Learn English With Marcus Online

Authorities in Berlin are warning that visitors to a notorious night club may have been exposed to life-threatening Neisseria meningitidis. The KitKatClub is known for its kinky and anything-goes atmosphere. Weekend party-goers at the Berlin’s hedonistic KitKatClub nightclub have been advised to seek immediate medical attention for potential exposure to deadly bacteria. Authorities in Berlin’s Reinickendorf district […]

The Spanish government is planning “coercive measures” against the owners of empty homes, according to an internal report to which EL PAÍS has had access. In a bid to regulate housing “as a public service in the general interest,” the Socialist Party (PSOE) government has drafted a set of initiatives that would affect property owned by […]

While it’s true that, yes, travel is more about the journey than the destination, sometimes the journey is harrowing, stressful, and best forgotten afterward. All travelers are forgiven for wishing to spend more time at the destination than journeying. And Virgin Holidays is of the same mindset. The travel company has launched a new kind of […]

There are no cars on the roads of Brussels and Paris on Sunday. On the eve of the event, the mayors of the two cities called for all of Europe to follow suit and hold an annual vehicle-free day. The call came in a joint statement by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her counterpart in Brussels, […]

Louis Vuitton is under criticism in Korea again, after it recently decided to allow only 14 days for Korean customers to exchange their products for free, while offering the usual 30 days to customers in other countries, industry officials said Thursday. Critics say the company is seemingly looking down on Koreans, despite its popularity here. According […]

The Brazilian Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday (12th) that homeschooling can’t be considered a lawful means for parents to provide education to their children, because currently there is no law in Brazil regulating the practice. The discussion originated from a lawsuit from a couple that wanted to homeschool their daughter against the town of Canela […]

French railway operator SNCF said Wednesday it was planning to introduce prototypes of driverless mainline trains for passengers and freight by 2023, and include them in scheduled services in subsequent years. “With autonomous trains, all the trains will run in a harmonized way and at the same speed,” SNCF chairman Guillaume Pepy said in a statement. […]

Planners appear to be increasingly interested in booking nontraditional venues for their events. From historical buildings to cultural facilities, these unique spaces can transform standard meetings and receptions into exclusive, unforgettable experiences. A mixture of tradition and modernity, Tokyo is home to a vast array of unique, historic and cultural venues eager to meet this demand, […]

Starbucks in Milan: Is this the end for Italian coffee? When Starbucks opened its elegant new outlet in the northern Italian city of Milan this week, it raised eyebrows and quickened pulses already racing from morning shots of espresso. Can the American chain really muscle in on a coffee culture so firmly part of national identity […]

This Is the Most Germ-ridden Place in the Airport About 10 percent of what you touch at the airport is carrying a virus — and the most heavily infested place is one you cannot avoid. The security checkpoint trays are the germiest things at the airport, according to a study published this week in BMC Infectious […]

Uber joins hands with Fuji Taxi, sealing first Japan deal under new, pro-regulator approach Uber Technologies Inc. has finally found a partner for its cab-hailing program in Japan, one of the world’s largest taxi markets. The San Francisco-based company struck a deal with the Fuji Taxi Group to let people hail cabs through its app in […]

India’s top court decriminalizes gay sex in landmark ruling India’s Supreme Court has struck down a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual gay sex, overturning more than 150 years of anti-LGBT legislation. The court announced the landmark verdict in Delhi on Thursday, as jubilant crowds cheered and rights activists hugged one another, overcome with emotion. Section 377, an archaic […]

Mobiles banned, 4-day week: French reforms kick in as kids head back to school When some 12 million French children head back to school on Monday, many will be affected by Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer’s reforms, including smaller classes, a ban on cell phones, a four-day week and new tests. A much-anticipated new law has banned […]

Paris official wants Airbnb banned from city center The Paris city council member in charge of housing said Thursday that he would propose outlawing home rentals via Airbnb and other websites in the city centre, accusing the company of forcing residents out of the French capital. With some 60,000 apartments on offer, Paris is the biggest […]

Rio’s 200-Year-Old National Museum Destroyed in Massive Fire In a sad and shocking scene late Sunday (September 2nd), the National Museum of Brazil, one of the largest natural history and anthropological museums in the Americas, was destroyed in a massive fire that consumed the entire 200-year-old structure located inside Quinta da Boa Vista park in […]

Barcelona warns it will not grant license to controversial capsule apartment project A Barcelona company has announced that it is building an apartment that will house 15 people in tiny capsules spread over just 100 square meters, but city authorities have said they will never issue a business license for such an initiative. Haibu 4.0, the […]

Italy’s Florence bans eating in the street Italy might be the home of al fresco dining, but in the tourist mecca of Florence street-snacking has become such a problem that local authorities have introduced fines of up to €500 ($581) to combat it. The city ordinance, which came into effect on September 4, bans people from […]

Hungry burglar who broke into restaurants washed dishes after eating A hungry burglar has landed himself in hot water after breaking into several restaurants to eat rather than steal. The man, 23, broke into a Korean galbi restaurant in Gwangju in the middle of the night and started cooking the dish in a frypan after raiding […]

Eighty people wearing white suits and masks remove yellow ribbons in Catalonia A group of around 80 people took to the streets of a town in Catalonia last night to take down yellow ribbons and other symbols that represent support for the release of pro-independence politicians from pre-trial custody. Wearing white suits, goggles and masks, the […]

Chinese researchers make “raincoat” for electromagnetic shield One of the fascinations of the lotus is that it grows in mud, but is always clean. Chinese researchers were inspired by the flower to develop a new, self-cleaning electromagnetic shielding material. Extensive applications of electronic devices make electromagnetic interference (EMI) a serious problem, harming human health, equipment, and […]

One in Every 50 Travelers Finds the Love of Their Life While on a Flight A new survey says sparks are flying on planes more often than you might think — and we’re not talking about cell phones catching fire. According to the HSBC survey, which asked more than 5,000 travelers across the globe about their flight experiences and […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Japan to increase support for firms developing caregiver robots The government will step up support for companies developing caregiver robots with an eye on improving productivity in the field of elderly nursing care amid widespread labor shortages.In its budget request for fiscal 2019, which begins next April, the […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Mormons don’t want you calling them Mormons anymore The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is embarking on a rebranding effort of sorts. The church, commonly referred to as the Mormons, really wants people to stop using that word. It also wants people to stop using LDS as […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading The growing trend of vertical farming The world’s population will climb from around seven billion people to nearly 10 billion by 2050. That will make it even more challenging to feed everyone on the planet. Companies like AeroFarms are rethinking how we grow fresh and affordable produce through vertical […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Amazon Tries a New Delivery Spot: Your Car Amazon packages get delivered to all sorts of places. Front porches? Naturally. Cubicles? Of course. Inside locked homes? Yes, that, too.Now add a new one: the trunk of your car. Starting Tuesday, people in dozens of cities across the United States can […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Venice prepares to close off streets and divert cruise ships The mayor Luigi Brugnaro spoke of a “black alert”, a term normally used to advise drivers against motorway travel on the days of most intense holiday traffic. Venice is preparing to cordon off its streets, set up diversions […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading The world’s most over-the-top hotel rooms Thought you’d seen luxury? Think again. These hotel suites, decked out with everything from basketball courts to water slides, redefine the very meaning of luxury. From underwater suites in Dubai to New York penthouses with pianists, we’ve rounded up the most over-the-top rooms […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading On the ‘Roof of Japan,’ an otherworldly 17-meter-deep snow corridor One of the world’s wildest mountain drives, Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in Japan has reopened to tourists for another season. Stretching across the Toyama and Nagano prefectures north of Tokyo, the 90-kilometer sightseeing route — dubbed the “Roof of […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Will new standing-up airplane seat design take off? Fed up with limited leg room onboard airline cabins? Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors has come up with a design that allows passengers to stretch their legs as much as they want when they travel without any extra cost. The catch? […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Why your next work meeting could be outside The outdoors are making their way into office workspaces. An office’s atmosphere and culture are becoming major selling points for workers, as companies pay more attention to what’s being incorporated into the design and layout of their work areas. That means cubicles […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Inside the world’s quietest room If you stand in it for long enough, you start to hear your heartbeat. A ringing in your ears becomes deafening. When you move, your bones make a grinding noise. Eventually you lose your balance, because the absolute lack of reverberation sabotages your […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Meet the business traveler who’s collected 15,000 hotel Do Not Disturb signs Most of us forget all about hotel Do Not Disturb signs until the 10 a.m. housekeeping knock disturbs our jet-lagged slumber and we realize, too late, that it’s hanging on the wrong side of the door. Not […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Shangri-La Hotel Singapore offers $700-a-night fantasy suites for kids Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore is going all out to satisfy its youngest guests. The luxury hotel has introduced five themed suites that are straight out of a kid’s fantasy. For around $700 a night, families can stay in the Castle suite, which […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading ‘A grand illusion’: seven days that shattered Facebook’s facade Since the Observer reported that the personal data of about 50 million Americans had been harvested from Facebook and improperly shared with the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, it has become increasingly apparent that the social network has been far […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Meet the 79-year-old man who lives alone on an Italian island Each day for the past 29 years, Mauro Morandi has woken up to a golden sunrise illuminating the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a view that doesn’t grow old — and one Morandi doesn’t share with a single soul. The engimatic […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Billionaire Mark Cuban: ‘One of the great lies of life is follow your passions’ Mark Cuban grew up working class in Pittsburgh. His father installed upholstery in cars and his mom worked a myriad of odd jobs. Today, Cuban is worth more than $3 billion, owns the Dallas […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Futuristic luxury pods provide the perfect view of the desert sky In the heart of Jordan’s scenic Wadi Rum desert — also known as the “Valley of the Moon” — lies a surprising luxury campsite. Since 2016, visitors have sojourned in bubble-like domes that provide 360-degree views of […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Sweatcoin: The app that pays you to get fit Finding the motivation to keep fit is a universal struggle, but what if you were paid to exercise? That’s the idea behind Sweatcoin, a free app that turns your steps into digital currency. Russian fitness fanatics Oleg Fomenko and Anton Derlyatka […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Fly from Tokyo to Paris without leaving the ground Imagine jet-setting from Tokyo to Paris, enjoying first-class travel, a four-course dinner and a city tour — all without leaving the ground. This isn’t a sci-fi fantasy. This is the future of air travel according to Japanese company First Airlines, […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Would you sleep in a glass pod hanging off a Peruvian cliff? Would you sleep in a transparent capsule hanging off the side of a Peruvian mountain? That’s the idea behind the spectacular Skylodge Adventures Suites, glass lodges precariously situated on the side of a cliff in Peru’s […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading This is the world’s happiest country in 2018 Reindeer jerky, anyone? Finland is the happiest country in the world, according to the latest World Happiness Report. Norway, last year’s winner, came in second place in the 2018 report. It’s followed by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. The World Happiness Report was […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Samsung’s new smart TV is a tech chameleon Samsung’s new smart TV lineup blends in with its surroundings like a chameleon. The South Korean tech giant on Wednesday announced its 2018 lineup of QLED TVs and the standout feature is what Samsung calls “ambient mode,” which mimics the colors […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Google cofounder’s flying taxi takes to the skies in New Zealand Google cofounder Larry Page’s flying taxi project is cleared for take off. Kitty Hawk, the Silicon Valley startup backed by Page, said it is building and testing “all-electric vertical take-off and landing products” in New Zealand.  Dubbed “Cora,” […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Fitbit unveils Apple Watch competitor and fitness tracker for kids Fitbit’s latest trackers intend to lure more casual fitness fans, and even kids. The company announced two new products on Tuesday: Fitbit Versa, a smartwatch that is strikingly similar to the Apple Watch, and its first fitness tracker for […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Matsushima: All-you-can-eat oysters and Japan’s most scenic views It’s a chilly Saturday afternoon in February and temperatures are creeping just above the freezing mark — a time of year when most seaside destinations are devoid of leisure travelers. But this is Matsushima, one of the fabled “Nihon Sankei” — […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading SuperShe Island: Women-only luxury retreat opening in Finland Did you watch hit movie “Wonder Woman” and daydream about escaping to her home, the female-only island of Themyscira? That dream could soon become a reality: entrepreneur Kristina Roth has created SuperShe Island, a private retreat off the coast of Finland […]

Please leave me a review here! Reading Elon Musk overhauls Boring Company concept to focus on mass transit Remember Elon Musk’s plan to dig a massive web of traffic-beating tunnels underneath Los Angeles? The billionaire entrepreneur’s The Boring Company posted a concept video last year that showed cars entering tunnels on skates, where they hurtled 130 […]

Reading America’s most popular national parks Nearly 331 million people visited the National Park Service’s 417 sites around the United States in 2017, a slight dip from the 331 million record-breaking visits during its centennial anniversary year in 2016. Park service officials expected the slight decline after the centennial celebrations during the previous year. In 2016, […]

Reading The banana phone is back! There’s a new Nokia 8110 A startup that licenses the Nokia phone brand has unveiled a new version of the 8110, a curved mobile phone that was first released in 1996 and featured in “The Matrix.” The phone, which is offered in banana yellow and black, will sell for €79 […]

Reading China to drop presidential term limits, clearing way for Xi Jinping to stay on China’s Communist Party (CCP) has proposed amending the country’s constitution to allow President Xi Jinping to serve a third term in office. State-run news agency Xinhua said the Party will remove the provision that the President and Vice President “shall […]

Reading The slender skyscrapers changing New York’s skyline The Empire State Building, the Art Deco Chrysler Building, the super-tall One World Trade Center. New York City is home to some of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers. But the buildings entering its famous skyline today are doing something unusual. They’re getting skinnier. Complex zoning laws in the city […]

Reading Czech Republic: Travel Destination The Czech Republic is a destination straight out of fairy tales. With an array of picturesque historic cities, world-class architecture, romantic castles and charming natural wonders, this Central European country should definitely be on every travel list. Covering an area of just 78,866 square kilometers, it boasts an impressive 12 UNESCO World […]

Reading The one underrated thing that makes any relocation easier When you think of all the things that can make your relocation easier, a spacious car probably doesn’t come top of the list. But when you’re living in a new country, it can suddenly become a necessity in ways you might not have realized. In those […]

Reading Snapchat is fighting Instagram for celebrity users Snapchat is finally sharing analytics with its most high-profile users as it steps up efforts to compete with Instagram. Parent company, Snap, on Wednesday announced it will give users such as celebrities and so-called social media influencers more data about how their posts are performing. The data will include total […]

Reading Could electric scooters become the new bikeshare? Cities are taking interest in electric scooter-share systems as an affordable commuting alternative to cut down on pollution and traffic congestion. The electric scooters, which weigh between 30 and 40 pounds, reach speeds of about 15 mph. In September, Santa Monica, California, became the first U.S. city to have […]

Reading The FBI, CIA and NSA say American citizens shouldn’t use Huawei phones U.S. intelligence agencies have issued a stern warning to Americans: Do not buy smartphones made by Chinese tech companies Huawei or ZTE. There is a risk of letting any company “beholden to foreign governments” inside the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, he said. Huawei is […]

Reading These Valentine’s Day roses cost $39 each but last an entire year You can say just about anything with flowers, but sending a limp bouquet to your Valentine might make the wrong impression. After Seema Bansal’s boyfriend ordered what turned out to be a disappointing Valentine’s delivery for her one year, the New York-based couple […]

Reading Ben & Jerry’s launch three new flavors We’re halfway through February, so it’s probably safe to say many of us have abandoned those well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions. However, if you’re one of those admirable people who are still persevering with, for example, a health kick , then there’s some great news. The geniuses behind the iconic […]

Reading 157 new emoji coming to iOS, Android New year, new emoji. The Unicode Consortium — a nonprofit that sets the global standard for emoji — announced on Wednesday 157 new emoji options would be coming later this year. The latest collection includes a cupcake, lobster, pirate flag and more expressive smiley faces. Emoji will soon have […]

Reading Six Nations: Ticket prices rocket for England’s clash with Wales It’s the hottest ticket in town — and then some. Six Nations clashes between England and Wales are rich in history, rarely short of drama, and ever-popular with fans, but if you haven’t already got a ticket for Saturday’s game it’s going to cost […]

Reading Kylie Jenner reveals her baby’s name First-time mom Kylie Jenner has named her daughter Stormi. The cosmetics mogul and reality star revealed her baby’s name on social media, the same place where days ago she said she’d given birth on Feb. 1. Jenner, 20, is in a relationship with rapper Travis Scott. She kept […]

Reading Contractor promised 30 million meals to Puerto Rico. Only 50,000 were delivered. Lawmakers ask why Two Democrats are calling for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be subpoenaed for documents relating to Hurricane Maria, suggesting the agency failed to provide tens of millions of meals after the storm devastated Puerto Rico. The company delivered 50,000 […]

Reading Dow plunges 1,175 — worst point decline in history It was the scariest day on Wall Street in years. Stocks went into free fall on Monday, and the Dow plunged almost 1,600 points — easily the biggest point decline in history during a trading day. Buyers charged back in and limited the damage, but at the […]

Reading Eagles win first Super Bowl The Philadelphia Eagles came back to defeat the New England Patriots, 41-33, in Minneapolis on Sunday to win their first Super Bowl in 57 seasons. The Patriots boasted the top-ranked defense in the NFL, but they couldn’t stop the Eagles’ journeyman quarterback, Nick Foles, who was named the game’s Most […]

Reading Six Countries Compete 15 Games Over 2 Months In a recent study, the world’s most attended sports competition wasn’t the NFL, the FIFA World Cup, La Liga, or the Premier League. It was the Six Nations championship. According to football governing body UEFA, the annual rugby tournament between England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and […]

Reading Health experts urge Facebook to shut down Messenger Kids Child development advocates are calling on Facebook to discontinue its new Messenger Kids app, which is targeted at 6 to 12 year olds. On Tuesday, more than a dozen organizations and about 100 health experts sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying the new […]

Reading Ex-Googlers create a self-driving car to deliver your groceries Two former Google engineers have built a car that’s personalized for delivering your groceries, pizza or dry-cleaning. Nuro, a Mountain View, California, based startup, unveiled an autonomous vehicle Tuesday designed for making local commerce deliveries. The company plans to have several of the vehicles making deliveries on […]

Reading Air Force One’s new refrigerators cost $24 million Air Force One is primed to receive an upgrade that will include new refrigerators expected to cost American taxpayers nearly $24 million. Due to the fact that Air Force One is a one-of-a-kind aircraft, many of its components require unique testing by the Federal Aviation Administration and […]

Reading Why Italy is going all out to win the Bocuse d’Or culinary contest From pizza to spaghetti, Italy has given us some of the world’s best loved foods and many of its restaurants are considered among the finest on the planet. Despite its impeccable culinary credentials, the country has yet to secure one very important […]

Reading In less than 3 months, a major international city will likely run out of water In Cape Town, South Africa, they’re calling it “Day Zero” — the day when the taps run dry. A few days ago, city officials had said that day will come on April 22. This week, they moved up the […]

Reading Oscar nominations are here: Did your favorite films make the cut? Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards were announced Tuesday amid what’s proving to be an unpredictable and highly political awards season. The Oscars come as the entertainment industry reckons with sexual harassment and gender inequality issues, unleashed by allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein and […]

Reading George Weah sworn in as President of Liberia Football star George Weah was sworn in as President of Liberia Monday, in the country’s first democratic transfer of power for more than 70 years. Weah, a decorated football star, took over from Africa’s first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Liberians of all ages formed long […]

Reading One year later, Women’s March returns One year after women took to the streets in droves to protest President Donald Trump’s inauguration, marchers are gathering again in cities across the country and around the world in a sharp rebuke of Trump’s presidency and in continuation of a still-growing international movement. This second year of […]

Reading The Surprising Truth About Refrigerating Eggs Eggs in the US are sold under refrigeration, but that’s not the case in many other countries. People who have their own chickens also sometimes leave the eggs outside of the refrigerator until they’re ready to cook with them. What’s the deal? Do we really need to refrigerate […]

Reading Aunts of 13 captive children reveal years of secrecy and concerns David and Louise Turpin projected an image of a picture-perfect family on social media. They posted photos of themselves with their 13 children, smiling as they celebrated birthdays, renewed wedding vows and visited Disneyland together. In the photos, the couple’s children wore identical clothing […]