Flash flood
Flood victims cross a river with their belongings where a bridge once stood in Phaloni, Southern Malawi, on February 10. The floods destroyed numerous homes and about 200,000 people evacuated. — AP
Alleged abuse
Myanmar mine under fire
Yangon — Rights activists urged the governments of Canada, China and Britain on February 10 to investigate a mining project in Myanmar for human rights violations.
Amnesty International said a Chinese copper mine in the central division of Sagaing should be halted immediately.
“The Monywa project is a cautionary tale on investment in Myanmar, where corporate projects are too often marked by abuses and communities are ripped apart in the pursuit of profit,” Amnesty official Meghna Abraham said.
Authorities allegedly offered compensation for crop damage, then used the payments to claim the land for the Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Co Ltd mine. Hundreds of families protested against the evictions. — DPA
Shut down
Authorities close website
Hanoi — A popular news site in Vietnam aimed at elderly people has been shut down after breaking several high-profile corruption stories, local media reported on February 10.
Nguoi Cao Tuoi (Elderly People) was under investigation by the Ministry of Public Security and its chief editor Kim Quoc Hoa had his press card revoked, Viet Nam News reported.
The site, run by the Elderly Association of Vietnam, has broken several graft stories involving senior officials, including of a former top anti-corruption official said to have amassed real estate worth more than $10 million (326 million baht). — DPA
Search for survivors
Syrian civilians search for survivors at the site of reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9. — AFP
Charter changed
Japan revises rules
Tokyo — Japan revised its foreign aid charter on February 10 to approve the use of the country’s development assistance to support foreign forces in non-combat operations.
The first review since 2003 led to the lifting of a ban on assisting other countries’ troops in activities such as disaster relief, infrastructure building and coastguard activities.
For many years, Japan’s assistance has been primarily aimed at infrastructure building and poverty reduction and provided in loans, grants and technical cooperation. Aid to foreign militaries is still bound by terms in the charter to avoid the use of aid to promote international conflicts, officials said. — DPA
Hospital horror
Baby deaths investigated
Sylhet, Bangladesh — Ten children aged 1 day to 3.5 years died within 10 hours at a state-run hospital in northeastern Bangladesh, prompting authorities to investigate possible staff negligence.
While the families blame hospital staff, Abdus Salam, the deputy director of MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital in Sylhet city, said on February 10 that the children were suffering from complications including malnutrition, infection and pneumonia.
Adbus said the deaths were natural but relatives claim doctors and nurses were negligent. Abdus said authorities were investigating the deaths. — AP
Art argument
Picasso estate disputes ownership
Paris — A retired electrician and his wife who once worked for Pablo Picasso are on trial over a cache of 271 artworks they say were a gift from the artist, officials said on February 10.
Pierre Le Guennec and his wife say Picasso’s second wife gave them a trunk full of art that they kept virtually untouched in a garage until they decided to put their affairs in order for their children in 2010. The Picasso estate describes that account as ridiculous and filed a suit for illegal possession of the works.
Pierre claims to have worked at three of Picasso’s properties in southern France and had installed a security alarm at one of the homes. — AP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Stadium stampede
Football fans crushed
Cairo — Thousands of football fans were crushed in a stampede. It happened at a football stadium in Cairo, Egypt. The news was reported on February 9. Twenty-two people died and at least 25 were injured. — AFP
Exercises
1. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the story about Picasso artworks?
a. Pierre Le Guennec is Picasso’s brother.
b. Pierre claims to have worked at Picasso’s properties.
c. Pierre worked at an art gallery in southern France.
2. Sylhet is located in Nepal. True or false?
3. What does TFRD stand for?
Vocabulary
- regime (n): a method or system of government, especially one that has not been elected in a fair way
cautionary (adj): giving advice or a warning
amass (v): to collect something in large quantities
charter (n): a written statement of the principals and aims of an organisation, government, etc.
negligence (n): the failure to give somebody or something enough attention
malnutrition (n): a poor condition of health caused by a lack of food or a lack of the right type of food
pneumonia (n): a serious illness affecting the lungs that makes breathing difficult
untouched (adj): not changed in any way
