Viet Nam News By Nguyễn Hữu Tài Quân walked in, drew shut all window curtains, threw off his clothes, then strolled around the apartment. It was early and the kids were still at school. He had at least several hours to relax before the apartment was crowded and he would have to flee. The three-room apartment was too cramped. Sometimes he visited his friends and found them residing in huge houses that cost several hundred thousand to one million dollars, had nearly 10 bedrooms, five restrooms and orchards laden with fruits which made him so envious. If only he had such a house. In the morning he would sip a cup of coffee. In the afternoon he would go home from work and cut the grass and fertilise the trees. At night he would set up a hammock to lie in and look at the stars. He wouldn’t have to fret and pound on the restroom door to hurry whoever was inside. Yet real estate prices in California were skyrocketing. He heard the Chinese were flocking here … [Read more...] about Stuck in paradise
Citizenship exam questions
Zalo used to deliver e-administrative services in Bac Ninh Province
From now on, citizens of Bac Ninh Province are able to monitor the progress and receive results of nearly 2,000 administrative formalities via Zalo app, including receiving home-ownership certificate, registration paper for land use rights, construction permit; adding information to civil status records, family record books; and receiving results of disputes and complaints. According to Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, Director of the Bac Ninh Province Department of Information and Communications, Zalo is implemented in two channels. The first one – a direct communication between the local authorities and citizens as well as businesses – has a function to announce the progress of administrative formalities to citizens and allow them to rate their satisfaction, notice citizens whether their suggestions and questions are processed or not, and introduce new policies of the province. The second channel is a local management system via Zalo to notice state officers of new documents that … [Read more...] about Zalo used to deliver e-administrative services in Bac Ninh Province
‘Not on the same page’: Brexit poses threat to British universities
Britain's vote to leave the European Union has left the country's universities with a problem to solve -- how to plug a funding gap and maintain prestige if the flood of students from across the EU slows to a trickle. Before the June 23 referendum backed a British exit, or Brexit, the heads of about 80 percent of British universities issued a joint appeal to "Remain" in the 28-country bloc. Since the vote, universities have been trying to calm their overseas students and to reassure applicants from abroad that nothing will change -- at least for now because the process of leaving the EU is expected to take at least two years. In the longer term, they fear their funding, attractiveness to foreign students and academic prestige will decline. "I cherish European values," said Bettina Sakiotis, a 17-year-old Greek living in Luxembourg who has been offered a place by two English universities from October. "Voting for Brexit shows ... we are not on the same page." After the referendum, she … [Read more...] about ‘Not on the same page’: Brexit poses threat to British universities
SOCIETY IN BRIEF 3/6
Cities need to set up food safety committees Major cities, including HCM City, should set up a food safety committee that would be responsible for managing product quality, an expert has recommended. The establishment of a committee to coordinate these activities would prevent waste of money as well as human resources, and the dodging of responsibility that occurs under the current management, which is spread across several agencies, according to Prof. Chu Pham Ngoc Son, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Association. … [Read more...] about SOCIETY IN BRIEF 3/6