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Hero boy swims for four hours to save his family (9th February 2026)

        A 13-year-old Australian boy has been hailed a hero after an epic swim that saved his family. The boy, Austin Appelbee, and his family were on a beach holiday in Western Australia. They were kayaking and paddleboarding in shallow water when strong winds pushed them farther offshore. They ended up over four kilometres away from land, and the daylight was fading. Austin decided to kayak to shore to get help. However, the waves had damaged his kayak, which had taken in water and flipped over. He said he then lost an oar and knew he was in trouble. He decided he had no alternative but to swim back to land. He swam through shark-frequented waters to raise the alarm.

        Austin made it to the beach and phoned for help. This sparked a huge rescue operation, which resulted in coastguards finding the teenager's mother and two younger sisters. The boy said: "I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed, and then, after that, I had to “ sprint two kilometres to get to the phone." Rescuers called his efforts "superhuman". One rescuer said Austin's actions could not "be praised highly enough." He added that the teenager's "determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings." Austin's mother Joanne, 47, told reporters: "The wind picked up. We lost oars, and we drifted out further. It was an absolute nightmare."

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Students using A.I. over humans to learn English (23rd December 2024)

        More and more students in Japan are using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn English and other languages. The language learning app Duolingo conducted a survey on how students study languages. More than 4,700 Japanese students answered questions about their language-learning habits. The survey found that the number of people using ChatGPT and other AI tools increased by more than 80 per cent in 2024. AI was particularly popular with younger people. The researchers said more young people used AI than took face-to-face lessons. However, some people in their 20s were not totally happy with AI lessons. They said AI lacked natural responses and was a little boring.

        Duolingo said: "We're in the midst of an AI revolution.…Technology has long had an impact on language learning." It found that apps were the most popular method in Japan to learn languages. English was the most studied language, followed by Korean. People are studying Korean "to understand the language as spoken by…favourite artists and celebrities." Duolingo said around 58 per cent of people who took the survey used language-learning apps. This was followed by video streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix (37%), textbooks (36%) and online lessons (16%). The number of people going to a language school is decreasing. Just 13.8 per cent of people went to classes with a teacher.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/12/19/japan/chatgpt-english-lessons/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20241218/p2a/00m/0li/017000c

https://blog.duolingo.com/2024-duolingo-language-report/

Like A Rolling Stone

Once upon a time you dressed so fine

You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?

People’d call, say, “Beware doll, you're bound to fall”

You thought they were all kidding you

You used to laugh about

Everybody that was hanging out

Now you don’t talk so loud

Now you don’t seem so proud

About having to be scrounging for your next meal

How does it feel?

How does it feel

To be without a home

Like a complete unknown

Like a rolling stone?

Bob Dylan. 1965.

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Life for researchers whose first language is not English may get quite hard. Many academics assume that their research students come to them fully formed, but every student has to learn the culture of their discipline. For those who don’t speak English as a first language, the challenge is especially daunting.

Mentors need to spend more time helping students to understand the conventions of scientific writing and the expectations of various journals. There’s an art to turning a PhD thesis into a journal article. Without guidance, a student will not be able to do it properly.

Institutions need to do a lot more to support and prepare international students. It’s not enough to hire a specialist in academic writing. Such specialists often have backgrounds in the humanities or social science, and students also need assistance from scientists who can help them to write for their specific disciplines.

I sympathize with students who are trying to learn English on top of everything else because I started out in life speaking another language. My family and I were refugees who fled Hungary during the revolution of 1956.

English speakers have become the gatekeepers of science. By keeping those gates closed, we’re missing out on a lot of perspectives and a lot of good research.

Chris Woolston and Joana Osório. When English is not your mother tongue. Internet: <www.nature.com> (adapted).

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Legendary shoe shop to shut store for good as string of locations have already disappeared in 'end for high street'

(1º§) The retailer, which has more than 300 stores, has confirmed it'll shut for good at High Street in Newcastle under Lyme by the end of 2023. It comes after Clarks announced that it'll pull down the shutters in High Street Inverness before the end of this month. It'll also shut in Westwood Cross Shopping Centre in Kent in mid-November.

(2º§) Several Clarks stores closed earlier this year too, with its branch in Fareham Shopping Centre shutting on August 5 and the Dundee store closing on July 25. Before this, it closed the doors on two stores in Kent in Ashford and Gillingham at the end of 2022. Shoppers have reacted with disappointment at the Newcastle closure, with one writing on social media: "The end of the high street it's all gone now." While another added: "Another one so sad." And a third said: "I can't cope with this."

(3º§) A Clarks spokesperson told The Sun: "We have a strong duty of care to all our employees, and we are working closely with the store team as they now go through a period of consultation. "Customers can continue to shop from our full range of products online and at our nearby Clarks stores in Leek, Crewe and Nantwich, as well as our outlet store in Talke." The popular footwear chain was founded in 1825 and operated across over 1,400 stores and franchises internationally at its peak. But as of July 2023, the brand had just 320 stores.

(4º§) Clarks brought in management consultants McKinsey & Co to help with restructuring plans after posting a £82.9million post-tax loss in 2019. It was then rescued from the brink of collapse with a £100million investment deal by private equity firm LionRock Capital.

(5º§) A Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) was agreed which saw the Clarks family lose overall control of the company. A CVA allows firms that have run out of cash to look at ways to save the business, such as reducing rent rates with landlords. Companies often agree to a CVA to avoid insolvency, which can lead to closures or the whole business going bust.

(6º§) More than 50 stores were set to close following this announcement in November 2020 - but dozens more have shut since then. All is not lost for shoppers though, as the retailer has also relocated and opened new shops in recent months. The brand opened a new store on East Street in Taunton in April following the closure of its original high street store.

(7º§) Clarks also opened up a new store in Newcastle's Eldon Square shopping centre on May 14. Meanwhile, fellow footwear retailer Shoezone is pulling down the shutters on another store in its latest round of closures. Plus, we have the full list of 78 shops closing this week including Wetherspoons and House of Fraser. The cost of living crisis on top of a rise in online shopping has made it tougher than ever for businesses to keep physical stores open. Retailers and shoppers alike are also hit hard by stubbornly high energy costs and inflation.

Fonte: https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/24188403/clarks-shop-close-high-street/