This week, I want to introduce you to a new subdivision of our news section: Three Countries, Three Headlines. In this article series, we will look at news headlines in different parts of the English-speaking world. There will be one article per country. Today, we’re focussing on what’s going on in Australia, Canada and England.
1. Australia: “Australia on the cusp of a zero-emissions iron ore deal with South Korea.”
SMH. Oct 5, 2021. 20 mins. Advanced.
In this article, the current negotiations between Australia and South Korea about an agreement concerning the use of hydrogen in the steel and iron ore industry are being discussed. Australia’s biggest export is , which is needed for steel production in South Korea.
The Australian government under Scott Morrison has been criticised internationally because they refused to commit to one day. The change from fossil fuels to hydrogen would lower Australia’s emissions significantly.
2. England: “Barefoot man walks 330 miles on South West Coast Path.”
BBC. Oct 5, 2021. 8 mins. Beginner.
A British man, Ben Tidy, walked for 330 miles along the South West Coast path from Minestead to Falmouth. He went on this adventure to raise money for “Choose Love”, a charity organisation that provides refugees with essentials for survival, e.g. shoes, blankets, tents but also sunscreen and legal aid.
Ben Tidy commented on the joys of walking barefoot. He thinks one might enjoy the walk more because one can’t . He also mentioned that he was not just hearing and seeing but also feeling the path he was walking on which gave him a greater appreciation for nature on his adventure.
3. Canada: “Backyard pool rentals make big splash in Toronto. But it’s not going swimmingly for neighbours.”
CBC. Oct 4, 2021. 12 mins. Intermediate/Advanced.
This news report is about the platform Swimply that became popular last summer in the Greater Toronto Area. It allows its users to list their unused backyard pools and rent them by the hour to people who don’t own a pool. In the city of Toronto, this service grew from a few users in 2020 to over 1000 users in the summer of 2021, with more growth expected in 2022.
While splashing in a rented pool is fun for some people, other people living in the direct neighbourhood are frustrated by the constant noise of pool parties. They want the service to be regulated, if not completely shut down.
Swimply advises their hosts to notify and discuss their pool rental plans with their neighbours, but unfortunately, there are some people who don’t . This lead Deputy Mayor Denzil MInnan-Wong to to council asking city staff to regulate the pool rental service. The winter months, while most pools are closed, are the perfect time to look into regulations, MInnan-Wong says.
News from which English-speaking country are you most interested in? Did you enjoy reading the articles we chose? Let us know on social media, or email us at lesbonsmots@lesateliers.ca.