Germany and Nordics top global list for parental leave

(Reuters Life!) – Germany and the Nordic countries have topped a list of 21 high-income nations when it comes to generosity of paid parental leave, with Australia and the United States tying in last place.

Researchers associated with the U.S.-based Center for Economic and Policy Research examined the parental leave policies of 21 countries with their study published in the peer-reviewed social science Journal of European Social Policy.

They found Sweden ranked highest for gender equality in parental leave practices, while Germany and Sweden were the most generous with paid parental leave, both offering 47 weeks.

They were followed by Norway offering 44 paid weeks, Greece with 34 weeks, Finland with 32 weeks and Canada with 29 weeks.

Neither the United States nor Australia guarantee any paid parental leave and were tied for the lowest ranking in terms of overall generosity of paid leave.

“The United States (and Australia have) the least generous parental leave policies of all 21 economies compared in this study,” said researcher Janet Gornick.

“We pay a high price for our meager policy, because parental leave improves the health and well-being of children and their parents and paid leaves provide families with crucial economic support at such an important time.”

The study looked at parental leave policies according to three criteria: total time guaranteed for parental leave and whether paid or unpaid, total paid leave, and gender equality of the parental leave such as leave and pay available to fathers.

Gornick said while all 21 countries protected at least one parent’s job for a period, there were great differences across these countries on each of the three criteria.

France and Spain came highest in terms of total guaranteed leave, each giving over 300 weeks, while Switzerland and the United States ranked at the bottom, with 24 and 14 weeks respectively.

Australia and Switzerland ranked near the bottom in terms of both generosity and gender equality of parental leave.

While bottom of the paid leave table, the United States scored better on the gender equality index, coming 10th in the list.

Japan ranked near the bottom of the gender equality index at 19 but came 7th in terms of overall generosity for giving 26 weeks of paid parental leave.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Michael Perry)

Book issued by George Washington 221 years ago returned to library

New York, May 20 (ANI): A book that George Washington borrowed 221 years ago from a New York library has was finally returned to its rightful place.

Staff at the New York Society Library happily accepted a replica copy of “The Law of Nations” from members of the first U.S. President”s Mount Vernon estate yesterday after they discovered he removed it from their collection on Oct. 5, 1789, but never brought it back.

“I hereby absolve George Washington and his representatives for any overdue library fees incurred,” The New York Daily News quoted Charles Berry, the New York Society Library”s chairman of the board of trustees, as saying.

“The library was not about to pursue a fine, but we were delighted to learn that a copy of this book was coming back to us.”

“We express our gratitude for your patience … and for your generosity in erasing the considerable funds that were probably owed by George Washington,” James Rees, executive director of Washington”s Mount Vernon Estate, told library staff yesterday. “He did not do his public duty.” (ANI)

Jury to retire in tax fraud trial

The jury in the tax fraud trial of Banjo’s bakery founder Mark Saxby is due to begin deliberations today.

Saxby is facing four counts of defrauding the Commonwealth and four alternative charges of imposition.

It is alleged he defrauded the Commonwealth of more than $300,000 by filing false tax forms.

In summing up the case, Justice Alan Blow warned the jury to be cautious with the evidence of several prosecution witnesses, including three staff members who said they lied to the Tax Office for Saxby.

Justice Blow said if that was true, the workers were involved in criminal conduct and may have given unreliable evidence to try to shift the blame.

He also urged the jury to consider evidence of Saxby’s good character and generosity when assessing his evidence.

Why we tend to be nice with strangers

Washington, Mar 20 (ANI): People from large industrialized societies tend to be nice with strangers. Now, researchers have found why we are surprisingly fair and trusting with unfamiliar individuals.

This pro-social behaviour results from a change in social norms that allowed us to trust strangers, according to the new study.

The change is likely linked to a rise in markets where goods are exchanged for money, as well as increased participation in major world religions.

The finding challenges a previously suggested theory— the idea that we treat strangers fairly because we mistakenly transferred our feelings of kinship to unrelated individuals as societies grew.

The results, based on more than 2,000 participants from 15 societies across the globe, show that “fair” behaviour during a bargaining game increases the more a society has incorporated market exchange and world religions.

“Measures of fairness toward anonymous others, in terms of motivations and beliefs, vary dramatically across human societies. And we can explain most of the variation between groups by the degree of market incorporation and the presence of a world religion,” Live Science quoted study author Joseph Henrich, an anthropologist at the University of British Columbia, Canada, as saying.

According to researchers, in order for market exchange to really take off, societies had to evolve new norms for interacting with strangers.

Similarly, major world religions, with their beliefs about fairness and punishment, could have also influenced changes norms and allowed societies to grow.

Religions in small-scale societies tend to lack such moralizing gods that are concerned with generosity toward strangers, said Henrich.

“One of the things that might have occurred through cultural evolution to help build these larger groups, is the evolution of religious systems with supernatural agents that were in some sense police, concerned about those elements of behavior that would facilitate exchange and trade and harmonious groups, allowing groups to get larger and larger,” he said.

To test out these ideas, the researchers studied participants from small-scale communities in Africa, North and South America, Oceania, New Guinea, and Asia.

The subjects played three bargaining games.

Very small communities with almost no market integration and less involvement in world religions generally made lower, or less fair, offers during the games, and were less willing to punish unfair offers.

On the flip side, the largest societies with the most market integration and world religion participation made higher offers, and were more willing to penalize those who made unfair offers.

“This is consistent with the idea that the expansion of human societies was driven by the evolution of these norms that allowed people to interact with strangers,” said Henrich.

The results will be published in the journal Science. (ANI)

Emotional, psychological maturity not linked to spiritual development

Washington, March 16 (ANI): A new study claims that a person can reach a high level of spiritual development without being emotionally and psychologically mature.

Prof. Mayseless, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Haifa and conference co-organizer, explains psychological maturity is defined as the capacity to control impulses and acceptance of responsibility for the consequences of one”s action.

This study, a first in its field, examined the interplay between the two developmental domains. It addressed a central conceptual question: If these developmental domains are related, how do they converge and mutually interact? For example, is a certain level of emotional maturity required before an individual develops to be highly spiritual? What might be the ramifications of having transcendental experiences when an individual is not emotionally mature?

A sample group of 215 college students aged 19-30 revealed that the two developmental domains (psychological maturity and spiritual development) were moderately correlated, yet that each seemed to have different antecedents (e.g., social support and having firm ethnic identity was especially significant for achieving spiritual development).

Mayseless added that the findings also confirmed a link between psychological and spiritual maturity and an individual”s set of values. This raised the question of whether both developmental domains contribute to the development of a particular attribute or whether only one domain alone contributes to that attribute.

Mayseless added: “For example, psychological maturity can contribute to a person”s level of generosity, while spiritual development may not add unique contribution after taking into account the person”s psychological maturity. However, this was not the case.

This study has shown that both psychological maturity and being spiritually developed each contributes to an individual”s generosity and pro-social actions, independently.

“The truth is, that I wanted to find that an individual reaching both types of maturity has an added value; that someone who is both psychologically and spiritually developed would demonstrate a higher set of values, such as generosity, endurance, pluralism. But this was not what we found,”

He concluded: While this study has shown that each developmental domain contributes independently of the other, the contribution that each makes to a particular attribute are similar. There is probably some connection between them, but this might only be identified by a longitudinal study where we would follow individuals for some time to learn about changes in each domain”

The study was presented at the 2nd Conference on the Study of Contemporary Spirituality that was held at the University of Haifa. (ANI)

Steve Jobs admits of a liver transplant

San Francisco, Sep 10(ANI): The Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, making his first public appearance since his return to work in June after six months’ medical leave, has admitted of a liver transplant.

Jobs admitted this on the sidelines of a press conference San Francisco, where he was announcing a new iPod nano.

“I’m very happy to be here. As some of you may know, about five months ago I had a liver transplant. I now have the liver of a mid-20 (-year-old) person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs. I wouldn’t be here without such generosity,” The Independent quoted Jobs, as saying.

“I hope all of us can be as generous and think about becoming organ donors,” he added.

Jobs was diagnosed with a rare, treatable form of pancreatic cancer in 2004. However, Apple had initially claimed that Jobs had a “common bug”, which eventually became a “hormonal imbalance”. A few days later Apple said the problem was “more complex” than he had thought.

The details of his medical problem were only made clear through documents leaked to the press, in which there were suggestions that Jobs had undergone a liver transplant in Memphis, Tennessee.

It is also said that Jobs had moved to Memphis due to the short transplant waiting list in Tennessee, and wanted to be near by if a liver became available. (ANI)

It was raining gifts for Bush and his gang during foreign visits!

Washington, Jun 25 (ANI): A report submitted by the US State Department has revealed that the Bush administration received very generous gifts during their foreign visits.

When the administration decided to restore diplomatic relations with Libya, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a visit to Tripoli last year, the first time in more than 50 years, and Libyan strongman Muammar Qadhafi showered her with costly gifts, reports Politico.com.

According to the report submitted on June 24, Rice received a diamond ring, a locket with the Libyan leader’s photo in it, and other items amounting to 212,225 dollars.

Rice’s spokesman, Sean McCormack, got an 800-dollar Men’s RADO watch “with small likeness of Qadhafi’s face on watch face”.

But Qadhafi’s generosity was outdone by the Saudis, who lavished more than 750,000 dollars in gifts on Rice, President George W. Bush and other officials during their trips last year.

In January 2008, Saudi King Abdullah gave Rice a “gold, diamond and sapphire set with necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings”, along with a robe and scarf. The whole gift pack was worth 230,145 dollars said the State Department.

During the same January visit, the Saudis gave State Department Chief of Protocol Nancy Brinker 65,000 dollars in gifts, including an emerald and diamond bracelet.

Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, David Welch, and the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ford Fraker, each got 45,000 dollars worth of watches and other items.

Top White House staffers, including Stephen Hadley, Josh Bolten, Ed Gillespie, Dana Perino, William McGurn and Elliott Abrams each got jewellery and robes pegged at about 15,000 dollars a set.

During a March visit to Saudi Arabia, Vice President Cheney’s daughter, Elizabeth, got diamond and ruby jewellery with an estimated value of 85,000 dollars, while her mom, Lynne Cheney, got a 65,000-dollar set.

In 2007, Rice received two gifts of jewellery from the Saudis, with a total value of more than 310,000 dollars.

In February 2008 King Abdullah of Jordan gave the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, David Hale, “one Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo watch” valued by the State Department at 12,500 dollars.

Bush, who is an avid biker, received a black Mercedes mountain bike in 2008 from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa presented him with a “full carbon Black Gold XTR mountain bike”.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave the U.S. leader “a hydration system cycling backpack” and bib shorts marked with Bush’s name and Israeli flags.

By law, federal officials are required to turn such gifts over to the government, which either sells them or stores them at the National Archives.

A few items are retained for display at government offices or purchased by the recipient, but items such as food, liquor, cigars, were “handled pursuant to U.S. Secret Service policy”, which may be a diplomatic way of saying they were disposed of for security reasons.

The State Department revealed in the report to be published on June 25 in the Federal Register. (ANI)

Amy Winehouse named ‘Pied Piper of St Lucia’

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London, April 27 (ANI): Amy Winehouse is being called the Pied Piper of St Lucia after she helped a number of local kids, according to reports./pp
The ‘Rehab’ hitmaker took six kids from near her new island home to the picturesque Cotton Bay to play on the beach./pp
And now she is being referred to as the ‘Pied Piper of St Lucia’ by locals, who have been impressed by the songbird’s generosity towards the island’s children, according to sources./pp
Amy is happiest when she’s with children – kids love her. The children she took to the beach on Saturday were following her round and all vying for her attention, the Sun quoted a source as saying./pp
She’s determined to do as much as she can for local kids as they’re a lot less fortunate than she is, she added. (ANI)/p

When Rahul shook hand with an Assam slum dweller

Dhubri (Assam), April 20 (IANS) For Rita Devi Raut and her two little children it was like a dream when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi suddenly walked into their rickety mud-and-thatch hut Monday in Assam.

‘I was cleaning utensils in the courtyard when someone spoke to me from behind, asking if he could enter my house…I was shocked and literally numbed when I saw Rahul Gandhi,’ Rita told IANS.

Rahul was addressing an election meeting at Dhubri, about 300 km from Assam’s main city of Guwahati.

Immediately after his meeting was over, Rahul broke the security cordon and straight away headed towards a slum like area close to the venue.

‘I led Rahul Gandhi inside my house and he shook hands with me…although you know my hands were dirty as I was cleaning utensils at that time…he simply did not mind at all and enquired about our problems,’ Rita said with a broad smile.

‘I said we want our approach road to be constructed as it gets flooded every time there are rains.’

Rahul then shook hands with Rita’s two children and left for another house.

‘I can tell you openly now that we would vote for the Congress and want Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister. Look at his generosity…he is one person who cares for the poor, otherwise why would he have visited our house,’ Rita said.

Rahul also surprised a few teachers at a nearby junior college when he walked inside – the security officials were simply in jitters.

‘We were taken aback to find Rahul Gandhi peering from behind at what we were doing…he asked us about our college and our problems,’ a teacher said.

‘Our only regret was that we could not offer him a cup of tea as we were caught unawares.’

Not only that – Rahul, while walking towards the helicopter en route to another meeting, picked up a child and took the little boy inside the chopper.

‘I think his gesture was tremendous,’ Kuddus Ali, a local, said.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi was highly critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

‘They claim our prime minister is weak…but then they don’t realise that India prospered during our government. We don’t need slogans and new phrases to win the elections…our performance is enough to convince the people,’ Rahul said.

He also addressed two more election meetings in Assam before leaving for New Delhi.
Syed Zarir Hussain

EU investment bank sets 7-billion-euro roof for green car research

Brussels – The European Union’s investment bank is to boost to almost 7 billion euros (8.9 billion dollars) its loans to the auto industry to develop climate-friendly cars, but it cannot save the sector from economic crisis, the bank’s manager said Monday.

“By the end of June, we will probably have approved loans totalling 7 billion euros” to the car industry, the vast majority being awarded to clean-car projects, Philippe Maystadt, president of the European Investment Bank, told journalists in Brussels.

That is far more than the 4 billion euros originally called for by the EU’s executive, the European Commission, in November, but far less than the 40 billion the industry had demanded.

And it is more than 10 per cent of the bank’s total loans, meaning that “in terms of policy and sound banking practice, it would be a mistake” to lend any more to the automotive industry, Maystadt said.

Maystadt’s statement comes as the EU’s car manufacturers are being devastated by the economic crisis, with car sales plummeting and dire warnings of bankruptcy and mass job losses in an industry which provides some 12 million jobs across Europe.

According to industry umbrella group ACEA, vehicle production slumped 28 per cent in the last quarter of 2008, and is expected to fall a further 15 per cent this year.

The EU’s executive, the European Commission, in November called for an aid package of 5 billion euros, including 4 billion from the EIB, to help the European car industry develop less environmentally-damaging vehicles as part of the bloc’s response to climate change and the economic crisis.

But while the EIB looks set to lend far more than that, Maystadt warned that the 7 billion euros now under discussion would all but exhaust the bank’s generosity to Europe’s car makers.

“As the long-term financing arm of the EU, we cannot bail out companies in difficulties: this is not our mission. We cannot provide short-term liquidity, because we’re not a central bank, and we cannot provide restructuring in sectors which need it,” he said.

The EIB was founded in 1958 to provide long-term financing for projects aimed at bringing EU states closer together.

Its shareholders are the EU’s 27 member states, and it funds its activities by issuing debt on international markets. (dpa)

Black Eyed Peas launch academy for underprivileged kids

Washington, Feb 10 (ANI): Through their Peapod Foundation, Black Eyed Peas have collaborated with Adobe Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to launch an academy for underprivileged children.
The institution gives underprivileged Californian kids the chance to get involved in film and music programmes.

The initiative will allow kids to interact with their community through music, dance, video and art.

“As a group, we’ve made a commitment to help give teens the artistic tools and opportunities to help them realise their fullest potential,” Contactmusic quoted frontman will.i.am’s statement.

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Adobe Youth Voices, we are able to expand our vision and give even more kids a chance to be productive, enterprising adults,” the statement added.

The project was launched at a benefit gig, featuring the Black Eyed Peas, on 5 February (09). (ANI)

Kate Moss ‘splashed £100k during Thailand break’

New Delhi, Jan 10 (ANI): Supermodel Kate Moss reportedly spent 100,000 pounds on a luxurious eight-day holiday in Thailand.

Apparently, the 34-year-old stunner paid for her partner Jamie Hince, her daughter Lila Grace, and three friends to join her on the lavish New Year break, reports the China Daily.

Chinawhite owner David Tang, former ‘Hollyoaks’ star Davinia Taylor and her husband Dave Gardner partied with Moss aboard a luxury yacht for five days.

The party then moved ashore, spending three days in a private villa attached to the glamorous Amanpuri hotel.

A source said: “Nobody has ever witnessed generosity like this. She was throwing away obscene amounts of money.”

The source said: “They enjoyed a non-stop flow of champagne and shots and a vast Thai banquet. When the bill came, she didn’t flinch.”

To the staff, the beauty seemed relaxed and happy when she arrived back in London. (ANI)

Martin Scorsese finds Gomorrah ‘despairing but also enlightening’

London, Jan 7 (ANI): American film director Martin Scorsese has praised Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone”s film ‘Gomorrah’, calling it “a tough, forceful look at the Neapolitan underworld”.

Gomorrah is a movie based on a best-selling expose of the Camorra clan, and also about the organised crime in Naples, and it will have the credit “Martin Scorsese Presents” when it opens in the US on February 13.

Scorsese, 66, said that Gomorrah was “despairing but also enlightening and, because of its frankness, strangely heartening”.

“I admire the bluntness of this picture and the devotion of Garrone and his actors in their pursuit of a terrible truth,” the BBC quoted him as saying.

Garrone said that he was “extremely proud” that his award-winning drama had found “such a prestigious adoptive father”, and that he had been waiting “for some time” to thank Scorsese publicly for his “courage and generosity”. (ANI)