从未请假的“超级工人”

Beijing Youth Daily

Public pool water quality available online

The water quality of public swimming pools in Beijing can now be monitored by smartphone in real time.

The Beijing municipal health authority has started a project to monitor the water quality of 80 swimming pools in the city by linking water monitors online.

Residents who download software to their smartphones can receive information about the pools' water quality from the monitors.

Another 300 swimming pools in the city will have such monitors installed in the near future.

Shanghai Daily

No cut in residential green area to make space for parking lots

Local authorities in Shanghai have ruled out any compromise on green areas to make space for car parking at residential complexes.

The Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau said vertical greenery and road widening are being considered as solutions to alleviate the shortage of parking space at complexes, but reducing green cover is not among them.

Earlier, some residents believe reducing greenery in residential areas will create more parking space.

The bureau said the root cause for parking space is because there are more cars now and not due to reserved green spots.

The Telegraph

Rise of the 'super workers' who never take time off

A research suggests that a 'super' working class is emerging made up of well-educated rich people. They work longer hours than the poor and do not see leisure time as preferable to the office.

The researchers said a 'superordinate working class' was turning human history on its head, as traditionally the lower classes have worked the longest hours.

Economists claim that as better educated people more away from manual jobs, work has become more satisfying both intellectually and emotionally, meaning they don't feel the need for as much time off.

Oxford researchers also speculate that higher earnings make work seem increasingly more profitable than leisure time.

Relevant study by the University of Zurich found that in 1800 the average English worker laboured for 64 hours a week.

Asia One

Indonesians are happy in general: Survey

A survey by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) was lately issued on measuring the level of happiness among Indonesians. And the outcome, Indonesians, in general, are indeed "happy".

The survey was conducted last year, when unemployment was high and poverty soared following the subsidized fuel price hike.

The results were based on a "life evaluation score", which includs health, family, job security, political freedom and government corruption. And the survey used a sample of 9,500 people from across the archipelago.

Indonesia scored over 65 per cent on a scale of 100 on the "Happiness Index", which measures happiness in relation to the growing level of equality in the country.

According to similar survey, Scandinavian countries were the happiest, with Denmark topping the list, followed by Finland and Norway, and then the Netherlands.