Airport closed
A fire engulfs Kenya’s main airport on August 7, forcing the closure of a vital travel and trade gateway to east Africa. — Reuters
Healthier kids
Obesity declines in US
Washington — The US has seen a slight decline in obesity among low-income pre-schoolers for the first time in decades, according to government figures. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a slight decline in 19 states from 2008 to 2011.
Around one in eight pre-schoolers in the US is obese, and young children who are overweight are five times more likely to be overweight adults, according to the CDC. — AFP
Snake escape
Python kills two kids
New Brunswick, Canada — A python escaped from its enclosure at a pet store in Canada, slithered through a ventilation system into an upstairs apartment and strangled two young boys as they slept, police said on August 5.
The boys, aged 5 and 7, were visiting the apartment of a friend above Reptile Ocean, an exotic pet store in Campbellton, New Brunswick, police said.
The town’s deputy mayor, Ian Comeau, said Reptile Ocean was officially licensed to operate. — AP
Party planning
Kashmiri shoppers gather at an outdoor market ahead of the Muslim festival Eid al-Fitr in Srinagar, India on August 7. Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic festival observed at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, was scheduled to be celebrated in Kashmir on August 9. — AFP
Bribe jibe
Renowned journalist arrested
Hanoi — A prize-winning journalist was arrested in Vietnam after making his name exposing corruption in the communist country. He was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes, according to state media.
Vo Thanh Tung, 31, who words for Ho Chi Minh City’s Law newspaper, was arrested on August 7 after allegedly receiving cash from a bar owner in southern Bien Hoa city, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
Tung is well-known for his investigative work, most recently on the country’s entertainment industry. — AFP
Not forgotten
Peace event held in Hiroshima
Hiroshima — Tens of thousands gathered for peace ceremonies in Hiroshima, Japan on August 6 to mark the 68th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the city, as anti-nuclear sentiment runs high in Japan.
The annual commemoration came as radioactive water leaks from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have rekindled fears about its precarious state.
In Hiroshima, ageing survivors, relatives, government officials and foreign delegates observed a moment of silence at 8:15 am local time, when the detonation turned the city into an inferno. — AFP
Amazing animals
Dolphins found to have long memories
Paris — Bottlenose dolphins can remember one another’s signature whistles for more than 20 years, a study revealed on August 7. It is the longest social memory ever observed in a non-human animal.
Elephants have long been credited with the animal kingdom’s most prodigious memory, but evidence for that was anecdotal, according to study author Jason Bruck of the University of Chicago’s Institute for Mind and Biology.
Jason claims to have compiled the first study showing social recognition in a non-human animal persisting beyond two decades. — AFP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Fatal fall
Balloon crash kills tourist
Basel — A hot-air balloon crashed in Switzerland. It happened on August 6. A tourist was killed. Four others were seriously injured. — DPA
Exercises
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the news about the bottlenose dolphins?
a. Dolphins aged more than 20 years old have longer social memory than younger dolphins.
b. Bottlenose dolphins can remember one another’s signature whistles for more than two decades.
c. Dr Jason is an expert in chemistry and nanotechnology.
2. Hiroshima was bombed by the US 68 years ago. True or false?
3. Which country will host this year’s Southeast Asian Games?
Vocabulary
- pre-schooler (n): a child who does not yet go to school, or who goes to preschool
ventilation (n): allowing fresh air to enter and move around a room, building, etc.
bribe (n): money or something valuable that you give or offer to somebody to persuade them to help you, especially by doing something dishonest
investigative (adj): involving examining an event or a situation to find out the truth
radioactive (adj): sending out harmful radiation
precarious (adj): not safe or certain
inferno (n): a very large dangerous fire that is out of control
prodigious (adj): very large or powerful and causing surprise or admiration
anecdotal (adj): based on anecdotes and possibly not true or accurate
