner-up was Miss Dominican Republic, Ada Aimee de la Cruz, while Miss Kosovo, Gona Dragusha, was second runner-up. Fernandez received the crown from fellow Venezuelan Dayana Mendoza, who won the 2008 Miss Universe contest held in Vietnam's resort city of Nha Trang. Overcome with excitement as the two Venezuelan beauties embraced, Mendoza initially fumbled and dropped the jewel-studded crown before placing it on Fernandez' head. It was the first time that a contestant from the same country won the title for a second year running. Oil producer Venezuela is famous for its beauty queens and has accumulated more international beauty pageant titles than any other country. The South American nation had produced five previous Miss Universe winners in 1979, 1981, 1986, 1996 and 2008 and has also won the Miss World contest five times. Only the United States has won more Miss Universe titles with 7. Fernandez was selected out of five finalists chosen from a total field of 83 contestants. The other five finalists came from Dominican Republic, Kosovo, Australia and Puerto Rico. In the deciding questions that preceded the announcement of the winner, Fernandez was asked by a judge what obstacles faced women seeking to become leaders of business corporations. "We've already reached the same level as men," she replied confidently, speaking through an interpreter. Before her, 21-year-old Australian model Rachael Finch, who had been widely favoured to win the crown, defended the swimsuit parade of the pageant, which has sometimes been criticized by critics of beauty contests. "I think our bodies are a beautiful part of a women and we should definitely show them to the world," Finch said. Government officials in the Bahamas, a scattered group of islands and keys southeast of the United States, were hoping that hosting the 2009 Miss Universe pageant would provide a much needed short-term boost to the islands' economy and tourism industry. Bahamas, like other Caribbean states, has been badly hit by the global economic recession which has reduced visitor arrivals and investment. Bahamas' unemployment rate has nearly doubled in the last year to just over 14 percent in May. The annual Miss Universe pageant -- which tries to present itself as something more meaningful than a swimwear parade -- was first held in Long Beach, California, in 1952. The event was taken over in 1996 by U.S. real estate mogul Donald Trump. Source: Reuters | |||||||
Industrial zone administration wants to play environment watchdog
| The power to assess and ratify the environmental impact of new projects coming up in Ho Chi Minh City industrial zones may be transferred from the environmental regulator to zone authorities at the latter’s request. |
Ngo Anh Tuan, deputy head of the HCMC Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA), said his agency would soon send a request to the city People’s Committee. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is currently entrusted with the task. Earlier, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment released a circular, effective from January 7, saying the management board of economic, industrial, export processing, and hi-tech zones can be allowed to evaluate and approve projects if they satisfy certain conditions. Tuan added that HEPZA would also ask the city administration for authority to approve investors’ environmental protection commitments which now invests in district-level people’s committees. Source: TBKTSG Online |
Set for Tet
| |||||||
Thanh Nien Daily: Are you looking forward to the Tet (Lunar New Year)? What do you intend to do during the upcoming holidays? Ho Ngoc Ha: In my heart of hearts, I am scared of witnessing my family members and close friends getting older as the New Year comes. Like many other artists, I am usually busy with many shows during the year-end and New Year holidays. People often say Tet is a “big sponsor” for artists. But this year, I want to take a rest and refresh myself. I have worked very hard every day of the year and need some time to look back, review what I have done over the past year, and set out targets for the year ahead. I have also planned a tour abroad for my family. Have your expectations for Tet changed over the years? Yes. When I was a small girl, I always longed for Tet so that I could take a break from school, wear new clothes and wander around the crowded streets and entertainment spots with my friends. I still remember how excited my elder brother and I were, waiting for my father to give us new clothes. He worked as a tailor and would have to work right up until the Lunar New Year eve before starting to make clothes for his children. Since I came to Ho Chi Minh City to start my fashion career five years ago, I’ve only wanted to get away from all the noisy places during the Tet holidays. I just wanted to stay at home on my sofa, feeling relaxed wearing only the most casual dress, noshing on food and watching performance shows and festivals on TV. My first Tet in Saigon was memorable. Working as a model at the time, I decided to remain in the city where I could earn more at the large Tet shows. After a busy day of bustling activities, I came back to my rented room and cried like I had never done before. I felt the greatest loneliness ever, experiencing Tet without my loved ones around me. Do you have any regrets about the past year? I had promised to have a live show last year but the plan broke down. However, I will make it up to my fans this June with the first live show of my singing career. In 2007 you were reported to have paid the most taxes of any Vietnamese artist. Do you think you’ll top the list this year as well? I have no idea about that. I have just set up a private company and have a lot of things to care about. I think the top position will go to someone else this year. (Laughs). Besides my singing career, I’ve always wanted to become a successful businesswoman and a millionaire. I don’t want to talk too much about my future plan but I have aspirations of doing big things and doing them to the best of my ability. You’ve won a number of prestigious awards over the past two years, both for your style and singing ability. What do you owe to such impressive achievements and do you think your stunning appearance contributes heavily to your success? I think success not only depends on one’s talent and appearance but also on one’s behavior and courage. I have convinced my audiences that my songs are worth listening to; my performances are worth watching; and my attitude is worthy of respect. My soul is soft, tender and thoughtful enough to be an artist while my mind is firm enough not to be upset by any rumors. These days, you and music composer Duc Tri have appeared very close in public. Many fans are guessing that despite your past ups and downs, the two of you are now rekindling your romantic relationship. I am sorry to affirm that we will never resume our romantic relationship. But I am very happy to say that our present relationship is even more wonderful than the time when we were lovers. Our careers have taken off and we really want to focus on what we can do to cooperate with and help each other. So that means you’re still single? Well, I am still looking around for the right man. It’s no easy job for a man to have a relationship with a famous and independent woman, and especially a singing addict. Reported by Bao Tran | |||||||
Missing Malaysians jailed for HCMC casino racket
| A Ho Chi Minh City court Wednesday sentenced 24 defendants, including three Malaysians who are still on the run, for organizing and participating in illegal gambling. |
Lim Leong Seng, Goh Ming Huat, and Chan Chee Sing, all from Malaysia, received five, four, and three years respectively for organizing gambling, the court ruled Wednesday. The Malaysian trio fled Vietnam after charges were laid last year and they were placed under house arrest. The Vietnamese police have been working with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) but have not been able to locate them. Vietnamese Le Anh Tuan was jailed for three years, Vietnamese Le Thi Hong Nhung two and a half years, and Vietnamese-American Hua Quan Timmy six months and 22 days, also for organizing gambling, the court said. The other 18 Vietnamese defendants, found guilty of illegal gambling, received sentences ranging from one-year suspensions to two and a half years in jail. All 24 defendants were fined between VND10 million-50 million (US$572-2,860) each. According to the indictment, the six people charged with organizing gambling had connived to lure Vietnamese citizens to casinos at three luxury hotels in HCMC between April 2006 and May 2007. Vietnamese law prohibits Vietnamese citizens from gambling but allows hotels rated four-stars and above to operate casinos for people holding foreign passports. The police shut down the operation in May 2007 after raiding three clubs: De Palace Club at the Saigon Food Center in District 1, the Victoria Club at the Duxton Saigon Hotel in District 1, and the OV Club at the Equatorial Hotel in District 5. All of the clubs were run by Malaysian businessman Yap Kim San, who still hasn’t been charged. The court Wednesday also called for continued investigations into Yap’s role in the case. Reported by Le Nga |
Market drifts down over earnings worries
| The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange moved lower Tuesday over growing concern about negative corporate earnings this year. |
VN-Index lost 5.05 points, or 1.62 percent, to close at a 10-day low of 307.13. Of its 175 members, 26 gained and 113 declined. Trading remained quiet, with only 7.7 million shares being traded. “The outlook on corporate earnings is very gloomy, given the current economic situation,” Huynh Anh Tuan, chief executive officer of the Ho Chi Minh City-based SJC Securities, said. “Companies have started to release 2008 earnings and many of them have made losses or missed their profit targets. For those who managed to make some profit, it was because of the gains they made in the first half of 2008. “In addition, people also lost a lot of their confidence in the market after HSBC said the Vietnamese market is no longer investable for overseas investors. “Besides, almost half of January has passed but we are still not yet clear how and when the government is going to implement its US$6 billion stimulus package to boost the economy. So, the market has no momentum.” Dau Tu Chung Khoan (Securities investment) newspaper quoted Kim Long Securities Company Deputy General Director Pham Vinh Thanh as saying, “Companies with a strong cash flow and those not involved in finance are a good choice this year.” He added that petroleum, transport, technology and financial stocks would be his top picks when the market shows signs of recovery, without explaining his choices. How they fared Vinpearl (VPL) lost VND2,500, or 4.17 percent, to close at VND57,500. VFG Investment Joint Stock Company became a major shareholder in the resort operator after buying 5,045,000 shares, or a 5.05 percent stake last month, according to a report on the exchange’s website. Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI), the country’s leading brokerage, slipped VND1,100, or 3.63 percent, to VND29,200. ANZ Bank failed to buy around 1.4 million shares amid a “gloomy market and its low liquidity,” the exchange said on its website. ANZ now holds 18.35 percent in the Hanoi- based brokerage. Thu Duc Trading and Import Export Joint Stock Company (TMC) remained unchanged at VND21,500. The firm said on the exchange’s website that retail investor La Tang Duc bought 242,060 shares, or 6.05 percent, to become a major shareholder. Saigon Fishing Net Joint-Stock Company (SFN), a silk thread and fishing net producer, gained VND400, or 4.2 percent, its most in two weeks, to finish at VND9,900. The HCMC-based company will start buying back 100,000 shares from January 20, according to a stock exchange announcement. “The buyback volume is not huge, but given the daily trading volume of the shares, which is about several thousand a day, this buyback plan could move the stock,” Hoang Thach Lan, chief analyst at HCMC-based SME Securities Company, said. Reported by Hoang Uy |
Models to vie for biennial award tonight
| The topic of who will take the modeling crown has heated up considerably as the Vietnam Model Award 2008 (VMA) contest draws near. | ||||||
The second leg of the final round, to be held tonight in Ho Chi Minh City, will have 28 female and male models contending for the title. The audience will have a say in choosing the winner by sending their votes on SMS. The biennial pageant aims at honoring professional models’ contributions to the fashion industry over the last two years. With the participation of many outstanding models, the final round promises many challenges and has attracted intense speculation from public and experts. A leading face in Vietnamese fashion, Hoang Yen, 20, is believed to be a leading contender because she has won many prestigious awards including the crown at the Vietnam Supermodel 2008 competition and the first runner-up at the Miss Universe Vietnam 2008 several months ago. Another outstanding candidate is Ngoc Quyen, who is considered a strong challenger to Yen in the beauty contest. She has been highly acclaimed by fashion magazines. She mostly performs at big shows across the country like Fashion Week, held by Dep (Beauty) magazine. Quyen also took part in the Asian Model contest last year. Vu Thu Phuong, 23, is another model in the leading pack. She came into the limelight recently with a role in the star-studded film “Shanghai,” in which she acted with Hollywood film stars like John Cusack, Gong-Li and Chow Yun Fat. However, she could be handicapped by the scandal of breaking up with pop singer Tuan Hung and the breast-revealing accident on the catwalk. In the male section, with a lot of experience and many important prizes, Binh Minh is considered a senior supermodel in modeling circles. Minh rarely shows up in fashion shows these days because he is busy with other work like acting in films, emceeing shows and doing photo shoots. Besides Minh, there are many young models in the fray, including Duc Vinh, Quang Hoa, and Xuan Thu. With the advantage of his 1.87-meter height, Duc Vinh won a consolation prize at the Mr. World 2006 contest held in China. Quang Hoa won the Manhunt 2007 in Vietnam while Xuan Thu won the first prize at the Vietnam Supermodel 2008 alongside Hoang Yen. Mister International 2008 Tien Doan has not entered the contest due to his “Mister” mission in Singapore. Besides the highest prizes awarded based on votes by the audience, the organization board will give away six others including best body, best performing style, most photogenic and most talented model. Each category of prizes will have a male and female winner. The final round and the awards ceremony will take place tonight at Lan Anh Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City and be broadcast live on Vietnam Television’s VTV3 Channel at 8 p.m.
Reported by Bao Tran |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)