Today, we are going to talk about the best and worst airports, and airlines, in the world. Try to think of your own experiences, when reading this article.
Most of us, at some point, will have had an opportunity to travel around the world, using different airlines and airports. Some terminals are old, others modern. Their facilities can vary from very good to dire. The same applies to airlines.
According to AirHelp, who conducted a survey, the best airport in the world to visit is Singapore Changi, followed by Munich in Germany, and then Hong Kong. Copenhagen was fourth, then Helsinki. The main metrics to rate the airports were their quality of services and claim processing records, as well as their on-time performances.
How safe is your office or tower block, if there is a fire? It’s a hot topic, following the dreadful news story about the recent London tower block fire at the Grenfell Tower, in White City, London.
How could the fire have happened? Apparently, it was a faulty fridge, in a fourth floor flat of the building that caused the terrible fire. It spread rapidly, mainly because of non-fireproof cladding that had recently been fixed to the outside of the building.
So, if you work in a high rise office, or live in a high rise tower block – just how safe are you in it? Safety standards seem to vary in each country. Are there regular fire drills in your tower block? Do the occupants assemble a safe distance away from the building?
Today, let’s talk about summer. The season falls between spring and autumn. Summer is normally the hottest time of the year. It’s when most of us take a summer holiday.
It is during summer that schoolchildren generally have their six week to two month long summer holiday break. The length of the break depends on which country they live in.
In summer, many families head for the beach. It’s a wonderful place to relax and get away from life for a while. Parents can relax and get a tan, while the kids build sandcastles and play in the sea. Some folk like to go hiking in the mountains. Others like to visit capital cities, like London or San Francisco.
US President Donald Trump has pulled the United States out of the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. The decision has horrified world leaders, who widely condemned his decision.
Mr Trump claimed he did it for economic reasons, saying it would cost American jobs. The US coal industry backed the move, citing the Paris climate agreement would have badly affected the US economy. The US President said it was fulfilling his “solemn duty to protect America and its citizens.”
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, “The US had a terrific record on reducing our own greenhouse gas.”
The 2015 Paris agreement on climate change committed the 195 countries, including the USA, to keeping rising global temperatures to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and endeavour to limit them even more to 1.5°C.
Today, let’s talk about fidget spinners. They are the huge new fad for kids at school. Their popularity is sweeping across countries and continents, not to mention school playgrounds.
Fidget spinners are this year’s must have toy. Many adults are confused by their sudden popularity. That’s probably why they’re so popular with kids.
What are fidget spinners? Well, they’re sort of triangular in shape, with three-pronged circles or bearings that spin around a central one. They are palm-sized. What’s more, they’re cheap, so kids can carry round a pocketful of them.
Last night, at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, pandemonium broke out, when a bomb went off at the end of the concert. The audience was just beginning to leave the arena, when the lone terrorist struck.
Many people were killed, with countless others injured, caused by the terrorist’s nail bomb going off. Concert-goers said there was a massive explosion, with nuts and bolts littering the ground. Panic then followed, with people fleeing.
So far, 22 people have died, including several children. A total of 119 people were injured, some critically. The bomber was instantly killed. People who were at the concert said security did not check bags at the Arena.
Today, let’s talk about the Millennium Snowflake or Generation Snowflake. These phrases refer to the current young generation. They are used to characterise young people of the 2010s, who, it appears, are more prone to taking offence than their peers.
Snowflakes are said to be less resilient than previous generations. They can be emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own thinking. Snowflakes are said to be delicate and unique. They are furiously intolerant of those who dare to challenge them. To be fair, the term Generation Snowflake is a bit derogatory. It originated in the United States. Snowflake Generation is a slang term that made the Collins Dictionary 2016 edition.
Last week, in the UK, the NHS (National Health Service) was held to ransom by malware stolen from the NSA (National Security Agency), in America. The Nissan car plant in Sunderland was also hit by the hackers.
The virus was unleashed across the world and spread at unprecedented speed. So far, more than 99 countries have been affected, with more than 57,000 victims. The virus, known as WannaCry, and variants of that name, has spread itself across the world, using email.
The ransomware software encrypts files. It then asks for a digital ransom of US$300, to be paid by Bitcoin, before control is safely returned.
Last week, the President of the European Union, Jean Claude Juncker, said English is losing its importance in Europe. He made the remark, at a meeting of European diplomats and experts in Florence, Italy. Is it true?
Junker said, “Slowly but surely, English is losing importance in Europe. The French will have elections on Sunday, and I would like them to understand what I am saying.” He then switched into French for the rest of his speech. Whilst this might have been done to please the French voters ahead of the election, it is a fair point he raises, and to debate now.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is to retire from public engagements from the autumn of this year. The announcement was made at Buckingham Palace yesterday.
When someone said to the Duke, who is 95, “I’m sorry to hear you’re standing down, sir,” he replied, in his typically humorous way, “Well, I can’t stand up much longer!”
The decision was made by Prince Philip himself. Her Majesty the Queen has given her husband her ‘full support’ to step down. He will be 96 in June.
