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On May 3, billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates, co-founders of one of the world’s largest private charitable foundations, filed for divorce after 27 years, but pledged to continue their philanthropic work together. In a joint petition for dissolution of marriage, the couple asserted their legal union was "irretrievably broken," but said they had reached an agreement on how to divide their marital assets. While the socioeconomic ramifications of the divorce have become talk of the town in many places, many Vietnamese tongues are wagging about something else that is closer to home. They are debating the merits and demerits of a man doing the dishes. The debate has been sparked by Gates’s professed love for dish washing, with several Vietnamese male netizens "taking the cue" and quipping that sharing housework does not seem to save a marriage. "I do the dishes every night - other people volunteer but I like the way I do it," Bill Gates had said during a Reddit AMA in 2014. Nguyen Thanh Dat, a white collar worker in Hanoi, commented on his Facebook page, said: "A man enjoying washing dishes for his wife and still ends up divorcing... it seems doing dishes does not help a marriage last." Many other men agreed, joking they would not do the dishes hereafter because "even a rich man like Bill Gates cannot save his marriage by washing dishes." Microsoft technology advisor Bill Gates and his wife Melinda leave on the second day of the Allen and Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho July 10, 2014. Photo by Reuters/Rick Wilking. Many netizens would not be diverted by the humor. "People should stop making jokes that men who do chores at home will not have a happy marriage. Such ridiculous assumptions make it harder to fight gender stereotypes," said An Nguyen, a teacher in Hanoi. Some people commented that man doing housework was nothing to talk about, but sociologist Trinh Hoa Binh said that Bill Gates washing dishes had caught public …

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The decision, which took immediate effect Wednesday, was taken after the Health Ministry consulted experts on ways to keep the larger community safe, said Minister Nguyen Thanh Long. The decision has been made after several individuals contracted the virus after they'd already completed the 14-day quarantine and tested negative twice or thrice. In the past week, at least three such cases have been detected. The latest decision is the second reversal in as many days. The ministry had said a day earlier that those in centralized quarantine facilities would not be allowed to go home after completing the mandated 14-day quarantine and testing negative twice during the period. It had not specified the new duration. Then, it reversed the decision earlier today, saying the original 14-day quarantine period will remain with strengthened post-quarantine monitoring and restrictions. Minister Long has urged concerned facilities to impose quarantine procedures strictly to prevent contagion. A person who has completed the 21-day quarantine needs to be supervised for the next seven days at home, he said. He also asked localities to find and conduct random tests for foreigners who have entered Vietnam recently, as well as employees of bars, karaoke and massage parlors. Vietnam has confirmed 38 new local Covid-19 cases since April 27 in the latest outbreak, the northern provinces of Ha Nam and Vinh Phuc leading with 14 cases each, followed by Hanoi with four. …

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Vietnam is the largest gold market in Southeast Asia, according to a recent study of the World Gold Council (WGC). Customers buy gold at Phu Quy gold shop in Hanoi.  VNA/VNS Photo Tran Viet The WGC also announced the country among the top 10 markets in the world, saying consumer demand for gold in Vietnam reached 39.8 tonnes in 2020, higher than the demand of 37.6 tonnes in Indonesia and 9.4 tonnes in Singapore. The study of 2,000 local investors in March last year also said gold is the top asset class for 68 per cent of Vietnamese investors while the outlook for the precious metal was positive, adding 81 per cent of people who bought gold considered buying more. The average rate for buying more gold is 45 per cent globally. According to the WGC, demand for gold in Vietnam is still very high as Vietnamese people believe gold helps fight inflation and currency fluctuations, helping investors feel secure in the long run. At the same time, new demand for gold also arises by buying gold on digital platforms or through available channels such as a bank. In the study, 76 per cent of respondents were in favour of opening a gold investment account at a bank to support and formalise the gold market. "Research shows demand for gold in Vietnam is strong and there is support to develop new investment products such as buying gold through digital platforms or opening a gold investment account," Andrew Naylor, director in charge of ASEAN at the World Gold Council, said. Ending the day (Monday), SJC gold price was bought at VND55.2 million (US$2,379) and sold at VND55.6 million ($2,396) per tael. Compared with gold prices listed on the global site of Kitco at $1,785 per ounce ($2,142 per tael), each tael of gold in Vietnam was $254 higher than the world price. VNS …

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