Vietnam beauties cover the region’s pageants this week

Dang Minh Thu (1.68m), second runner-up at Miss Vietnam World 2007

Vietnam’s representation in the region’s beauty stakes heats up with four more Vietnamese beauties competing in four separate pageants, three within the coming week.

Miss Hai Duong province 2006 Tran Thi Huong Giang will compete in Miss Asia 2007 Hong Kong over September 30 to October 28.

Twenty-year-old Giang, 1.76 meter tall, is a media studies student at Ho Chi Minh City’s University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Nguyen Ai Chau, the runner-up of Miss Photogenic Vietnam 2006 organized by the Phu Nu (Women) Magazine, will strut at Miss Young International 2007 in Taiwan over October 9 to 29.
Chau is a junior in Van Lang University’s Foreign Languages Faculty in Ho Chi Minh City.

Competing at Miss International 2007 in Japan over September 30 to October 17 is Pham Thu Thuy Duong, a singer of military artist troupe.

Duong (1.75m) was among the ten finalists at Miss Vietnam Contest 2006. She also won top honors in northern Vietnam’s 2005 Supermodel Contest.

Dang Minh Thu (1.68m), second runner-up at Miss Vietnam World 2007 which wrapped up early this month will compete at the Miss World 2007 to be held Hainan, China, this December. Thu, 19, is a student of Hanoi Open University.

Sources: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre – Compiled by Luu Thi Hong and Thanhnien News

Beauties battle for Miss Earth

Miss Earth ... Victoria Stewart. Picture: Alexander Alba Photography

By Saffron Howden

IT is a beauty pageant with an environmentally friendly message.

The Miss Earth Australia contest proves you can pose semi-naked on a beach and conserve the trees, too.

With environmental issues and climate change near the top of Australia's list of concerns these days, an entrepreneur decided to use busty blondes and brunettes to raise awareness of a planet in crisis.

The competition, in its fourth year in Australia, drew 36 contestants from all over the country in 2007.

A quick glance at the Miss Earth website suggests saving the environment is as much about climate change as it is about cleavage.

The winner of Australian Miss Earth, 21-year-old Canberra resident Victoria Stewart, has no qualms about posing in a bikini to enforce her views on global warming.

"There are many sources of natural pollution that face the world but I think the biggest issue is man-made pollution and environmental damage," she says on her website profile.

Ms Stewart will fly to the Philippines next month to compete in the international Miss Earth pageant.

If she wins, Australia could be graced with the international pageant next year.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

Dang Minh Thu to join Miss World 2007

Dang Minh Thu, the second runner up at the recently held Miss Vietnam Global, is chosen for the competition of Miss World 2007 which will take place for one month, from November 1 in Hainan Island, China.

Earlier, Dang Minh Thu was crowned Miss Beach Vietnam 2006. She is 1.68m tall with body measurement of 85- 63-90. Thu, born in 1988, is now the first year student of the Hanoi Open University.

Thuy Hanh, professional director of Elite Model Beauty Vietnam, the only agency authorised to select beauties to compete at international beauty pageants, said with such above two titles, Dang Minh Thu is eligible for the Miss World contest under the regulations of the State as well as the organising board. She also added that Miss Vietnam World Ngo Phuong Lan won’t join the Miss World 2007 because she can’t arrange the time, whereas the first runner up Teressa Sam won’t take part in the competition either as she can’t speak Vietnamese and she has British citizenship.

(Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre)

Source: Nhan Dan

Richa’s mom to attend Miss World contest in China

MOTHER of Miss Tanzania 2007, Maria Cercacia, has confirmed that she will attend the Miss World beauty pageant slated for China towards the end of this year.

The Public Relations Officer of the Miss Tanzania Organising Committee, Rico Idan, told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam yesterday that Maria is among the people who will go and attend the event in China.

However, she said that Maria would foot all her transport and accommodation bills.

Miss Tanzania 2007, Richa Adhia, expects to arrive in China on November 2, one month before her mother joins her.

Meanwhile, Idan said that according to the rules, the committee is supposed to promote the country’s tourism sector and provide employment opportunities.

He was responding to a statement by the President of Miss Tourism Event, Gideon Chipungahelo, that the Miss Tanzania Organising Committee is wrong to say that one of its responsibilities is to promote the tourism sector.

Source: Daily News

Miss Universe 2008 to take place in Vietnam

The Vietnamese government has agreed to let central Khanh Hoa province to host Miss Universe 2008 after the pageant's organizing committee invited the country to host the event, local media reported Thursday.

To be eligible for hosting Miss Universe 2008, Vietnam should have many landscapes, good infrastructure, especially luxury hotels and a 7,500-seat stage, and spend some 15 million U.S. dollars on the event, according to Young People newspaper.

Of the money, 7 million dollars will be paid as the pageant's royalty, and the remainder spent on covering manpower and infrastructure expenses, said the committee's head, Paula Mary Shugart, who visited the country recently.

Vietnam will focus on constructing the stage, upgrading the Cam Ranh airport and some hotels in Khanh Hoa, and beautifying the province's Nha Trang sea city, venue of the pageant slated for next May.

In late May in Mexico, Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, was chosen as Miss Universe 2007.

Sources: People's Daily Online and Xinhua

PM okays Khanh Hoa’s Miss Universe hosting plan

Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori

By Son Ha - Phuoc Ha

VietNamNet Bridge – Yesterday afternoon, September 26, Deputy PM Nguyen Sinh Hung gave Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee permission to host Miss Universe 2008 in Nha Trang city.

In his decision, Deputy PM Nguyen Sinh Hung requests Khanh Hoa’s Chairman to work with related ministries and agencies to ensure success of the international beauty pageant to be held some time next summer.

Head of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Phuc has also informed Miss Universe Organization’s Chairwoman Paula Mary Shugart of the Vietnamese government’s approval and support.

In his letter, Mr. Phuc writes, ’’The Vietnamese government thinks highly of Vietnam hosting Miss Universe 2008. This will be a great opportunity for Vietnam to promote her country and people all over the world.”

The government’s decision made yesterday was happily received by Khanh Hoa officials. “I personally had a sleepless night yesterday,” said Le Xuan Than, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa People’s Committee.

According to Mr. Than, there are now many things Khanh Hoa needs to do to prepare for the event. After the contract with Miss Universe Organization is signed, a steering committee will be established to supervise the construction of a new 7,500-seat stage and upgrading of Cam Rang Airport, among other things.

As for Doctor Doan Thi Kim Hong, Head of Hoan Vu Joint Stock, the unit directly in charge of hosting Miss Universe 2008, she said having pursued the plan for the past 2 years, she was “very happy, moved” and couldn’t “help crying” when she received the news.

Ms. Hong said at the beginning of October, a delegation from Hoan Vu would fly to New York to work on a contract with Miss Universe Organization, pay US$7million for copyrights, and settle other issues.

“The organization committee will then make an official announcement about Vietnam hosting Miss Universe 2008,” added she. Regarding many people’s concern that Khanh Hoa would find it very difficult to build a big stage in the Lo River Tourism Zone within less than a year, Ms. Hong said Panama did the same thing when it hosted Miss Universe 2003.

Source: Vietnam Net Bridge