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Alain Delon, one of the most exceptional actors of all time, passed away at the age of 88 on the 18th of August after a few years of poor health. He was known for compelling performances in almost 90 films during his career. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, described the actor as someone who "played legendary roles and made the world dream". 

He starred in classics like "The Leopard" and "Rocco and his Brothers". Delon also worked closely with renowned film directors in Europe and went on to receive recognition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 for his lifetime achievements.

Delon made a significant mark in the film industry, but his personal life had its fair share of controversies. In 1968, he was questioned about the murder of his bodyguard and early this year, he was found with 72 firearms and 3,000 rounds of ammunition, even though he didn't have a shooting license.

Additionally, his family was also falling apart as his three children found themselves in a public dispute over his health and care. He also had outspoken views on various political and social issues. 

Disney is expanding its cruise business by adding a new ship in Tokyo. The new ship will go on it's first trip in 2029. Families with children will be able to enjoy Disney activities and characters on the ship.

Currently, Disney has five ships and this ship will be similar to Disney Wish. It will carry 4,000 passengers and it's expected to cost between $600 and $2,000 per person.

Japan's population has been decreasing for the last 15 years. In 2023, it dropped by more than half a million to 124.9 million because of low birth rates and high death rates. However, foreign residents increased by 11% to more than 3 million.

The government has tried to increase birth rates by allocating a $34 billion budget for childcare incentives. This is because many young Japanese are unwilling to marry or have children. 

Please look at the chart and present it to your teacher.

The 19 year-old Japanese gymnast, Shoko Miyata will no longer be competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics as she was sent home for smoking and drinking alcohol. Not only is this a violation of the team's code of conduct, but it also goes against Japan's legal drinking age of 20.

Her coach, Mutsumi Harada, confirmed that she was dealing with a lot of pressure as a result of the competition. Therefore, he has urged people to be understanding. Unfortunately, her dismissal means that her team will be at a disadvantage, with only four athletes instead of five.

On July 1, 2024, Greece introduced a six-day workweek to reduce labour shortages and eradicate unpaid overtime. This law applies to industrial facilities and 24/7 services but it excludes tourism and food services.

While Greece sees this as a positive step, employee relations experts around Europe argue that the long working hours and inadequate rest will affect work-life balance and productivity. This decision is also quite a surprise because other European countries want to implement shorter workweeks.

Finland is known as the world's happiest country. The country has a unique work culture which makes going to work enjoyable! Framery, a Finnish manufacturing company is one of the many companies that builds this work culture by making these five phrases a part of their daily work ethic:

• "the person who asks questions will not stray away from the path"—this encourages open dialogue and respect for differing opinions,
• "a crazy person does a lot of work; a smart person gets away with less"—emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance,

• "put the cat on the table"—employees are advised to talk openly and honestly about difficult or awkward issues in the company,

• "whatever you leave behind, you will find in front of you"—issues must be addressed the moment they arise, and

• "going toward the tree with your back first"—plan ahead and consider possible outcomes before making a decision

These values help create a healthy work environment in which everyone has a sense of belonging, contributing to the overall success of the company.

The story that had taken many twists and turns since March finally came to an end as Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud. He admitted that he stole nearly $17 million from the baseball star to cover illegal gambling debts.

Mizuhara also confessed that he evaded tax of more than $1million in 2022. He is yet to be sentenced, but it's said that he is likely to spend about 30 years in prison for bank fraud, and additional time for tax fraud​.

Imagine the possibility of running across the whole continent of Africa! Well, Russell Cook, known as "Hardest Geezer," proved that this is very possible by running the entire length of Africa. Even though he completed his race, he faced many challenges which include an armed robbery, visa issues and injuries.

He was determined to complete this run because he had struggled with mental health, gambling, and drinking. By taking on this challenge, he was able to make a positive impact by raising almost $1 million for charity.

Cook started his journey in South Africa's southernmost point on April 22, 2023 and completed it in Tunisia on April 7, 2024. The journey took 352 days, it was 9,940 miles (16,000km) long and he ran through 16 countries. When he completed his race, all he really wanted was a strawberry daiquiri​ to celebrate his huge accomplishment!

A "boomerang employee" is someone who leaves a company, often at a high level like a CEO, only to return to the same company later on in a similar leadership position. It's like throwing a boomerang: they leave, but they come back.

Some examples of boomerang CEOs include:

• Steve Jobs: He co-founded Apple, left in 1985, and returned in 1997 to lead the company to unprecedented success.
• Howard Schultz: The former CEO of Starbucks left in 2000 but returned in 2008 to help revitalize the company during a challenging time.
• Louis Gerstner Jr.: He left IBM in 1993 but returned in 1997 as CEO, leading a significant turnaround of the company.
• Michael Dell: He stepped down as CEO of Dell in 2004 but returned in 2007 to lead the company's transformation efforts.