Americans Give Up $34 Billion of Vacation

U.S. workers are among the worst in the world for not taking all their vacation days. Their bosses might say they are among the best in the world for working their holidays. Either way, Americans will give up $34.3 billion in paid vacation leave in 2012, which is the equivalent of 226 million days off. These figures come from an annual survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Expedia. They questioned 7,083 employees in 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia. The top reason for Americans not using up their holidays was not being able to afford a holiday (34%). This was followed by lack of planning (15%), the statement "work is my life" (15%) and feeling bad about asking the boss for time off.

Workers in other countries don’t appear to have a problem taking vacations. French workers get an average 30 vacation days a year and generally use them all. In the UK, employees get 25 days and pretty much take all of them. Asia is the only region where workers receive and take fewer holidays than Americans. The average Japanese worker only gets 11 days a year and takes just five of them. Indians are also reluctant to take all of their vacation. Expedia found that 20 per cent of workers in India did not take all their holidays because they "may be perceived negatively at work". In America, bosses believe it is important that workers use all their vacation so they can come back to work feeling refreshed.


source: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

Alcohol, Sex, Skateboarding: Barcelona Raises “Excess” Behavior Fines

The Spanish city’s authorities raise the cost of over-doing it for locals and tourists alike. But will it change people’s behavior?

Worldcrunch *NEWSBITES

DIE WELT/Worldcrunch

 

BARCELONA - Why go to a bar when the vibe outdoors is so great? This is part of the appeal of this Mediterranean coastal city for party-seeking young (and not so young) people, who frequently turn public spaces into an open-air club: drinking, shouting, relieving themselves against walls, and plenty more. When they’re done, streets and squares can end up looking like deserted battlefields.

In the past two decades the number of visitors to Barcelona has risen from 1.73 million in 1990 to 7.13 million in 2010. Overnight stays have gone from 3.79 million in 1990 to 14 million in 2010.

Visitor rates, however, aren’t the only changes afoot in the seaside Spanish city. In recent months, the city government has also started to change course, encouraging visitors and residents alike to make better use of public space. Municipal authorities are trying to get their message across via ubiquitous red flyers published in various languages.

Part and parcel of the flyer is a kind of catalogue of fines for all undesirable behavior. The penalty for public drinking? A hefty 1,500 euros. Unauthorized selling of goods on the open streets? A fine of 500 euros. Public urination will cost you 1,500 euros. The same goes for skateboarding or rollerblading in spaces not designated for those activities.

“Sexual services” in public can also cost this much. And anyone caught spraying words or images on walls, or in other acts of vandalism, will be fined double. The same goes for anyone organizing gambling, particularly prevalent in Barcelona, with so-called “thimble riggers” luring tourists.

People who spend the night on the beach come way relatively lightly with a 500-euro fine. But it might cost them that much again if they used soap at the beach showers.

More and more complaints for undesirable public behavior are being filed with authorities. That number in 2009 had risen to 111,824 – and in 2010, it was up to 120,678. Still, whether the fines deter the merrymakers remains to be seen.

North Korea mourns 'dear leader' as South Korea goes on alert

By Matt Smith, CNN


The leadership of North Korea appeared to pass to a third generation of the Kim family Monday after the weekend death of Kim Jong Il, who ruled the reclusive Stalinist state since 1994.
The man known as the "dear leader" died of a heart attack Saturday at age 69, state news outlets announced Monday. The ruling Worker's Party declared the youngest of his three sons, Kim Jong Un, the "great successor" to his father's mantle.
Kim Jong Il had led North Korea since his father -- the nation's founder, Kim Il Sung -- died at age 82. During his 17 years in power, the country suffered a devastating famine even as it built up its million-strong army, expanded its arsenal of ballistic missiles and became the world's eighth declared nuclear power.

News of his death spurred South Korea, which remains technically at war with the North more than five decades after their 1950-53 conflict, to put its military on high alert. But across one of the world's most heavily fortified borders, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak told his citizens "to go about their lives" in the meantime...

'This could be a turning point for North Korea': World reaction to Kim Jong Il's death

http://www.msnbc.msn.com

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack Saturday while on a train trip.

Here is how the world has reacted to his death:

British Foreign Secretary William Hague: "This could be a turning point for North Korea. We hope that their new leadership will recognize that engagement with the international community offers the best prospect of improving the lives of ordinary North Korean people."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu: "We were distressed to learn of the unfortunate passing of the senior-most North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, and we express our grief about this and extend our condolences to the people of North Korea. We are confident that the North Korean people will be able to turn their anguish into strength and unify as one."


Kim Ok-tae, a 58-year old pastor from Seoul, South Korea: "The whole earth should celebrate it as much as Christmas. I am not at all afraid. I don't see any likelihood of North Korea lashing out unexpectedly."

Dr John Swenson-Wright, associate fellow of the Asia Programme at London-based think thank Chatham House: "It comes at a particularly bad time. In North Korea, it will overshadow preparations for the spring celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung. In South Korea there are elections and for the United States, President Obama is also in an election year with a difficult economy and quite pressing international concerns elsewhere."


Dane Chamorro, a regional director at the Global Risks consultancy: "Often in times like this, the regime will do something to demonstrate that it is still viable, powerful, still a threat. It might be a missile test, some type of aggression or conflict."

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt:
"The death of a dictator is always a period of uncertainty for a dictatorship. And North Korea is the hardest dictatorship in our time."

Brian Shin, a 30-year-old native South Korean who lives in Los Angeles: "Kim Jong Il died? You're sure about that? No way! I thought he was going to live forever!"

Chocolate prices will rise over cocoa shortage

source: http://insideireland.ie/2011/12/13/chocolate-prices-will-rise-over-coca-shortage-46532/

Experts have predicted that a cocoa shortage will lead to the price of chocolate rising significantly.

It is believed there will be a million-ton cocoa shortage within the next eight years, as cocoa farmers struggle to meet the demand for the product. Chocolate is now in demand in areas where it previously wasn’t popular.

Leading British chocolatier, Angus Kennedy said: “Part of the problem is the growing demand for chocolate in Asia where countries such as China are turning more towards Western tastes.”

Mr Kennedy warned that if farmers did not receive more help to boost crops chocolate would become a delicacy and prices would be significantly higher.

The imminent cocoa shortage was a key debate at a recent confectionery conference, Confection Expo.

Experts predict the £1 chocolate bar will become a thing of the past.

Iconic brands, such as Cadbury, Mars and Nestle are predicted to suffer the most.

John Mason, founder of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council predicts that eventually the situation will become even worse.

Mr Mason added: “In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won’t be able to afford it.”

'Sleep-Texting' Is Here And On The Increase

Twenty-first century technology is bringing with it twenty-first century disorders. The latest is ‘sleep-texting’ – sending SMS messages in your sleep. This is a new phenomenon identified by Australia’s Melbourne Sleep Disorder Centre. Sleep specialist Dr David Cunnington, from the centre, said the condition is currently quite rare but has the potential to grow. He said he has seen many instances of sufferers sending incoherent text messages to their friends while asleep. Texters are reported to be completely unaware of their late-night messaging. One expert says the stresses of daily life cause people to text in their sleep. Another says young people are so attached to their mobile phones that sleep-texting is almost like sleepwalking.

Dr Cunnington’s advice is to leave the mobile phone out of the bedroom to resist the urge to text. He said: “If your phone is on the nightstand, then it will be more difficult to have a good night's sleep without feeling compelled to reply to a message or check your Facebook account.” He added: “The key point is that people need to respect their sleep, and make an effort to switch off at night.” Cunnington explained that sleep-emailing was a more serious problem, saying: “Emails can be sent to work colleagues and have much more serious consequences, whereas text messages are more likely to be accidentally sent to a friend or family member, so people aren't as likely to complain of a problem.”

-http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1111/111124-sleeptexting.html