Historic headlines

SW looks back at the top news stories of 2012

His Majesty visits Ayutthaya His Majesty the King visits Thung Makham in Ayutthaya province on May 25. This visit was His Majesty King Bhumibol’s first trip outside of Bangkok since he was admitted to Siriraj hospital in 2009. Tens of thousands of locals gathered to witness his royal activities in Ayutthaya. — Reuters

Royal meeting His Majesty the King on November 18 gives US President Barack Obama an audience at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok. Obama was on an official visit to Southeast Asia.

Rousing reception During her first trip outside of Myanmar in 24 years, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi greets migrant workers from Myanmar, as she visits them in Samut Sakhon province on May 30. — Reuters

Suspect detained Iranian bomb suspect Mohammad Khazaei on February 20 takes part in a re-enactment scene with police at the Airport Rail Link station in the Ramkhamhaeng area of Bangkok. The suspect took the train from there to Suvarnabhumi Airport, where he was arrested after the three bomb blasts on Sukhumvit Soi 71 on February 14.

Up in flames Thai rescue workers carry the dead body of a victim killed at a fire Lee Garden Hotel in Hat Yai, Songkhla province on 31 March. At least three people were killed and more than 200 injured after a big fire which had started with a gas pipeline explosion. — EPA

Last respects Cambodian people pray as a convoy transporting the coffin of the late former King Norodom Sihanouk passes by along a road in Phnom Penh on October 17. Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets of the Cambodian capital to pay their last respects to the former King. — AFP

Olympic opening Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip attend the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27. — Reuters

Putin’s party Supporters of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rally at Manezh square outside the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on March 4. Putin claimed victory in Russia’s presidential election, which the opposition and independent observers claimed was marred by widespread violations. — AP

Anger in the streets Protesters clash with police in front of the US embassy in Cairo, Egypt on September 13 as anger spread across the Muslim world about a film allegedly ridiculing Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. — AP

Mass destruction Flood waters from super storm Sandy surround South Bethany, Delaware, USA on October 30. The storm caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit systems and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses. — AP

Mars exploration A NASA photograph taken by a camera on the unmanned Curiosity rover shows track marks from the rover’s first moves on the surface of Mars. Curiosity landed on the Red Planet on August 6. — EPA

Wild weather The coastal town of Banganga was devastated after Typhoon Bopha hit southern Philippines on December 11. The typhoon killed more than 600 people and destroyed numerous crops and buildings. — Reuters

Flash floods A car lies submerged in a flooded street in the village of Novoukrainsk, near the southern Russian town of Krymsk. Flash floods on July 7 killed more than 150 people and swept away a great number of homes. — Reuters

To promote healthy eating among young people, Roza, in collaboration with Department of Health, recently launched the Roza School Program in schools around the country.

The Rajaprajanugroh 27 School in Nong Khai, which has taken part in the campaign, recently won the health promoting school prize. More than 900 students at the boarding school have been taught to eat vegetables with every meal and to exercise daily.

“The students wake up at 4:30 am to exercise for half hour,” nutrition teacher Waridsara Joolapan said. “We also have about 20 chubby students who are encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables, cut down on rice and snacks as well as exercise more than the other students.”

HEALTHY ACT

Arunee Seedon (Pu), 17, and Jittraporn Phonsing (Jib), 18, are student leaders in the healthy eating campaign. One of the ways they promoted healthy eating habits was to arrange a stage play for primary school students.

“The students acted as fruit and vegetables, like morning glory and tomatoes,” Jib said. “This helped them to learn the benefits of healthy eating.”

FOOD FARM

Students at the school are also in charge of growing organic vegetables like morning glory, Chinese mustard greens, Chinese kale and mushrooms.

“Growing vegetables is easy,” Pu said. “After two months, we had many different types of vegetables that were ready to eat.”

HELPING HANDS

The young student leaders also run a campaign to promote effective hand washing.

“Keeping your hands clean is important for your health, so we taught the students how to wash their hands effectively with a song,” Jib said. “We got great results and the students have shown us how they now wash their hands properly.”

SELF HELP

As well as helping others by arranging healthy activities for a couple of years, Jib said that she has become healthier herself.

“I used to not drink enough water or eat enough vegetables and I felt unhealthy,” Jib said. “But now that I eat more vegetables, my face has more colour and I feel much better than before.”

EXERCISE

1. How many people were killed by the flash floods in Russia?

2. What is the name of the coastal town shown to be divested by Typhoon Bopha?

3. Which planet did the Curiosity rover land on?

4. His Majesty the King gave US President Barack Obama an audience at Bangkok Hospital. True or false?

5. The Lee Garden Hotel is located in Songkhla province. True or false?

comments powered by Disqus