The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are on now, in PyeongChang, South Korea.
The location is very significant. South Korea and North Korea are not on friendly terms. But the Olympics may be bringing them closer together, politically.
North Korea is a “dictatorship.” That means, one person rules it. That person is Kim Jong-un, known as the “Supreme Leader.” He is known for being extremely strict and harsh with his country’s people. He keeps his country separated from the rest of the world. It is usually hard to know what is going on in North Korea, because free communication is not allowed in or out of the country.
But the Winter Olympics may help to thaw relations between North and South Korea.
Other News
“In All Of Us Command”
Some of the words to Canada’s national anthem have been changed. In O Canada, the line, “in all thy sons command” has been changed to “in all of us command.” Last week, Canada passed Bill C-210. That bill changes “the National Anthem Act to substitute the words “of us” for the words “thy sons” in the English version of the national anthem, thus making it gender neutral.” Once the bill is approved by the Governor General, it will be come a law.
Nutella Chaos In France
People in France love Nutella, a sweet chocolate-hazelnut spread.
So when a large chain of grocery stores offered the spread last week for 70 per cent off its regular price, customers clamoured to get it. They pushed and shoved their way through crowds to buy as much of it as they could, according to news reports by many organization such as CBC News, The Guardian, Forbes, Le Parisien and The New York Times.
A 950-gram jar of the spread normally sells in France for 4,70 €. For three days, from Thursday, Jan. 25 until Saturday, Jan. 27, the grocery chain Intermarché offered Nutella for 70 per cent off, or about 1,41 €.
US Government Shuts Down (ARTICLE UPDATED)
The federal government of the United States was shut down Friday at midnight.
The shutdown means that most of the services provided by the federal government won’t be available.
It happened because the government failed to get enough votes to pass its 2018 federal budget; it needed 60 votes but only got 50. (The budget is an important document that details how the government will spend money. Without a budget, the government cannot fully operate.)
Both of the major parties in the United States are blaming each other. The Democrats are blaming Trump and his Republican Party and vice-versa.
The reasons for the shutdown are complicated, and they have to do with the fact that government bills are usually about more than one thing. Voters have to agree to the whole bill when they vote for it. One of the reasons the Democrats didn’t vote to pass the budget had to do with the “DACA” part of the bill.
Bills Fans Help Bengals Charity
A very unusual thing happened in a football game, and it’s going to help the families of some ill and physically challenged kids.
The Buffalo Bills football team hasn’t been in the playoffs for a long time. In fact, the last time was in 2000–more than 17 years ago. They were the last team in any of the four major sports in North America (football, baseball, basketball, hockey) to make the playoffs in the 21st Century. Now that’s a drought!*
But that all changed this year and the Buffalo Bills got to go to the playoffs.
Looking Forward To The January Thaw
The January thaw is coming. The term describes unusually warm weather for the time of year–and many people in Canada and the United States should experience it around the end of this month.
Many cities in Canada and the U.S. have been hit with blizzards and extremely cold temperatures, as well as high winds and lots of snow.
Many cities in Canada had snow and temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) or colder. With the “wind chill factor,” -20 degrees Celsius feels like -35 degrees Celsius.
Happy Holidays From TKN!
From the team at TKN (Jon, Kathleen, Joyce, Andrew and Monique), we hope you have a happy and peaceful holiday and a very Happy New Year. Image by Debbie Ohi.
Youthquake, Feminism: Words Of The Year
“Youthquake” is the word that the Oxford English Dictionary has chosen as its word of the year.
Every year, many dictionaries choose their “word of the year.” They may choose it because it had a special meaning for the year, or because it was suddenly being used much more than before.
“Youthquake” was used five times more this year than last year, according to the Oxford dictionary website.
Oxford defines youthquake as “a significant cultural, political or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.”
California Wildfires
Many people in southern California (on the west coast of the United States) have had to leave their homes.
For more than a week, wildfires have been burning in the “Golden State.”
The fires started after a period with very little rain dried out the grasses on the hillsides. CBC News reports that “hardly any measurable rain has fallen in the region over the past six months.” The new conditions may be due to climate change.
Californians were warned about the fires so they could leave in time. A variety of methods were used to warn residents, including texts sent to their cell phones.
The timely warnings have saved lives, giving tens of thousands of residents time to evacuate their homes.
Harry’s Gettin’ Hitched
Britain’s Prince Harry is going to tie the knot.
He recently proposed to American actress Meghan Markle, and she said “yes.”
They announced their engagement on Nov. 27, appearing together before the media.
Harry, 33, is Queen Elizabeth’s grandson and he’s fifth in line to the throne. His mother is the late Princess Diana and his father is Prince Charles.
