South Korea: English is already part of everyday life in Korea
A huge debate was ignited by Bok Geo-il’s proposal to make English an official language in 1998. His proposal to replace Korean with English as an official language was destined to be heavily attacked, especially by the opponents who argued that it would threaten national identity.
In addition, another main criticism against the idea is that not everyone should be spending time and energy learning English if their jobs do not require it, since Korea is a monolingual society. …(Read more)
Korea Herald
Germany: The anti-app: find out whether you’re addicted to your smartphone
Researchers in Bonn have created an app that will help you gauge how much of your life your smartphone is stealing. Are you addicted? Do you text while having a coffee with a friend? This may be for you. (Read more)
DW
Italy: Al Capone’s luxurious Miami mansion on sale for $8.5 million
Chicago gangster bought sprawling waterfront villa in 1928.
The Miami villa of notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone is on the market for $8.5 million. Capone bought the sprawling, 1,000-square-meter waterfront compound in 1928 for $40,000. He died there in 1947, after being released from Alcatraz. ...(Read more)
Ansa
Australia: New tracking technology to spot smaller asteroid threats
The dream of detecting every potentially dangerous near Earth asteroid could be a step closer to reality, thanks to a new technique called synthetic tracking.
A report in the Astrophysical Journal, claims the system, which combines high-speed computers and low-noise cameras, has the potential to find every near Earth object down to 10 metres in size. …(Read more)
ABC
Argentina: Central Bank absorbs record sum of pesos
Monetary authority puts hold on interest rate increases but still snaps up 15B pesos
Even though the Central Bank put a stop to the increases in interest rates of recent weeks, the monetary authority’s efforts to vacuum up excess currency in the financial system was met with record demand.
The Central Bank snapped up 11.274 billion pesos for its LEBAC and NOBAC notes, accumulating a 29.522-billion-peso monetary contraction so far this year. …(Read more)
Buenos Aires Herald
Japan: Japan’s ‘Beethoven’ admits he’s not deaf, but says he used to be
Mamoru Samuragochi, Japan’s once-beloved “present-day Beethoven” composer who was exposed as a fraud, admitted that he also faked his deafness--but for only three years.
“Only recently, I have become slightly able to hear,” Samuragochi said in a written apology dated Feb. 11 that was released through his lawyer. “I sincerely and deeply apologize for betraying and hurting so many people.” ...(Read more)
The Asahi Shimbun
Czech Republic: A growing number of young people have no intention of getting a job or a flat
More and more young Czechs refuse to work or actively seek jobs and they are sponging off their parents who support them from their salaries and old-age pensions, daily Právo writes today.
These young people aged over 20 or even over 30 want to keep living in their parents’ flats and houses free of charge and do not contribute to food and household costs, arguing with the parents’ duty to support and maintain them, Právo writes....(Read more)
Prague Post
