TOPIC OF THE DAY:-“Turmoil in the Brexit club”
When Yair Lapid, the chairperson of the centrist Yesh Atid party in Israel, tweeted a photograph of him in discussion with Priti Patel, Britain’s Secretary of State for International Development at the time, on August 24 this year, he could never have anticipated the political storm it would trigger months later back in Britain. His was one of 12 undisclosed meetings that Ms. Patel held in Israel, including with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a “family holiday” paid for by her that month, full details of which were made public this week after revelations that she had held high-level discussions without alerting her Foreign Office and British officials in Israel. This was in contravention of protocol, and in what the opposition Labour Party described as a “clear breach” of the ministerial code. These revelations — and details of more undisclosed meetings with officials in New York and London, as well as her subsequent efforts to direct aid towards Israeli army work in the disputed Golan Heights — made Ms. Patel’s position increasingly untenable. Ms. Patel, who was forced to cut short an official visit to Africa, resigned on Wednesday, apologising for actions that had “fallen below the standards of transparency and openness” that she had advanced. Making it clear that sacking would have been inevitable had she not stepped down, British Prime Minister Theresa May said her decision was “right”.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Breached
Meaning: Break or fail to observe (a law, agreement, or code of conduct).
Example: “these outside bodies are bootlegging albums and breaching copyright”
Synonyms: Break, Violate
2) Upsurge
Meaning: An upward surge in the strength or quantity of something; an increase.
Example: “an upsurge in vandalism and violent crime”
Synonyms: Increase, Recovery
Antonyms: Downturn
3) Sustain
Meaning: Cause to continue for an extended period or without interruption.
Example: “he cannot sustain a normal conversation”
Synonyms: Continue, Prolong
Antonyms: Intermittent, Sporadic
4) Abrupt
Meaning: Sudden and unexpected.
Example: “I was surprised by the abrupt change of subject”
Synonyms: Sudden, Immediate
Antonyms: Gradual, Unhurried
5) Imposing
Meaning: Grand and impressive in appearance.
Example: “an imposing 17th-century manor house”
Synonyms: Impressive, Arresting
Antonyms: Modest, Unimposing
6) Shale
Meaning: Soft finely stratified sedimentary rock that formed from consolidated mud or clay and can be split easily into fragile plates.
Example: Geology: types of rock.
Synonyms: Sediment
7) Projection
Meaning: An estimate or forecast of a future situation based on a study of present trends.
Example: “plans based on projections of slow but positive growth”
Synonyms: Estimate, Prediction
8) Nemesis
Meaning: A downfall caused by an inescapable agent.
Example: “one risks nemesis by uttering such words”
Synonyms: Downfall, Undoing
9) Rendered
Meaning: Provide or give (a service, help, etc.).
Example: “money serves as a reward for services rendered”
Synonyms: Give, Provide
10) Fluctuates
Meaning: Rise and fall irregularly in number or amount.
Example: “trade with other countries tends to fluctuate from year to year”
Synonyms: Vary, Change
Antonyms: Be steady
11) Bull market
Meaning: A market in which share prices are rising, encouraging buying.
A bull market is a financial market of a group of securities in which prices are rising or are expected to rise. The term “bull market” is most often used to refer to the stock market but can be applied to anything that is traded, such as bonds, currencies and commodities.
12) Extensive
Meaning: Large in amount or scale.
Example: “an extensive collection of silver”
Synonyms: Complete, Comprehensive
Antonyms: Small, Limited
13) Anticipated
Meaning: Regard as probable; expect or predict.
Example: “she anticipated scorn on her return to the theatre”
Synonyms: Expect, Predict
Antonyms: Dread
14) Trigger
Meaning: Cause (an event or situation) to happen or exist.
Example: “an allergy can be triggered by stress or overwork”
Synonyms: Prompt, Stimulate
15) Undisclosed
Meaning: Not revealed or made known publicly.
Example: “the precise terms of the agreement remained undisclosed”
Synonyms: Hidden, Sealed
Antonyms: Disclosed
16) Revelations
Meaning: A surprising and previously unknown fact that has been disclosed to others.
Example: “revelations about his personal life”
Synonyms: Disclosure, Leak
Antonyms: Keeping
17) Contravention
Meaning: An action which offends against a law, treaty, or other ruling.
Example: “the publishing of misleading advertisements was a contravention of the Act”
Synonyms: Breach, Violation
18) Subsequent
Meaning: Coming after something in time; following.
Example: “the theory was developed subsequent to the earthquake of 1906”
Synonyms: Following, Succeeding
Antonyms: Previous, Former
19) Disputed
Meaning: Question whether (a statement or alleged fact) is true or valid.
Example: “the accusations are not disputed”
Synonyms: Debate, Argue
Antonyms: Accept
20) Untenable
Meaning: (especially of a position or view) not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection.
Example: “this argument is clearly untenable”
Synonyms: Indefensible, Undependable
Antonyms: Tenable, Defensible