December 12-13 agenda: Miss World election in Johannesburg

(AFP PHOTO/Adrian Dennis)

Weekend agenda: European Film Awards in Germany, Miss World is crowned in Johannesburg, and a national holiday in Kenya, among other events.

Miss World
December 12
Johannesburg, South Africa

Contestants will gather from all around the world to snatch current Miss World, Russian Ksenia Sukhinova's crown. This longest-running beauty pageant (created in 1951) is only rivalled by the Miss Universe and Miss Earth contests.

http://www.missworld.com

European Film Awards
December 12
Bochum, Germany

The European Film Academy (EFA) presents the European Film Awards on December 12 in Germany. Since 1988, the EFA has been celebrating the best of European cinema. This year, the EFA Lifetime Achievement award will be given to British filmmaker Ken Loach. French actress Isabelle Huppert will be honored with the European Contribution to World Cinema honor 2009. The awards will be hosted by German actress Anke Engelke, known for hosting the Berlin International Film festival and will be broadcast in around 44 countries worldwide.

http://www.europeanfilmawards.eu/en_EN/home

Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo
December 12 - January 4
Victoria Park, Hong Kong

Hong Kong's largest outdoor expo takes over Victoria Park, right in the middle of town and features a veritable who's who of international designer brands and products. Perfect for pre-Christmas - or for those who simply love to shop.

http://www.hkbpe.com.hk

Jamhuri Day
December 12
Kenya

The most important holiday in Kenya during which the country celebrates its independence from the United Kingdom since December 12, 1963 with feasting, dancing, military parades, air shows and long political speeches.

Thalys train accelerates
December 13
France/Belgium/Germany/Netherlands

The high-speed service linking France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands gets even faster on December 13. New high speed lines reduce the journey time of Paris - Amsterdam to 3 hours, 18 minutes and Paris - Cologne to 3 hours, 14 minutes.

http://www.thalys.com

Gabriel Orozco
December 13, 2009 - March 1, 2010
New York, USA

The works of Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco will be displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York from December 13, 2009 to March 1, 2010. The artist moves freely between disciplines making art in the fields of sculpture, installation, drawing and painting. Orozco is known for his interest in the everyday object as art and his works often lie in the space between reality and artistic creation. The exhibition will travel to the Kunstmuseum Basel, the national modern art musem Centre Pompidou, Paris before being shown at the Tate Modern, London.

www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/323