Volcano stops UK flights

A volcano erupting in Iceland stopped flights to and from British airports on Thursday and Friday. The problem is being caused by a cloud of ash from the volcano in the sky at very high levels. The ash contains tiny pieces which can seriously damage jet engines, making it very dangerous to fly.

The eruption has also stopped flights in many European countries.

If you are due to fly into or out of Europe during the next few days, check your airline’s website for the latest news and advice.

Punk rocker dies

British pop music was changed enormously in the late 1970s when punk rock started. The point of punk rock was that anyone could do it. There were lots of groups of angry young men and women who could play two or three guitar chords and sing along.

The best known of the British groups were the Sex Pistols, managed by Malcolm McLaren. McLaren and his girlfriend had started a clothes shop called Sex which included lots of ripped T shirts and safety pins. This became punk fashion.

The Sex Pistols became very well known even though they did not play many concerts. This was because they appeared on a television chat show and swore. They also sang a rude song about the Queen in the year when she celebrated 25 years on the throne.

Malcolm McLaren made much of this happen, and a lot of people were upset when he died last week.

UK election attracts viewers

The three main party leaders all appeared together in a debate on television this week. This is common in the US but has never before happened in the UK.

Almost 10m people watched the show, and many people think that the leader of the smallest party, Nick Clegg, did best. Mr Clegg is less well-known than the other two leaders. He spent a lot of time saying that his political party is not like the other two.

There are two more of the debates to come during the campaign. They could be important as there is no clear winner in the race at the moment.

Light switches change TV channels

Energy-saving lightbulbs are being used in British homes because of new European laws. The bulbs use less power and should save money.

But a few people are finding problems. Some people who watch television on a cable network have found their TV boxes change channel by themselves. Now energy-saving bulbs are being blamed.

by Susan Young
susan@englishuk.com