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Here’s our new article on the chaos in air travel all across the world. It’s a pretty long read, to make sure you’ve got some time to read this one. Want to read on the website instead? Here’s the link: theweeklynews0.wixsite.com/yourweeklynews/air-travel-chaos Air travel is a mess right now. Flights all across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia have been canceled with short notice. But why? Let's dive in. ​ After the COVID lockdown, many people resigned from their jobs at near-record levels in search of better and more favorable conditions elsewhere. This was dubbed many names, including The Big Quit and The Great Reshuffle, but the most known name is The Great Resignation. This caused a shortage of workers in practically every industry (including cargo workers, and you can read an article about the Trouble in the Los Angeles Port here). Air travel has been seriously impacted as well. Many workers resigned because of burnout, and being an airline pilot is proven by data to be the third most stressful job in the US (after being a firefighter and enlisted military as the most stressful). This caused a massive shortage in airline pilots throughout the world. But where has this affected? A lot of places. ​ Europe: Lufthansa have already canceled hundreds of flights and are planning to cancel more, and British Airways recently canceled over 10,000 flights. Many airports that are the hub for many airlines are ending up with chaos-stricken passengers stuck at their vacation spots, having to cancel their trips, or even worse, stuck at an airport after their connecting flight was canceled. The major European train industry leaders even met in Lyon, France, and discussed their ambitions to build a high-speed, ultra-modern railway system that would connect every major city in the EU, removing the need for airplanes in the first place. But Europe is stuck with planes for now. So what are some of the airports to avoid while planning your travels? 1. Heathrow Airport- This airport in London, England is the busiest airport in the UK, but flight customers are very unhappy. British Airways has already preemptively canceled 30,000 flights through October and the airlines and airport is facing severe staffing shortages. One woman sifted through a sea of bags for three hours in hopes of finding her lost luggage, but she had arrived at the airport a week earlier. 2. Gatwick Airport- Gatwick is the second-largest airport in the UK and is located in Crawley, just outside London. The airport is reducing its capacity this summer and limiting how many take-offs and landings there can be each day. Low-cost airline easyJet is being blamed for much of the mess. They are Gatwick's primary airline and have canceled over 10,000 flights last minute through September. In fact, even the company is in chaos after CEO Peter Bellew resigned after the crazy start to the summer travel season. 3. Manchester Airport- This airport in Manchester, England is yet another English airport that has been messing up travelers' summer plans since March. The airport is now at the limit, with staffing shortages and flurries of cancellations backing up check-in queues to the parking lot of the airport. 4. Schiphol Airport- Schiphol is the third-largest airport in Europe and is located just outside Amsterdam. Unfortunately, staffing shortages have turned a good, efficient airport into a nightmare for travelers. Last month, some travelers were stuck in the security line for five to six hours. It also announced that it was limiting the number of passengers flying through it to only 67,500 a day in July, but they will increase it to 72,500 in August. This is partly because of those said issues, but also partly to reduce the amount of noise pollution in the city. 5. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport- This major airport in Paris, France is yet another airport stricken by staffing problems and flight cancellations, but the airport is also dealing with union strikes, as workers demand a pay hike and are staging walkouts, which isn't likely to be sorted out soon. Also, a recent technical problem led to 15 flights leaving without luggage and caused another bag pile up at the airport. 6. Frankfurt Airport- This airport outside Frankfurt, Germany is facing similar problems, but here it is all about Lufthansa. The German airline is trimming over 3,000 flights from their upcoming summer schedule, affecting Germany's major cities, like Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Hanover. The understaffed German airports can't keep up with the demand of travelers, with over 7,200 vacancies waiting to be filled in German airports all across the country. If you have plans to go to Germany, you may want to skip on flying to this airport, or flying with Lufthansa. ​ Asia: British Airways again, makes the Asian headlines in air travel, but not in a good way. Their cancellations have also spread to Asia, but amid these cancellations, they have hired a new operations chief. Rene de Groot, who is currently the leader of operations at the Dutch airline KLM, will move to British Airways and become their new chief operating officer (COO) on October 11. On another topic, China has relaxed COVID-19 controls and re-allowed international flights, removing their old restrictions of all airlines being only allowed one weekly flight per country via a single route. Lastly, AirAsia has now turned to the country of India, with a population of 1.2 billion, to fill the gap in passengers in their flights now that Chinese tourists are not allowed on most of their flights, and are hoping that many Indians will want to travel with them and will surely be lowering their costs to attract people to them. ​ Australia: Qantas Airways was one of the only airlines in the world to perfectly navigate the pandemic crisis and emerged financially sound. Unfortunately, now it's losing the recovery. The airline laid off over 8,000 employees during the pandemic, giving them the perfect amount of employees to beat the pandemic. Now, as it comes to an end, the airline is massively short-staffed, leading to very angry Australians. The backlash is a result of canceled flights, lost belongings, and unscheduled sleepovers in Australian airports. Qantas had Australia's worst flight-cancellation record ever in May, 7.6% of their flights being canceled. That's one in every 13 flights. ​ North America: The US's major carriers are suffering after JetBlue, American Airlines, and Delta canceled nearly 10% of their flights last weekend, a weekend when many citizens were pumped for their July 4th travels. After laying off over 30% of their employees during the pandemic, Delta, American Airlines and other carriers recovered from the early blow of the pandemic. But they thought that this was going to be at least six years before everything went back to normal. So when things started rebounding faster than expected, they were caught off-guard, causing staffing shortages as airlines struggled to get up to speed. ​ Well, there you have it. The hardest hit airlines and airports all across the world. Don't see anything about your favorite airline or airport? That's good, because it means that air travel is less chaotic there. If you are traveling to one of those places, The Weekly News wishes you good luck, safe travels, and one reminder: don't forget to keep checking back with us while you're relaxing on vacation, because we do our best to give you the news you need. By Armaan Dhawan

Boris Johnson has just recently resigned as the United Kingdom's Prime Minister. But why? Was he forced to, or was it a personal choice? Let's find out. ​ Johnson's resignation was actually a bit of a personal choice, but the rest of society still played a big role. First, earlier in the week, dozens of Johnson's government officials resigned from their posts, including some members of his cabinet. This was all in response to multiple recent scandals that have happened, the most recent being about Chris Pincher. Pincher was accused of being involved in a scandal recently and stepped down from his post. Boris Johnson then denied that he knew anything about any previous accusations against Pincher, but then changed his story multiple times as new information was posted in the media. This led many people to believe that he was lying. ​ Many of the members of his government who resigned said that how Johnson handled the Pincher scandal was terrible and that they were done serving a part in his government as to how he had been handling things recently. A few months ago, he narrowly avoided being voted 'no confidence' by his own party and also refused to follow COVID rules during the lockdown by hosting parties at his home, and was fined for doing this. ​ He then resigned as his party and the country lost faith and confidence in him and decided to step down. However, he will still remain in office for the time being until a replacement is selected. By Armaan Dhawan

Ships are getting stuck in the seaport in Los Angeles, CA. But why? Seaport workers help unload cargo ships. But when the pandemic hit, many L.A. seaport workers got COVID-19. This reduced the amount of workers able to unload ships which led to a really long line of ships waiting. This situation is leading to poor business for companies such as Technicolor SA & Cox Communications; who are not getting the products that they need. But California is taking action. Many people and companies applauded the arrival of a 2.3 billion dollar infrastructure bill. California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the state’s upcoming fiscal year budget, which includes a surprising $2.3 billion for port infrastructure improvements and upgrades. The budget also sets aside $110 million for  the creation of a new Goods Movement Training Campus at the San Pedro Bay port complex in Southern California near Los Angeles. By Mihir Gupta

Contents: Total Eclipse on April 8 Approaches, Moving Twice the Speed of Sound Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The total solar eclipse is less than a week away, so make sure to get ready for the viewing! Cities across North America will be able to witness totality on the afternoon of Monday, April 8, 2024, with thousands of others being able to see a partial eclipse. It will begin near the Mexican city of Mazatlán, moving on through Concordia, Durango, Torreón, Monclova, and Piedras Negras before entering the United States. From there, the path of totality will continue through San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Hot Springs, Bloomington, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Buffalo before moving into southeastern Canada. The path of totality extends 115 miles from the center of the umbra, but the percentage of totality will go down from there. Cities like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, and Oklahoma City will have the Sun around 90% covered by the moon, while others like Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington DC, Des Moines, and El Paso will see around 80%. Check here to see how much your city will see. If you are in or near the path of totality, make sure to be on time-- don't miss it! Totality will only last for three to four minutes, as the eclipse is covering the entire North American continent in just an hour and 40 minutes as it moves at twice the speed of sound (1,500 mph). Wear proper eclipse glasses when viewing-- looking directly at the Sun can cause permanent eye damage. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In Rome, you are required by law to walk your dog. Not doing so can result in a fine. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change. (Jim Rohn) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Shambles (noun)- Shambles refers to a place or state in which there is great confusion, disorder, or destruction. In a Sentence: The house party they had over the weekend left the entire living room in shambles.

Happy April Fools' Day! Contents: Tropicale Foods Recalls Mini Ice Cream Bars After Salmonella Concerns Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Tropicale Foods has recalled 5,224 packs of their mini ice cream bars after they were found to contain a dangerous disease. The United States Food and Drug Administration found that their Helados Mexico Mini Cream Variety Packs with a best by date of October 11, 2025 contained salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, blood in the stool, abdominal pain and cramps, vomiting, and fever. The bars were sold in 16 states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. and some of Europe. Tropicale Foods has stated that any consumers with this product should immediately throw it away. This comes after another company, Wenders LLC, recently recalled certain batches of their Trader Joes Nuts due to more salmonella concerns. Upcoming Events: April Fools' Day (Monday, April 1) World Autism Awareness Day (Tuesday, April 2) International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (Thursday, April 4) International Day of Conscience (Friday, April 5) International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (Saturday, April 6) International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (Sunday, April 7) Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix (Sunday, April 7) World Health Day (Sunday, April 7) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Anyone between the ages of 40 and 74 in Japan must get their waistline measured, by law. If it exceeds a certain length, they are considered obese and are put on dietary guidelines. If they are found to be obese, the company they work for can also be fined. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The measure of intelligence is the ability to change. (Albert Einstein) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Expiate (verb)- Expiate is a formal word that typically means “to atone or make amends for something, such as a sin or offense.” In a Sentence: Although the editorial had characterized the mayor's failure to disclose the details of the meeting as a lapse that could not be expiated, many of the city's citizens seemed ready to forgive all.

Happy Easter to all those who celebrate! Contents: 400 Tons of Food Leave Cyprus Port to Feed Palestinians in Gaza Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Over 400 tons of food have left Cyprus aboard a three-ship convoy in another shipment of food to Gaza, and they are hoping to help in Gaza's worsening food crisis. Famine is increasing in the region, especially in some of the hardest-hit areas in the north, where Israel's original counterattack was launched. The World Central Kitchen sent about 200 tons of food earlier this year as the first aid shipment by sea, and this second round has now been sent after the success of the first. This convoy is carrying enough food to feed one meal to about one million people, which seems like a lot, but it barely makes a dent in the crisis. Trucks are much more efficient than air or sea deliveries, but Israel continues to block the border despite an order from the International Court of Justice to open up more roadways into Gaza. Famine is on the way, and it could arrive as quickly as mid-April if measures are not taken to feed Palestinians in Gaza. Almost 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's invasion of Palestine, and humanitarian officials are worried that number could rapidly rise if more food is not delivered into Gaza. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The citizens of Pakistan, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia are banned from celebrating Valentine's Day because it focuses on love to someone other than God. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): An inch of time is an inch of gold but you can’t buy that inch of time with an inch of gold. (Chinese Proverb) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Haphazard (adj)- Something haphazard has no apparent plan, order, or direction. In a Sentence: Considering the haphazard way you measured the ingredients, it's a wonder the cookies came out this good.

Contents: Kia Recalls Over 425,000 Telluride SUVs Heavy Duty Equipment Arrives in Baltimore to Remove Bridge Wreckage Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Kia has recalled over 425,000 Tellurides after a roll-away issue while the vehicle is in park. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that the metal rods connecting the engine and transmission to the wheels in 2020-2023 Kia Telluride models can become damaged over time, leading to the car unintentionally moving while in park, which could lead to an accident. Owners of any Telluride models made between these years should visit their nearest Kia dealership to get the issue fixed, and Kia will reimburse them for the repair. On another note, cranes and crews have arrived in Baltimore, and they are now beginning the complex issue of removing the numerous steel beams criss-crossing the Patapsco River after a cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this week. Of the eight construction workers on the bridge, two were initially rescued, and two of the remaining six missing workers that were on the bridge at the time of collapse have been found dead, but the other four remain 'presumed dead' as the bodies have not been found. However, divers cannot go into the river to search for the remaining bodies because of the dangerous steel beams strewn across the river. Four heavy lift cranes, ten tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels, and five Coast Guard boats have come to Baltimore to remove the wreckage of the bridge as fast as possible, as it is blocking access to the city's main port area. President Joe Biden approved a $60 million immediate aid package to help the dire situation, as the Port of Baltimore is the nation's 17th largest port (as of 2021). It creates 15,000 jobs and is the number one port in the United States for automobile imports. It is also a major port for coal and soybeans, but thankfully, it is not one of the nation's largest ports. There will still be a sizable impact on the world economy, but not too big. Crews are racing to get the debris out of the way as soon as possible for the port to quickly resume operations. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Anyone 15 and up can be put in jail for cheating on a final exam in Bangladesh. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Lack of time is actually lack of priorities. (Tim Ferriss) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Braggadocio (noun)- Braggadocio refers to brash and self-confident boasting—that is, the annoying or exaggerated talk of someone who is trying to sound very proud or brave. In a Sentence: His braggadocio hid the fact that he felt personally inadequate.

Contents: 45 Dead After Bus Plummets into Ravine in South Africa, 8-Year-Old Survives Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day At least 45 people are dead after a bus full of Christian worshippers celebrating Easter plummeted off of a bridge in South Africa yesterday, with an 8-year-old girl being confirmed as the only survivor. The bus is believed to have been traveling from Botswana to the South African town of Moria, a popular religious pilgrimage around Easter, when the driver lost control on the Mmamatlakala bridge, leading to a plunge of 165 feet into a ravine. The bus smashed into the ground and exploded into flames, which is why officials have been struggling to identify the victims. The government has launched an investigation into the incident, and they expect to find more information in the coming days. This is provoking more protests against South Africa's road system, including outcries over the country's more than 12,400 road deaths each year due to poor road safety and the failure to enforce important traffic laws. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Potatoes from Poland were officially banned in Britain in 2004 following a potato disease outbreak, and the law still stands today. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground. (Unknown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Flout (verb)- To flout something, such as a law or rule, is to treat it with contemptuous disregard. A teenager flouting a curfew, for example, will not hide the fact that they are out past the time they are required to be home. In a Sentence: The court found that the company had continued to flout the law despite multiple warnings.

Contents: 17 Dead After Israel, Lebanese Militants Exchange Airstrikes Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Violence on the Israel-Lebanon border has intensified once again, with the latest breakout leading to 16 Lebanese deaths and one Israeli death. Multiple Israeli airstrikes were launched towards sites in Lebanon, primarily targeted at bases of the Islamic Group, a Sunni organization who have partnered with Hezbollah, another militant organization battling against Israel. Retaliation strikes were launched back at Israel, which caused the death of one Israeli. This comes as Israel and Hamas continue with their war in Gaza, and these Islamic militant groups are attempting to show their support for Gaza by fighting against Israel. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Stepping on Thai currency is illegal in Thailand-- it has the royal family on it, and defacing any image of the Thai royal family has been illegal since 1908. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Auxiliary (adj)- In general use, auxiliary describes someone or something available to provide extra help, power, etc., when it is needed. In linguistics, an auxiliary verb (also called a “helping verb”) is used with another verb to do things like show a verb’s tense or form a question. In nautical contexts, auxiliary can describe a sailboat equipped with a supplementary inboard engine, or a vessel that provides supplementary assistance to other ships. In a Sentence: The auditorium has an auxiliary cooling system used only on particularly sweltering days.

Contents: Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge Goes Down After Ship Crashes into Support Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early on Tuesday morning after a strong impact from a container ship, and six construction workers have been presumed dead. Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency after the incident, as that bridge is a crucial part of Interstate 695, which is known as the Baltimore Beltway. Chaos later ensued as roads came to a halt when citizens of Baltimore attempted to bypass the bridge, and the entire section of I-695 has been shut down, as the entire bridge has fallen into the Patapsco River. In total, the entire bridge was about 1.6 miles long and four lanes wide, and its construction was finished in 1977, making it a fairly old bridge. Six construction workers were reportedly fixing potholes on the bridge at around 1:30 am when a 985-foot ship, named The Dali, lost all engine power shortly after leaving the Baltimore port, just half an hour into its journey towards Colombo, Sri Lanka. It sent out a mayday call, but it is still unknown why the construction crew on the bridge did not move off of the bridge upon hearing that call. The ship lost control and was not able to turn, leading to its crash into one of the central piers of the bridge. The piers are the main supports of the bridge, and if one falls, the entire bridge goes down. Within 30 seconds of the impact from the ship, the entire central section of the bridge had fallen into the river, showing how fast steel bridges can crumple when their supports are taken out. Normally, these piers have deflectors, widely known as fenders, to protect the supports from any possible impacts from a ship, but this bridge did not seem to have that protection. Engineers are looking into the lack of protective barriers for the piers, and any that may have been in place were certainly not strong enough to stop a large ship like The Dali. Amid these concerns over the bridge's questionable structural integrity, officials are conducting a full-scale investigation into the collapse. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard has ended their 18-hour search-and-rescue operation for the workers that fell into the water, as they would have found the workers by now if they were still alive. Also, the horrible searching conditions did not help-- thick fog covered the area and there were metal structures teetering above the water, making conditions unsafe for rescuers. Due to this, they have sadly been presumed dead. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): High heels are banned in some historical parts of Greece, as it can damage the ancient sites. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Don’t spend a dollar’s worth of time on a ten-cent decision. (Peter Turly) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Kismet (noun)- Kismet refers to a power that is believed to control what happens in the future. It is synonymous with both fate and destiny. In a Sentence: From the moment we met, we felt connected; we knew it was kismet.