France: ‘I can’t cope with all these vacation days in France ’
Since coming to France from the United States The Local’s Joshua Melvin has struggled to adapt to one aspect of French working culture - all the extra paid holidays compared to back home. Before we all ridicule him, let’s at least hear him out.
I have too many vacation days. ... (Read more)
The Local
UK: Why we love to hate a villain
From a distance, Maleficent seems like Disney’s most daring film. The company, after all, made its fortune from squeaky-voiced rodents and winsome princesses, so it’s quite a departure to take the nightmare-inducing antagonist from Sleeping Beauty and turn her into a misunderstood heroine ... (Read more)
BBC
Norway: Snow in June? Only in Norway
The northern Norwegian city of Tromso experienced a freak summer snowfall on Monday after freezing wind from the North Pole saw temperatures plummet.
It was the first time since records began that the city had seen snowfall in June. ... (Read more)
Ice News
Japan: Peace may be boring, but it’s always a better alternative
True to her reputation, Noriko Ibaragi, known as “the eldest daughter of contemporary Japanese poetry,” was at the forefront of female poets in postwar Japan. ... (Read more)
Asahi Shimbun
Germany: Foreign nurses exploited by unfair private contracts
Many young nurses from southern Europe come to Germany looking for work. But those who work for private nursing companies can often feel exploited - and that they have no way to leave. ... (Read more)
DW
Bhutan: Princess Sonam launched the e-learning course
Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck launched the e-learning course for the justices and judges of judiciary and parliamentarians at the Royal Institute of Management on June 21. ... (Read more)
Kuensel Online
Ireland: How does Dublin Zoo cool the elephants in a heatwave?
How do animals cope at Dublin Zoo when the weather gets hot? Yesterday I interviewed Brendan Walsh who is the elephant keeper at Dublin Zoo. With the hot weather at the moment I asked Brendan how they protect the elephants.
He said that as the elephants are from India they are used to the hot weather so they are quite relaxed in the warm heat that we get during the summer. On days when it does get warm they have the option of cooling down, they get plenty of shade, cool showers with their big water cannons and they have two big pools to keep themselves hydrated. ... (Read more)
The Irish Times
*Image of the resort town of martigues, Marseilles France via Shutterstock
