Working condition

All of 12 years old, Bao Minh’s worst fear is not of ghosts. He’s also not afraid of heights. But he looks at stairs with some dread. Climbing the stairs is among the least favorite activities for this boy who lives in a premium apartment in Hanoi, alongside running or even walking for more than five minutes. Any body movement that gets him sweating is looked upon with disfavor by Minh. "I do not work out or play sports. Why make your body suffer when you can enjoy the air-conditioning with a snack?" he said, sitting on a couch with eyes glued to his favorite TV show. Each week, Minh gets reluctantly active for about 15 minutes during his physical education (PE) sessions, and he hates this school subject the most. He passes with a minimum score in every test. Minh’s story can be told of more and more young boys and girls across the country, especially in major cities. While the country gets kudos for the sight of the elderly up and about, exercising and … [Read more...] about All work, no play plus smart devices: kids turn couch potatoes

Le Dinh Quang, deputy head of its labor affairs division, told VnExpress on Monday that more working hours mean less downtime, reduced productivity and heightened risk of occupational health hazards. Vietnamese laws require manual workers to work 48 hours a week against only 40 for all others. But Quang said Convention 47 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) approved a 40-hour work week without reducing living standards, and many countries are actively trying to reduce the number of working hours and increase downtime for workers, with only around 40 countries still having a 48-hour work week. Besides, the total number of working hours per year in Vietnam is 2,320 and the country has only 10 public holidays, while Convention 132 of the ILO states that all workers should be entitled to annual paid holidays of no less than three working weeks for every year of service, he said. As a result, workers have little time for themselves or their families, find partners or interact with … [Read more...] about Having manual workers work more than others ‘unfair’: labor confederation

A stash of fifth-century gold coins worth millions has been found buried in a pot under an Italian theatre. Builders demolishing the former Cressoni theatre in Como were stunned to discover the cache last Wednesday. The Roman coins will be examined and dated before ending up in a museum, officials said.  Discovery: A priceless stash of fifth-century gold coins has been found buried in a pot under an Italian theatre The Roman coins will be examined and dated before ending up in a museum, officials said According to Italian media, the coins could be worth millions of euros.  Local archaeologist Luca Rinaldi told Qui Como: 'We cannot speak of a precise value because they are not a marketable commodity, but certainly it is an exceptional find and therefore of inestimable value'. He said the coins dated from the fifth century, adding: 'The state of conservation so good that even dating should be fast enough.' RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next From Windsor and … [Read more...] about In mint condition! Millions of pounds-worth of pristine 5th-century gold coins are found buried in a pot under Italian theatre

NEW DELHI: From Marrakech in Morocco to Medellín in Colombia, success stories have proved that excuses of extreme summer heat and air pollution don’t wash when it comes to running urban cycling systems. What Delhi is lacking is a political will to implement a public bike-sharing system and a master plan with clearly defined objectives and infrastructure to meet these. Luca Lo Re and Ivan Delalanza of the World Resources Institute, both researching PBS systems across the world, were in Delhi to discuss their findings at the recently concluded ConnectKaro, WRI’s annual conference. The event was also attended by several bike operators from Bhopal, Mysore, Pune and other cities where both docked and dockless systems are being implemented. What Delhi lacks, according to WRI experts, is a bicycle master plan that can be integrated with its public transport network. Having a PBS on its own just, so that people can ride for leisure, will not be successful. They also observed … [Read more...] about Delhi can make cycle-sharing work; heat, air pollution are just excuses

In a speck of a village deep in the Finnish countryside, a man gets money for free. Each month, almost €560 (£500) is dropped into his bank account, with no strings attached. The cash is his to use as he wants. Who is his benefactor? The Helsinki government. The prelude to a thriller, perhaps, or some reality TV. But Juha Järvinen’s story is ultimately more exciting. He is a human lab rat in an experiment that could help to shape the future of the west. Last Christmas, Järvinen was selected by the state as one of 2,000 unemployed people for a trial of universal basic income. You may have heard of UBI, or the policy of literally giving people money for nothing. It’s an idea that lights up the brains of both radical leftists – John McDonnell and Bernie Sanders – and Silicon Valley plutocrats such as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. And in the long slump that has followed the banking crash, it is one of the few alternatives put forward that … [Read more...] about A basic income for everyone? Yes, Finland shows it really can work

CALIFORNIA mother Sherri Papini was found on the side of a road beaten, chained, with a bag over her head and weighing only 39 kilograms, her husband says. Speaking out for the first time since Mrs Papini, 34, was found on Thanksgiving morning, 22 days after her alleged abduction on November 2, Keith Papini said he was shocked by his wife’s condition when they were reunited. “Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see upon my arrival at the hospital, nor the details of the true hell I was about to hear,” he wrote in a statement to Good Morning America. “The mental prison I was in over the past three weeks was shattered when my questions of my wife’s reality became known. “My first sight was my wife in a hospital bed, her face covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black because of repeated beatings, the bridge of her nose broken.” Mr Papini also said in his statement that the mother-of-two now weighs just 87 pounds (39kg) … [Read more...] about Sherri Papini jogger mystery: Husband Keith Papini reveals shocking details about wife’s condition