All posts tagged: holidays

Heathrow Airport closed for at least 24 hours after substation fire | UK | News

Heathrow Airport closed for at least 24 hours after substation fire | UK | News

Published by Sam

Heathrow Aiport has announced it has closed for at least 24 hours due to a nearby electricity substation fire. It comes as a crushing blow to holidaymakers hoping to jet away for the weekend. Passengers have been warned not to arrive for scheduled flights as the airport continues to experience “a significant power outage” following the fire at North Hyde Electricity Substation in nearby Hayes, west London. Thousands of homes have been left without power and more than 100 people were evacuated after a transformer within the North Hyde electrical substation caught fire at around 11.15pm on Thursday. A 200-metre cordon has been put in place as a precaution. Pat Goulbourne, assistant commissioner with London Fire Brigade, said: “This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible. The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption.” In a statement …

As China NPC closes, dissidents on ‘forced holidays’ to be sent home

As China NPC closes, dissidents on ‘forced holidays’ to be sent home

Published by Sam

China wrapped up its week-long National Party Congress meetings on Tuesday, where its nearly 3,000 representatives cast votes to pass a total of seven bills in half an hour. Analysts called China’s two sessions a rubber-stamp political gathering, where many dissidents have been placed on “forced holidays” outside of Beijing so that their voice would not be heard. One dissident told VOA he will be sent home one day after the NPC’s closure on Tuesday. Click here for the full story in Mandarin. Source link

Term-time holidays ‘small part’ of absence crisis

Term-time holidays ‘small part’ of absence crisis

Published by skeptic

Catherine McKinnell says she’s focused on children who regularly miss ‘significant amounts of school’ Catherine McKinnell says she’s focused on children who regularly miss ‘significant amounts of school’ More from this theme Recent articles Children taking term-time holidays represent “a very small percentage of the attendance problem”, with the government focused on those missing “significant amounts of school on a very regular basis”, the schools minister has said. At a Department for Education attendance conference near Newcastle this week, Catherine McKinnell MP, the Minister of State for School Standards, praised school leaders for “your leadership, your perseverance, your determination and your commitment, in the face of what is a big challenge”. The north east has higher absence rates than any other English region. During breakout sessions, leaders revealed their efforts to bring absences down, including one approach that involved attendance officers starting at 7.30am to listen through voicemails of parents excusing their child, collating data into postcodes and heading out at 8am to visit homes. Other ideas included asking children to bring in work they …

Spectacular mountain and lake holidays for year-round travel

Spectacular mountain and lake holidays for year-round travel

Published by skeptic

Browse our pick of the best resorts, areas and services that marry incredible views and natural surroundings with holidays offering excellent service, amenities and attractions — and the products to make your stay perfect. Power your mountain and lake escapes (Jackery) Heading somewhere remote and beautiful? Don’t leave convenience behind. The Jackery E2000 v2 power station delivers a massive 2042Wh capacity and 2200W output, making it ideal for powering everything from cooking appliances to photography gear. Its compact, automotive-inspired CTB structure allows for a lightweight, travel-friendly design — perfect for fitting into packed cars or campers. Fast charging keeps your downtime minimal, with hybrid AC and solar charging options bringing it to 80% in just 52 minutes. Multiple ports, including AC, USB-C, USB-A and a car port, offer versatile connections for all your outdoor needs. Safety and reliability are ensured with an LPF battery and advanced ChargeShield 2.0™ technology. Make your next mountain retreat or lakeside escape more comfortable and connected with Jackery’s trusted innovation. Buy now Discover Montenegro’s new sought-after all-season ski resort in Kolasin (Kolasin Valleys) …

Fines for term-time holidays are at record levels – this will further erode trust between parents and schools

Fines for term-time holidays are at record levels – this will further erode trust between parents and schools

Published by skeptic

Recently released government statistics show a record number of fines were given to parents for their children’s absence from school in 2023-24 in England. Of the 487,344 fines issued, 91% were for unauthorised family holidays. If these fines, known as fixed penalty notices, go unpaid or in some cases have been previously issued, parents are taken to court. In 2023-24, 28,296 parents were prosecuted over their children’s school attendance. Whether the fines have any effect on ensuring attendance is debatable. The figures show that thousands of parents are willing to book a term-time holiday anyway. But fines are certainly affecting the crucial relationship between schools and families. When I carried out my doctoral research between 2014 and 2016 on the relationships between schools and parents, these bonds were already quite fragile. People in my study argued that endless “dictats” from school built a “brick wall” rather than a partnership. Now, it’s likely that an increasingly strict application of attendance rules is further breaking down trust. Fines were first introduced by a Labour government in 2004 …

30 After-Christmas Clothing Sales for Menswear Fans in 2024

30 After-Christmas Clothing Sales for Menswear Fans in 2024

Published by skeptic

The holidays have wound down, but the best after-Christmas clothing sales of 2024 are only getting started. After all, you deserve a little pat on the back for all the spot-on gifts you doled out this season, right? Call it a Boxing Day miracle, an end-of-year pick-me-up, or a way to get a head start on 2025, but however you think of this post-holiday bargains frenzy, the menswear deals are here to help you wind down for a lot less than you’d expect. 5 of Our Favorite Post-Holiday Menswear Deals If you’re looking to indulge in a little retail therapy—in the form of a new pair of shoes, a big-ass coat, or just a flannel shirt you’ll wear for the next 3 months straight—now’s the ideal time to be in the market. So we thought we’d make the entire rigmarole a little easier on your end by rounding up our favorite deals from our favorite retailers, including mass-market heavy-hitters like Banana Republic and J.Crew, and fashion-world favorites like Mr Porter and SSENSE. Without further ado, …

How to Make Your Holidays as Waste-Free as Possible: DIY Tips and Advice

How to Make Your Holidays as Waste-Free as Possible: DIY Tips and Advice

Published by skeptic

For example, instead of a ribbon, use compostable twine or string with a cutting—a sprig of holly, a clipping of eucalyptus, or the branch of a fir—tucked into it. It’s a rustic look that will hold up even if you wrap things well in advance. Alternatively, slip in something less hardy, like flowers or berries, just before you dish out the gifts. Don’t Forget Tape! The last thing you want to do is to make all these adjustments and ruin it by using standard plastic tape that can’t be recycled. Sellotape now offers a plastic-free version of its famous tape, which is 100 percent plant-based and fully compostable. Alternatively, consider paper-based options like washi tape. These often come in pretty patterns too, which can also help to jazz up plainer brown paper. Send Fewer Cards—or Go Digital If you’ve got a family that’s big on holiday cards, this can be a hard habit to break, but there are around 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold every year in the US, and sending one card less each …

How To Find The Best Restaurants And Food When You Travel

How To Find The Best Restaurants And Food When You Travel

Published by Sam

Finding a place to eat when you’re traveling can be tricky if you don’t know a few secrets. It can be tough to trust online reviews, and depending on the various cravings of those you’re traveling with, there can be a lot of pressure to find a crowd-pleaser. Sure, it’s easy to do a Google search for nearby restaurants or just eat at the hotel where you’re staying. It can also be reliable and comfortable to dine at a chain restaurant where you know the menu and quality of the food. “This is, of course, the last thing you want to do when exploring and trying new cultures and destinations — and the last thing I want to do as a food and beverage writer,” said Aly Walansky, a freelance food and travel journalist. “I may love a chain restaurant on occasion when at home, but when traveling, I want to try new things and explore new flavours and cooking styles through the locals,” she added. Getting out to walk around and explore the place …

How to deal with narcissistic relatives over the holidays

How to deal with narcissistic relatives over the holidays

Published by skeptic

The holiday season is here, and streets are filled with festive sparkles, twinkling lights and cheerful Christmas songs. While many of us are looking forward to spending the holiday period with family and friends, Christmas is anything but jolly for others. Some people are dreading to spend the period without loved ones. Others are fearful of spending it in the company of their extended family and relatives. Will your cousin provoke heated arguments at the dinner table again, outright bullying others and refusing to consider their perspective? Will your dad bring extravagant gifts and criticise others for their presents that he deems are inadequate? Will your aunt steal the show and make it all about her? Such behaviour is common in narcissism, a personality trait which we all exhibit to various degrees. Narcissistic people have an insatiable need for attention and validation. They feel entitled to special treatment, are unable to empathise with others, exploit people to boost their own self-esteem and display controlling and manipulative behaviour. It is not surprising, therefore, that many with …

15 Foolproof Last-Minute Gifts Under 0 for Menswear Fans

15 Foolproof Last-Minute Gifts Under $150 for Menswear Fans

Published by skeptic

We’ll cut to the chase: you’re here because you have to be. You’ve let it get down to the wire, and you’re in dire need of last-minute gifts. Pronto. Not just any last-minute gifts, though—preferably ones that won’t seem rushed at all, that will spark joy long after the mistletoe has wilted, that won’t cost you an arm and a leg in the process, and, most importantly, that will actually arrive on time. (That last bit is a little tricky and not entirely within our control, but the options below all seem like safe bets as of this moment. If you’re not confident in their confidence, most of ’em are available at your local mall, too, and plenty can be picked up in stores.) 5 Picks Every Menswear Fiend Wants to Unwrap Well, we hear you on all of the above. So to help ease the burden, we gathered 15 foolproof last-minute gifts for every kind of picky-as-hell menswear fan, all $150 or less—in some cases, a lot less. We’re talking tried and tested upgrades …