Clean-up time
Police officers on February 16 remove ash from the eruption of Mount Kelud on the tarmac of Adi Sucipto airport in Yogyakarta city, Indonesia, after it erupted on February 14. — Reuters
Wild weather
UK hit by storms
London — Commuter areas west of London will remain at high risk of flooding for several days as a result of the latest in a succession of storms that have brought heavy rain and hurricane-force winds to southern Britain, the national environmental agency reported.
Two people died and thousands of people were left without power as a result of the storms that struck southern England late on February 14. — Bloomberg
Markets closed
China battles bird flu
Beijing — The biggest city in southern China closed its live poultry markets from February 15 till the end of February to halt the spread of the H7N9 strain of bird flu.
“The closure of the Guangzhou markets will last until February 28 to strengthen work to control the spread of the H7N9 flu,” authorities said in a statement.
Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province, one of the hardest-hit areas in China’s latest bird flu outbreak. Thirteen deaths have been reported by the provincial health bureau. — AP
Mass marathon
Participants run in the annual Hong Kong Marathon on February 16. More than 73,000 runners from more than 40 countries registered to take part in the event. — AP
Fun flying
Singapore hosts air show
Singapore — There was a two-day public air show at Singapore’s Changi Exhibition Centre, beginning on February 15.
At the Singapore Airshow 2014, families enjoyed aerobatics displays and daring stunts by Singaporean, Indonesian, US and Australian pilots.
At the event, the crowd had a rare opportunity to see the latest civilian and military aircraft up close. Parents also queued with their children for the chance to step into a Singapore Air Force plane. — DPA
Snowed in
Roads in Japan affected
Tokyo — Hundreds of cars were stuck on a hillside road in Japan after it was hit by a snowstorm.
Officials said the storm killed three people, grounded more than 100 flights and disrupted road and rail transport between February 15 and 16. The storm was believed to be moving northward. The meteorological centre warned of heavy snow, storms and snow slides as well as high waves in eastern and northern Japan.
National Route 18 through Gunma and Nagano prefectures north of Tokyo was partly closed as hundreds of cars were stuck in a long traffic jam. — AFP
Beached whales
Mass stranding found
Wellington — A pod of nine killer whales died on February 12 in a rare mass stranding on the New Zealand coast, in a loss conservationists said was a major blow to the local orca population.
The pod, comprising eight adults and one juvenile, beached themselves at the remote Blue Cliffs Beach on the far south coast of the South Island, Department of Conservation spokesman Reuben Williams said.
Mass strandings of pilot whales are common in New Zealand, but Reuben said it was unusual for so many orcas to run aground at the same time. — AFP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Elephant attack
Young boy killed
Kuala Lumpur — An elephant killed a 4-year-old boy. It happened on February 15 at a rubber plantation in Kelantan, Malaysia. The boy was with his family when the elephant ran into him. — DPA
Exercises
1. How many whales were found dead on the New Zealand coast on February 12?
a. Eight.
b. Nine.
c. 12.
2. The closure of the Guangzhou markets will last until March 28. True or false?
3. How old was Prasert Yulap?
Vocabulary
- tarmac (n): a black material used for making road surfaces, that consists of small stones mixed with tar
aerobatics (n): exciting and skilful movements performed in an aircraft, such as flying upside down, especially in front of an audience
orca (n): a black and white whale that eats meat, also known as the killer whale
