Refugees arrive
Refugees from eastern Ukraine arrive at a train station in the southern city of Stavropol, Ukraine, on February 18. Fifty locals escaped a civil war and sought accommodation, authorities said. — Reuters
Badly briefed
Politician misses vote
Ottawa — A Canadian politician blamed cheap, tight underwear for his sudden departure from Parliament causing him to miss a vote on anti-terror legislation.
Opposition lawmaker Pat Martin told Parliament he had bought some underwear that was too small for him.
“They had men’s underwear for sale for half price and I bought a bunch that was too small for me,” he told the chamber. “I found it difficult to sit for any length of time.”
Martin apologised for missing the vote amid laughter in the chamber and asked for his vote to be counted. The speaker of the House of Commons allowed his vote. — AP
Fatal mistake
Revellers electrocuted on float
Port-au-Prince, Haiti — At least 18 people on a carnival float in the Haitian capital were killed on February 17 when they were electrocuted by a power line. The accident occurred as thousands of people filled the streets of downtown Port-au-Prince for an annual celebration.
People at the scene said somebody on the float used a pole or stick to move a power line so the float could pass under it. Some of the victims were instantly electrocuted in a flash of sparks, according to witnesses. Others managed to jump off the float. — AP
Student protest
Student activists on February 15 hold flags and placards as they march to protest the National Education Law in Yangon, Myanmar. They say the law prohibits them from engaging in political activities and curbs academic freedom. — AP
Copter crash
Crew dies in accident
Riyadh — A military helicopter crashed. Four crew members were killed in the incident in eastern Saudi Arabia during a training mission, local media reported on February 17.
The crashed killed the pilot, who was a lieutenant colonel, as well as two lieutenants and a sergeant.
The crash happened on the night of February 16 near Hafr al-Batin, close to the borders with Iraq and Kuwait, broadcaster al-Arabiya reported. The cause of the incident was being investigated, authorities said. — DPA
Military operation
Two killed in clashes
Manila — Two members of an al-Qaeda-linked group were killed in clashes with troops in the southern Philippines on February 15, military officials said.
Three soldiers and two militants were wounded in the fighting that erupted before dawn in the jungles of Basilan Island, officials said.
The encounter was part of continuing offensives to dislodge Abu Sayyaf extremists from the island. Abu Sayyaf, set up with money from al-Qaedain the early 1990s, has been blamed for many of the deadliest militant attacks in the Philippines, including the 2004 firebombing of a ferry on Manila Bay that killed more than 100 people. — AFP
Successful surgery
Prime Minister recovering
Singapore — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong underwent successful surgery for prostate cancer on February 16 and is expected to recover fully. It is the second bout with cancer for 63-year-old Lee, who underwent chemotherapy for lymphoma in 1993.
Christopher Cheng, the lead urologist at the Singapore General Hospital who carried out the operation, said that the surgery went smoothly. — AFP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Off the rails
Train accident starts fire
Washington — A train derailed in West Virginia, USA. It happened on February 16. The accident caused a large fire because the train was carrying crude oil. Hundreds of families were evacuated. Nobody was injured. — AFP
Exercises
1. Who is Singapore’s Prime Minister?
a. Rowena Muyuela.
b. Lee Hsien Loong.
c. Abu Sayyaf.
2. Port-au-Prince is the capital of Saudi Arabia. True or false?
3. How many passengers were on the Nok Air flight DD8819 on February 18?
Vocabulary
- chamber (n): one of the parts of a parliament
float (n): a large vehicle no which people dressed in special costumes are carried in a festival
electrocute (v): to injure or kill somebody by passing electricity through their body
dislodge (v): to force somebody to leave a place, position or job
chemotherapy (n): the treatment of disease, especially cancer, with the use of chemical substances
lymphoma (n): cancer of the lymph nodes
urologist (n): a specialist who conducts the scientific study of the urinary system
