Money troubles
British politicians are in trouble this week. Details of the money they have claimed for doing their jobs as Members of Parliament have been revealed to the newspapers. Many people are shocked because it seems that many politicians are using the rules to get as much paid for as they can.
Politicians' expenses have been in the news for several months now and have been very embarrassing for some people. This is likely to get worse in the summer when the details of all politicians' expenses will be published. The rules are then going to be changed.
Poet laureate
It is surprising, but the UK has an official poet. And this week, the first woman ever was appointed to the job.
Carol Ann Duffy is one of the best-known poets in the UK and her work is often studied in literature exams. Her simple style has made her very popular.
The post of "poet laureate" was created 341 years ago. The poet is supposed to write about major occasions and the Royal Family. Some of Britain's most famous poets have had the job.
Ms Duffy is looking forward to the payment she will get. It is traditionally 600 bottles of sherry, a fortified wine.
Best job in the world
A British charity worker has been hired for "the best job in the world".
Ben Southall, who is 34, beat 35,000 other people from all over the world to get a six month contract working on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
He will be the caretaker of a beautiful tropical island, and write a blog about his experiences. He gets a fantastic house - and he even gets paid.
Too much rain
People living in a Scottish village say weather forecasts always say it will rain there - but it doesn't.
They have complained to the public broadcast network, the BBC, that Carrbridge is one of the driest parts of Scotland. They say the BBC forecasts of bad weather stop visitors from coming.
The BBC says the weather behaves in "unpredictable" ways.
by Susan Young - susan@englishuk.com
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