Slovenian[1] Promotes the Simple Life on a Euro a Day

Is it possible to live in central Europe and eat healthy food on a budget of only 1 euro a day? A Slovenian pharmacologist[2] has done it and now urges the world to learn from his example.

Ales Cerin, a father of four who wants to promote a simple and modest lifestyle, raise awareness of global poverty and over-consumption in the West, discovered he could do it but only if he grew his own vegetables and fruit.

“Consumerism[3] in Western society is exaggerated, particularly if we compare it to the undeveloped world... I want to change that consumer orientation and show how much is enough,” Cerin said.

Shanghai Teenagers Are World’s Smartest

Teenagers from the city of Shanghai have the best education in the world, according to a major international study of standards in maths, science and literacy released recently.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s “Pisa” ( Programme for International Student Assessment) report, released every three years, studied 470,000 15-year-old pupils in 65 countries around the more developed parts of the world.

South Korea and Finland topped the country rankings in the survey but, taken separately from China, the city of Shanghai—taking part in the survey for the first time—came top in all three of the disciplines. “More than one-quarter of Shanghai's 15-year-olds demonstrated advanced mathematical thinking skills to solve complex problems, compared to an OECD average of just three percent,” the OECD said.

“Better educational outcomes are a strong predictor for future economic growth,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria.

US Treasury Unveils New “Lucky Money” Products for Chinese Lunar New Year

In celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the US Treasury Department unveiled 2 new Lucky Money products, “Year of the Rabbit” and “Lucky Lion.”

This lucky money product is exquisitely designed with decorative Chinese symbolism and is packaged in a red folder with gold foil.

The product features a one-dollar note with a serial number beginning with “8888,” which is seen by many Chinese as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity.

The “Lucky Lion” includes a $10 note with a serial number beginning with “8888.” This is the first time a Lucky Money product has featured a $10 note since the BEP[4] introduced such kind of products in 2000.

The “Year of the Rabbit” is sold for $5.95 and only 88,888 will be available for sale. The “Lucky Lion” is limited to 8,888 and is available for the price of $28.88. The Lucky Money products have been well received both domestically and internationally, with a total sales of around 1,000,000 since 2000, according to Treasury officials.