Social News 2/11 HCM City to host Overseas Vietnamese conference   The third Conference of Overseas Vietnamese is scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City on November 11-13, said organizers. The organizers – the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) and HCM City People’s Committee – said 500 overseas Vietnamese from 36 countries around the world have registered to join the event. The conference will discuss the development of HCM City which attracts huge amount of foreign remittances and great contributions from Vietnamese experts and intellectuals living and working abroad. Major subjects will be sustainable development, human resources development, science and technology, intellectual economy, and trade and services development. The event aims to send a message to overseas Vietnamese in the world affirming that they are an indispensable part and resources of the nation, showing the Party and State’s respect for their contributions and calling on them to join hands in national construction. Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc and Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh are expected to attend the event, deliver important speeches and meet OV experts, intellectuals and businesspeople. Change in weather blamed for mass fish death in Hanoi lake Hanoi authorities have said that sudden rain followed by hot weather was to blame for the 200 kilograms of fish that washed up dead in one of the capital's lakes last week. Le Van Duc, director of Hanoi’s Construction Department, said at a meeting on November 1 that a shift in the weather was the cause of the mass fish deaths in Linh Dam Lake on October 26. “It was very hot in the morning and then rained in the afternoon,” Duc said. “The lake is among the less polluted in Hanoi.” Thousands of fish went belly up along the two-kilometer edge of the lake in Hoang Mai District, creating a foul stench on October 26. Joggers noticed the problem at around 8 p.m. and dead fish covered the embankment a few hours later. Carp as large as five kilograms could be seen floating in the water. Workers from Hanoi’s Sewerage and Drainage Company have collected around 200 kilograms of dead fish so far. “200 kilograms of fish dying in a lake of more than 70 hectares is normal,” Duc said. His department is still investigating a bigger pollution problem on West Lake, the largest in Hanoi, after 200 tons of dead fish were collected over several days in early October. The inspection covers all 99 hotels and restaurants and 27 sewage pipes around the lake. A study by the Institute for Environmental Science and Development recently found that all of Hanoi’s urban lakes and waterways are heavily polluted. The city hopes to resolve the problem with help from a US$726-million sewage treatment plant. Construction began early this month and is slated for completion in three years. The system is designed to treat 270,000 cubic meters of sewage every day from the Lu, To Lich and Nhue rivers in a bid to bring them back to life. Teams set off for Cambodia to seek martyr remains Search teams from Military Zone 7 and Military Command of southwestern Tay Ninh province set off for Cambodia on November 1 to continue looking for remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who laid down their lives during the war.  Nguyen Thanh Ngoc, Vice Chairman of Tay Ninh People’s Committee and head of the provincial steering for martyr remains repatriation, said that Cambodian authorities and residents had reported on 346 graves of Vietnamese martyrs in five provinces of Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey and Pailin.  During the 2016-2017 dry season, the K70 and K71 search teams plans to repatriate 130 sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers from Cambodia.  From November 2015 to June 2016, the teams repatriated 344 sets of Vietnamese martyrs’ remains from the neighbouring country, bringing the total number to 3,874.-VNA Kindergarten built in Laos as gift of Vietnam’s embassy, company A kindergarten was handed over to the Lao northern province of Phongsaly on November 1 as a gift from the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and the Lao PetroVietnam Oil (PV Oil Laos) company. Covering nearly 400 sq.m., the kindergarten has three classrooms for 80 children, along with sufficient teaching and learning facilities. It was built at a cost of more than 800 million Lao Kips (nearly 100,000 USD).  Nguyen Kim Son, General Director of PV Oil Laos – subsidiary of the PetroVietnam Oil Corporation, thanked the Phongsaly authorities for providing optimal conditions for his firm to show its social responsibility towards rural students in Laos, helping them to benefit from better learning conditions.  He expressed his hope for more favourable conditions for his company to assist Lao people in building public facilities such as schools, clinics and water supply systems.  Thongsi Saosouphom, Deputy Governor of Phongsaly, described the kindergarten as a practical gift, given the fact that his province is located in a remote area with modest living standards and infrastructure.  The school is also an illustration of the two countries’ special solidarity, along with the social responsibility of Vietnamese firms doing business in Laos, he added. Over 45.9 billion VND raised to support central flood victims The Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels received more than 45.9 billion VND from people and organisations nationwide to support flood victims in the Central region as of November 1. The figure included over 17.2 billion VND sent directly to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee. Up to 17 provincial and municipal chapters of the Vietnam Fatherland Front delivered 28.7 billion VND to the central localities, as heard at a meeting of the Central Relief Aid Board on November 1. The Fatherland Fronts of the provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Thua Thien-Hue have so far received more than 59 billion VND from the Central Relief Aid Board, other provincial and municipal fronts, organisations, businesses and individuals. Up to 22.8 billion VND was allocated to aid rebuilding efforts of flood victims in the localities, who also got other relief goods such as rice, instant noodles, water purifiers, school tools, and clothes worth nearly 60 billion VND. The Board said the reception, allocation and use of donated cash and kind were carried out in an open, transparent manner. According to Tran Quoc Hung from the Vietnam Red Cross Society, mid-term assistance should focus on deploying flood-resilient houses and providing breeding cows to help local people establish long-term livelihoods. The Vietnam Fatherland Front and the relief aid boards at all levels should intensify monitoring the reception and allocation of relief goods at localities to deter any wrongdoings, said Tran Thanh Man, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.-VNA New support for Vietnamese wives returning from bad marriages in RoK A women’s association in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has started a vocational and financial project to support an increasing number of women returning home from broken marriages in the Republic of Korea (RoK). Can Tho Women’s Association and the Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy announced the project last week to provide free vocational training and cheap loans to the women to help them rebuild their life in Vietnam. The project will also open a center providing legal support to make sure the returning children have access to public services, especially education and healthcare. Nearly 73,000 women from Can Tho, the Mekong Delta’s major city, married Koreans between 2005 and 2015. Many met their suitors via illegal brokerage services. Nearly 15,000 of them have divorced. In most of these cases, the women cited cultural and language differences as the main reasons, some saying they had been abused by the husband and his family. Vo Kim Thoa, vice chairwoman of Can Tho Women’s Association, said a survey of women married to Korean men has found that more than 70% only met their husbands once or twice before marriage. Statistics from the Korean Institute of Social and Health Affairs showed that 7,636 Vietnamese women married Korean men in 2011, topping the list of foreign brides. Many women came from poor families in the Mekong Delta, envisioning a better life overseas. But it's not always happily ever after. A woman from the delta hanged herself in Gumi, eastern Korea, allegedly because of conflicts with her mother-in-law in 2013. In November 2012 a delta woman jumped from the 18th floor of a Busan building while holding her son and daughter. The husband had lost all the family money and became violent. In May 2012 a Korean farmer beat his Vietnamese wife to death. In 2010, a 20-year-old woman from Can Tho was beaten to death by her 47-year-old Korean husband just around a week after their marriage. She did not know about his mental illness. The Can Tho’s support project was funded by a private company with VND11.4 billion (US$513,000). HCM City should open overnight zones for entertainment service As the current closing time for clubs and entertainment areas in Ho Chi Minh City is proving ineffective, local experts have suggested the establishment of late-night zones they say would benefit the city’s economy. Current regulations dictate that all bars and nightclubs in Ho Chi Minh City close by midnight, which has taken a toll on the city’s tourism industry with foreign visitors shortening their stay due to a lack of night-time activities. As tourists often want to make the most of their travel time, their preference is for going out at night to have fun rather than staying in their hotel rooms and sleeping, Nguyen Huu Chien, deputy director of Danang City’s Department of Culture and Sports, said. “Only when tourists are allowed to have fun all night long will they spend money,” he said. Dr. Vu Hao Quang, former deputy head of the state-run Institute for Public Opinion Research, suggested that the city look to neighboring countries where late-night areas have been successfully established. “We need a more open view on this issue in order to integrate with the world,” Dr. Quang said, while addressing concerns that such areas would threaten public security in the city and damage traditional values. “That being said, the establishment of specialized entertainment zones would make management easier than a blanket closing time that is currently ineffective.” Quang added that those with the need to entertain themselves at bars and nightclubs after midnight are neither representative nor typical of the majority of the population and therefore would not damage traditional Vietnamese values. “There are many entertainment areas in Thailand, for example, but they still manage to preserve their cultural identity,” Quang said. Such areas are not only beneficial economically, they also serve as stress relievers for a portion of the population who are under constant stress in their daily lives, he added. Nguyen Van My, chairman at local travel agency Lua Viet Tour, suggested that Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien Streets in District 1 be turned into Ho Chi Minh City’s first ‘no-sleep’ street where businesses are allowed to trade all night long. The street is already known to locals and tourists as the ‘backpacker area’ where most households open businesses to provide tourism services to travelers. “We need to turn it into a pedestrian street and advise households in the area who do not feel comfortable to move elsewhere,” My suggested. “And I want all cities in Vietnam to follow suit as well.” In addition to concerns about public security and preserving traditional values, some experts have pointed out that such overnight areas would give rise to unfair competition among businesses in different parts of the city. Dr. Pham Thi Thuy, a professor at the Ho Chi Minh City National Academy of Public Administration, said lifting the closing time in certain areas without doing the same in others would interfere with the city’s healthy competitive environment. Thuy’s concern was echoed by Ho Chi Minh City-based lawyer Nguyen Huu The Trach, who added that such a division of late-night zones and those with a specific closing time would be economically unconstitutional. “Laws are there to safeguard everyone’s rights, not to benefit a specific group of people,” the lawyer concluded. Vietjet Air opens Hue-Hanoi return flight Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air launched on November 1 a new return flight connecting the former imperial city of Hue and the capital city of Hanoi.  It takes Vietjet Air about one hour and ten minutes to conduct each daily flight from Hanoi to Hue and vice versa.  Along with Vietjet Air, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Jestar Pacific are operating return flights between Hue-Hanoi and Hue-Ho Chi Minh City with 24 flights per day.  The opening of the new route by Vietjet Air not only meets travel demand of local people and tourists but also promotes regional trade and integration.  Currently, Vietjet Air is operating nearly 20 air routes from Hanoi to domestic and international destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City and Danang city of Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China) and Thailand.  Director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment Phan Thien Dinh said Phu Bai Airport in Thua Thien-Hue province will be able to receive A320/A321, Boeing 767 and Boeing 777-200LR aircraft by 2020.  By 2020, the airport is expected to receive 20 airplanes at peak time and 5 million passengers per year. The figures will be raised to 26 airplanes and 9 million passengers 10 years later. Event in Osaka connects Vietnamese students and Japanese SMEs An event connecting Vietnamese students and Japanese enterprises was organised by Vietnam’s General Consulate in Osaka in coordination with the Office of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in Kansai.  The event aimed to meet demand of Japanese enterprises in recruiting high-quality Vietnamese employees and assist Vietnamese students in Japan in seeking jobs in Japanese enterprises.  Fourteen Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises that are operating in Vietnam participated in the event in search of employees in mechanical manufacturing, information technology, agriculture, economic management, and international cooperation.  Nearly 70 Vietnamese students who are about to graduate from schools in Osaka joined the event. Quang Ninh speeds up housing support to the poor The northern province of Quang Ninh will complete housing support for 154 disadvantaged households and 199 other beneficiary families by the end of year, according Vu Van Dien, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.  Quang Ninh has about 1,599 households eligible for getting housing support, including 154 families with extremely difficult conditions and 1,445 other beneficiaries.  Each of the 154 families will have access to a loan of 25 million VND (about 1,130 USD) provided by the State and a non-refundable aid of 25 million VND from the province’s budget.  The province will also give a loan of 25 million VND per household to the rest with an annual interest rate of 0 percent in a period of 15 years. The time limit for loan repayment is ten years, starting from the sixth year.  Quang Ninh will provide housing loans worth 155 billion VND (6.9 million USD) for over 600 families of other beneficiaries in the next two years.  The housing support programme will help poor families improve living conditions and stabilise their lives, stressed Dien.  He asked localities to implement the project in combination with the new-style rural area building programme and another helping 22 districts in the province escape from extremely disadvantaged condition. Vietnamese Association in Czech Republic convenes Congress The Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic convened the fifth Congress in Prague on October 31, with the participation of nearly 400 delegates representing 65,000 Vietnamese nationals living in the country.  The Congress was also graced by the presence of Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Truong Thi Ngoc Anh, Deputy Chairman of the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Dang Tran Phong, Chairman of the Liaison Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Phu Binh and President of the Czech-Vietnam Society Marcel Winter.  Speaking at the event, VFF Vice President Anh and others spoke highly of achievements that the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic has scored over the past 17 years, including the recognition of the Vietnamese community in the country as the 14 th ethnic minority group on July 3, 2013 and the establishment of the Union of Overseas Vietnamese Associations in Europe, in which the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic plays a crucial role.  The Congress outlined orientations for the new tenure, and elected an executive board led by Nguyen Duy Nhien as President.  In a recent interview granted to a Vietnam News Agency reporter, Nhien said the association will continue conducting external activities and encouraging Vietnamese nationals to abide by law in the host country and make further contributions to the homeland. Amazing Tastes of Thailand at Crowne West Plaza Hanoi Crowne Plaza West Hanoi is pleased to introduce Thai Restaurant Week “Amazing Tastes of Thailand” from 4th to 10th November, 2016. “Amazing Tastes of Thailand” will take place at the main hotel restaurant, Lackah. Crowne Plaza will host two guest Chefs from Thailand, Chef Suan Mongkol Pangsri and Chef Pattipong Butrit, from Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang Beach. Food lovers will be delighted by an impressive mix of herbs, spices and ‘market fresh’ foods from The Land of Golden Temple. During the week guests can expect to experience authentic Thai flavors as well the colorful traditions of Thailand.  Some of the best loved dishes to savor:  Pad Thai: A delicious classic bursting with fresh Thai flavors     Geang Massaman: A rich and mild Thai curry - essential dish of Southern Thai cuisine  Tom Yum Soup: Distinct hot and sour flavors, with fragrant spices and herbs ….. And many more sumptuous dishes.  This is the first time Crowne Plaza West Hanoi has introduced authentic Thai cooking to culinary lovers in Hanoi. The story of Thai people, regions and cultural identity will be told through signature dishes from the talented chefs. This is definitely an experience you should not miss at the Crowne Plaza West Hanoi. Lunch buffet priced at VND 590,000++/ per person including one cocktail Dinner Buffet priced at VND 690,000++/ per person including one cocktail Reservations can be made at:  Crowne Plaza West Hanoi 36 Le Duc Tho, My Dinh 2, Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi Tel: 84 – 6270 6688  Email: sales@crowneplazawesthanoi.com  Vietnamese volunteer soldiers honoured by Lao State A total of 43 volunteer soldiers and experts in the central province of Quang Binh, who p erformed international missions in Laos during the 1945-1975 period, were presented with orders and medals of the Lao State at a ceremony in Dong Hoi city on November 1. The presentation was to recognise the awardees’ contributions to Laos’ revolution and to promoting the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive between the Parties, States and people of Vietnam and Laos. Authorised by the President of Laos , Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Hoai and Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Council Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong handed over the Freedom and Victory Orders, first class, and the anti-French and American resistance medals to the local volunteer soldiers and experts. Speaking at the event, Hoai said the honours show gratefulness to Quang Binh’s volunteer soldiers and experts for their sacrifice and great contributions to the national liberation, defence and construction of Laos. He also highlighted the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Laos, saying that this is a valuable asset of the two nations, which was contributed by effort or even life of the two countries’ officers, soldiers and people. Between 1945-1975, over 500,000 Vietnamese soldiers and experts volunteered to help Laos in its national defence and construction. About 40,000 of them, including those from Quang Binh, laid down their lives during the period. Deputy PM urges efforts to hasten mass fish death compensation Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh urged the People’s Committees of the four central provinces affected by the environmental incident earlier this year to award compensation transparently. Compensation is a key task in the remaining months of this year, he said at a working session in Ha Tinh on October 31 with leaders of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, where fish died en mass due to the environmental pollution in April. The official asked the committees to review the list of people eligible for compensation and report to the Ministry of the Agriculture and Rural Areas (MARD). He underscored the need to increase communication to seek public consensus on the Government’s compensation efforts. Ministries, agencies and localities were requested to handle stockpiled seafood while the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was tasked with destroying unsafe seafood and out-of-date products. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will instruct Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and businesses to sell the safe frozen seafood. Enterprises trading these products will receive support in electricity costs and interest rates on taken loans. The Deputy PM requested the localities supply rice for locals. He also assigned the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to prepare a vocational training project for the affected people, and the Ministry of Health to continue testing samples of seafood. The MARD reported that Thua Thien-Hue and Ha Tinh provinces have conducted the first phase of compensation. The Ministry of Finance has distributed more than 15,000 tonnes of rice to the four provinces. Ha Tinh and Thua Thien-Hue have completed their rice distribution. The ministry also allocated 59 billion VND (2.7 million USD) sourced from the State budget to fishermen in Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces. The four provinces have calculated losses, publicised compensation levels and answered questions about the process from locals. According to the Health Ministry, up to 5,369 tonnes of seafood are stockpiled, of which 82 percent meets food safety requirements. The Taiwan-invested Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Limited Company, on June 30 admitted responsibility for mass fish deaths in the four central coastal provinces. The company promised compensation of 11.5 trillion VND (500 million USD). The Ministry of Finance transferred 3 trillion VND (134 million USD) to the localities. Of the amount, Quang Binh got 1.1 trillion VND (49.3 million); Ha Tinh, 1 trillion VND (44.8 million); Quang Tri, 500 billion VND (22.4 million), and Thua Thien-Hue, 400 billion VND (17.9 million). Tuyen Quang aims for more certified forest areas The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang plans to have an additional 866 hectares of forest granted with sustainable forest management certificates in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards by the end of 2016.  Boasting nearly 446,000 hectares of forest, which accounts for 70 percent of the province’s natural land area, Tuyen Quang has great potential to develop its forest-based economy.  To improve forest production value and promote sustainable forest development, the local authorities have taken measures to accelerate the grant of certificates.  They have worked with Woodsland JSC and Research Institute for Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certificate to organise training courses on sustainable forest management, and grant international sustainable forest management certificates to the staff of several State management agencies, forestry companies and forest owners.  Campaigns have been launched to raise public awareness of the certification, while attention have been paid to boosting investment links between businesses and forest growers. Enterprises and forest owners have been assisted in building and performing their forest management plans, and households have been encouraged to supervise each other in forestation and exploitation under sustainable forest management plans.  Tuyen Quang launched the issuance of forest management certificates in January 2015. To date, a total of 14,962 hectares of forest have received FSC certificates.  The certified forest areas have brought practical benefits. The prices of wood produced in certified forest areas are 10-15 percent higher than those from non-certified areas. Poor housing raises Zika risk As the Zika virus spreads, poor housing conditions increases the infection risks of workers at industrial zones. So far, 23 people have tested positive for the disease in Việt Nam, and another six cases have been reported in the provinces of Khánh Hòa, Phú Yên, Bình Dương, Long An, Trà Vinh, and Đắk Lắk. Seventeen people have tested positive for the Zika virus in HCM City as of Monday, according to the city-based Pasteur Institute. The virus is transmitted by mosquitos which are now in peak season in many localities and the housing conditions of poor workers are ideal breeding grounds. At an average rent of VNĐ300,000-400,000 (US$13.4-18) per month, most of the houses are small (about 2-3sq.m per person), with poor sanitary conditions and infrastructure. In the southern province of Bình Dương, the rainy season is worsening the situation as many areas are often flooded. Nguyễn Thị Nga, a worker from Dĩ An District, told the Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper that she was anxious about being infected with Zika virus as she is currently pregnant. “I try to keep the house clean and tidy and not to use water tanks that provide favourable conditions for mosquitos to develop,” she said. In HCM City, a number of housing areas for workers are located along channels, or near waste dumping sites, where mosquitos thrive. A worker from the city’s Bình Tân District said it was difficult to keep his place clean. “My house leaks whenever it rains. The house is built low and is often flooded. We hope local authorities will come to our living areas to spray chemicals and kill mosquito so that we will no longer have to worry about Zika,” he said.  To deal with the situation, many businesses plan to raise their employees’ awareness of the Zika virus and preventive measures. Chairman of the trade union of Toàn Thắng Ltd Co in Bình Chiểu Industrial Zone in HCM City, Đinh Văn Giai, told the Lao Động newspaper that trade union officials have been studying the virus, its forms of transmission and preventive measures in order to pass on information to workers. Trà Hùng Phát Production Ltd Co in Củ Chi District has also been guiding its workers to keep their living environment clean to keep away mosquitos, and have worked with local healthcare departments to spray mosquitoe- and larvae-killing chemicals. On Sunday the Preventive Health Department confirmed the country’s first case of microcephaly, an abnormal smallness of the head, of a four-month-old child, saying it was likely related to Zika. The patient was found in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk.  Red Alert emergency procedure saves lives of seriously ill patients The life of a five-year-old child whose chest was punctured by a steel bar after he fell from the third floor of a building was saved by doctors last week who took part in HCM City’s Red Alert emergency procedure. Doctors at Thống Nhất Hospital in the city’s Tân Bình District provided emergency aid for the boy and then activated the Red Alert to ask for assistance from Paediatrics Hospital 1. At Paediatrics Hospital 1, Dr Đào Trung Hiếu, the deputy head of the hospital, was alerted and immediately went to Thống Nhất Hospital to conduct surgery. After the surgery, the patient was brought to Paediatrics Hospital 1 for further treatment and check-up. A cardiovascular ultrasound detected an abnormal blood clot in the centre of chest, Hiếu said, adding that a second surgery was performed to remove the clot. The boy is now recovering in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Under the Red Alert procedure, which began in 2010 under the municipal Department of Health’s requirement, doctors in the city cooperate to save the life of patients. In late August, the Red Alert procedure helped save the life of a patient who had suffered electric shock. Dr Trần Văn Khanh, head of the District 2 Hospital, said the patient was admitted with severe bleeding, a heart rate disorder, and a damaged liver. Khanh initiated the Red Alert process, with Gia Định People Hospital assisting. Twenty minutes later, Gia Định People Hospital’s surgeons and other doctors arrived at District 2 Hospital to perform surgery alongside Gia Dinh’s doctors. Without the Red Alert, the patient could have died on the way to Gia Định People Hospital, Khanh said. At a Red Alert rehearsal at District 11 Hospital in late August, Dr Nguyễn Đình Phú, head of 115 People Hospital, said the procedure was necessary in emergency conditions because the skills of doctors in the city varied. If doctors at a hospital do not have the capacity to treat certain patients in serious health conditions, then the Red Alert process should be activated. Tăng Chí Thượng, the Health Department’s deputy head, said that it was critical to provide good first emergency aid. Emergency ward doctors can evaluate the patient’s condition and then activate a Red Alert to seek help from doctors at another hospital. Thượng said that a Red Alert steering board had been set up to improve implementation of the procedure. Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, head of the department, said that only several hospitals in the city were currently carrying out the Red Alert procedure. In the future, the department will instruct all public and private hospitals in the city to use the Red Alert process when conditions require it.  Uncontrolled overloaded trucks damage roads National Highway No.513 in northern Thanh Hoa Province is at high risk of damage by overloaded trucks running night and day, the online vov.vn reported. Road sections in Như Thanh and Tĩnh Gia districts were completely damaged due to the overloaded trucks carrying construction material. Besides spoiling the roads, the trucks also caused serious noise and air pollution, which seriously affected people’s lives in the areas nearby. Nguyễn Thị Dư, a resident in Tân Trường Commune, said “My house is located along the road. My family has to suffer from the noise and dust all day.” “To avoid dust and noise, I have to keep the door closed all the time,” she said. “I want the local authority to come up with some solution to solve the problem to ensure a normal life for households living along the roads,” she added. Ông Lê Văn Bình, a local living near a cement factory, said “for months, I have had to move my children to my relatives’ home because the severe air pollution will cause health problems.” Like Dư and Bình, hundreds of other households in the area are also suffering. The reason the situation has spiraled out of control is due to the failure of the local authority to control oversized and overloaded trucks. According to the locals, for several months, the truck weighing station in the area has stopped working so oversized and overloaded trucks were free to operate. Lê Sỹ Do, deputy chief of inspector of Thanh Hóa Province’s Transport Department, confirmed that the weighing station had stopped its operation one month ago. Explaining the situation, Do said the police had withdrawn from the act of controlling oversized and overloaded trucks in the area. Therefore, the truck weighing station had also been deserted. Meeting appraises southern literature The Việt Nam Institute of Literature reviewed the southern literature scene at a national conference in HCM City last week.     The event was co-organised by the HCM City University of  Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of Thủ Dầu Một in Bình Dương Province. Prof Phong Lê, of the institute and a member of Việt Nam Writers Association, said that many talented writers and critics appeared on the scene in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in literary criticism and linguistics.  He urged the institute, associations and universities in the region to find ways to promote literature among young readers.   Cultural researcher Trần Nhật Vy, who was involved in southern literature for several years, said: “Famous writers living in the 19th century reflected changes in society, especially urban society, through their works.” "I think new writing styles adopted from the West allow Vietnamese authors to explore.” The country’s first series of short stories were published in Gia Định Báo (Gia Định Newspaper) of Sài Gòn (now HCM City), the first Vietnamese newspaper, in December, 1881.  Works in different genres of poems, plays and fiction by feature writers, such as Trương Vĩnh Ký, Nguyễn Trọng Quản, Mai Nham and Trần Chánh Chiếu, received warm response from readers.   Quản’s Thầy Lazaro Phiền (Mr Lazaro Phiền) was released by J. Linage, libraire-editeur (publisher), in 1887 and recognised as the country’s first novel in Vietnamese.  “These writers and their works are ignored by publishers, which is one of the reasons critics ignore them,” said Vi, adding that the pioneers played a very important role in the region’s literature and their contribution should be reappraised. The conference attracted 120 veteran writers, critics, cultural researchers and historians from dozens of institutes, associations and universities around the country.  HCM City sign Vĩnh, SLNA give up 2 players HCM City FC, which has a berth in the national premier league, 2017 V.League., have lured former midfielder Châu Lê Phước Vĩnh. This is their first move to prepare for  the new season. Vĩnh, who hails from Quảng Nam Province, has played for SHB Đà Nẵng for most of his career. The 31-year-old player, who was in the national U23 team in 2005 and the national squad in 2012, failed to extend his time with SHB Đà Nẵng and decided to move to HCM City. Also in the news are former champions Sông Lam Nghệ An (SLNA), who have decided not to continue with Odah Onoriode Marshal and Ouattara Baba Salia as they made no impression during the 2015-16 season. Marshal scored only 10 goals for SLNA, while Salia played from the second period and netted five. SLNA president Nguyễn Hồng Thanh said they wanted to return to competing in their countries. SLNA will continue to look for new players this month even as they train their own players from the younger squads. Film project market kicks off A film project market kicked off in Hanoi on November 1, as part of the activities under the framework of the fourth Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF). The five-day event connects film producers, directors and scriptwriters, who want to introduce their projects to investors and leading professionals in the film industry. According to Ngo Phuong Lan, Head of the Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, all projects submitted will be judged by juries from domestic and foreign film companies, the Motion Picture Association and the organisers of the Berlin film festival. Eight projects are up for judgement. The winner will receive a prize worth VND100 million (US$4,480). On the same day, HANIFF 2016 also opened its Talent Campus and “Vietnamese Landscapes in Foreign Movies” exhibition. Lasting until November 5, Talent Campus is offering three training programmes for directors, producers and scriptwriters, gathering 30 Vietnamese and foreign youths. Each programme will select its best learner to be honoured at an award ceremony on November 4. On the sidelines of the event, there will be numerous workshops, seminars and case studies for participants in the festival to gain insight and exchange experiences. Meanwhile, the “Vietnamese Landscapes in Foreign Movies” exhibition is screening films and displaying pictures that include scenes taken in Vietnam. In particular, Indochine (1992) by Régis Wargnier—a highlight of the exhibition—was among the first films to introduce Vietnam’s landscape to the world. The film won an Oscar for best foreign language film in 1993. Concert marks Liszt’s 130th death anniversary The HCMC Conservatory of Music will host a concert on November 5 to mark the 130th death anniversary of prolific Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886). Young talented Vietnamese pianist Luu Duc Anh will stage some of the most prominent pieces of Liszt. Born in 1993 in Hanoi, the pianist studied at the Royal Conservatory of Liege (Belgium). He has traveled the world to perform and won numerous national and international awards. In 2015, Anh was among the top five students of the conservatory to join the Classic Academy Contest by Liege Royal Philharmonic. The concert will take place at the concert hall of the HCMC Conservatory of Music at 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, HCMC. VIP and standard tickets are priced at VND250,000 and VND200,000 per person respectively while students enjoy a special price of VND50,000. For bookings, call 0908 506 656 in office hours. Cyclists Tùng, Ngân top individual time trial events Cyclist Huỳnh Thanh Tùng from Military Zone 7 won the men’s individual 40km time trial event of the National Road Race Cycling Championship on October 30 in Hòa Bình Province. Tùng defeated senior cyclist and rival Trịnh Đức Tâm from Hà Nội and won with a result of 54.14min, which was 27 seconds faster than Tâm, who was believed to have no worthy rival in this category. The bronze went to Trần Thanh Điền from HCM City, who timed 55:47. In the women’s individual 25km category, Lê Thị Kim Ngân from An Giang pocketed the gold, timing 35:28. Her teammate Nguyễn Thị Thu Mai came second and Trần Thị Tuyết Nương from Bình Dương was at third. Athletes will continue with the men’s and women’s team time trial competitions on October 31. Huyền wins, Toàn loses at national weightlifting champs Olympian Vương Thị Huyền easily won her title at the National Weightlifting Championship in Đà Nẵng City on October 30. Huyền of Hà Nội bagged three gold medals in the women’s 48kg pool, with results of 81kg in snatch, 101kg in clean-and-jerk and 182kg in total. It was not her best result as she had lifted 187kg at the April’s Asian championship. While Huyền met no difficulty defending her top position, Olympian Trần Lê Quốc Toàn of the host city failed in the men’s 56kg class. Toàn was expected to win the title after his main rival Thạch Kim Tuấn of HCM City did not compete. However, he failed in all three times at the registered weight of 120kg in the snatch event. Earlier, he won a gold medal in the clean-and-jerk event with a 148kg lift. The championship will end on November 2. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE