THIS WEEK
5-11 OCTOBER 2013
SATURDAY
Woman of the world
After 45 years and six previous director generals, the International Baccalaureate organisation has finally appointed a woman in the top spot. Dr Siva Kumari replaces Jeffrey Beard, who took charge in 2005.
SUNDAY
Mice cream and jelly
Is that a mouse in my dinner? A newspaper revealed that hundreds of school kitchens in the UK were failing basic hygiene standards, with rodent and ant infestations rife. At least the students will get some protein.
MONDAY
Covered in glory
The school librarians of the year were revealed in London as part of a worldwide day of celebration, recognising such bibliophiles for going above and beyond the call of the Dewey Decimal system.
TUESDAY
Powerpoints mean prizes
Can you set up a spreadsheet and fill in the data? Do you struggle with mail merge? The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development revealed its adult workplace “skills rankings”.
WEDNESDAY
Sell your grandmother
Dig deep, Granny, you can’t take it with you. The International Longevity Centre reported that up to 1.7 million grandparents expect to contribute to their descendants’ university fees. Just tell them to get a loan...
THURSDAY
Whistle-stop tour
Global megastar Jay Z, otherwise known as Beyonce’s husband, played the first of four gigs at London’s O2 arena. The rapper is on his huge Magna Carta world tour. The list of dates looks absolutely exhausting.
FRIDAY
Still loch-ing
It was bad news for fans of Scottish folklore on this day in 1987, when a #163;1 million sonar exploration of Loch Ness failed to locate its fabled monster. You’d expect them to find something for that amount of cash.
NEXT WEEK
12-18 OCTOBER 2013
SATURDAY
Once upon a time in america
Joy will be unconfined across the US today, as cities hold parades to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas in 1492. Baltimore boasts one of the biggest events.
SUNDAY
Modern-day lingua franca
Bang the philology gong for English Language Day, which this year celebrates the tongue’s global dimension. An early form was spoken by just three tribes 1,500 years ago; now, 2 billion people speak it.
MONDAY
Day of enlightenment
Poland’s Day of National Education is held today on the anniversary of the founding of its Commission of National Education. Set up in 1773, this was the first education ministry in history.
TUESDAY
Virtual reality
A 15-year-old boy is due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after robbing a bank in Liverpool with a fake gun. The court was told that the “model pupil” had acted as if he were in a “real-life video game”.
WEDNESDAY
A cheer for the overseer
At the end of a hard shift, not everyone feels very warm towards their manager. But Boss’s Day in the US gives employees the chance to thank their supervisors for being kind and fair throughout the year.
THURSDAY
Art in the park
The Frieze Art Fair starts in London’s Regent’s Park. Rich people with a penchant for paintings will snap up works from 1,000 of the world’s leading artists. Talks and panel discussions are also scheduled.
FRIDAY
Making waves
Hard to believe in our high-tech times, but it is only 60 years since Texas Instruments announced the first model of the transistor radio. The new technology meant smaller, less power-hungry wireless sets.
