https://youtu.be/mxULDudgLdM
Indonesia: Black Boxes of Crashed Indonesian Plane Found
A Boeing 737 passenger plane carrying 62 people crashed into the sea shortly after take-off from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The Sriwijaya Air plane disappeared from radars four minutes into its journey to Pontianak. Witnesses said they saw and heard at least one explosion. After retrieving human body parts and suspected1 pieces of the plane, authorities have now located the black boxes from the doomed passenger plane. The military chief hopes that the black boxes will be recovered2 soon. This is the first major air crash since 2018 when 189 passengers in a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max plunged into the Java Sea soon after takeoff. Even without this most recent crash, more people had died in air accidents in Indonesia than in any other country during the last ten years. Police have asked families to provide dental records and DNA samples to help identify the bodies.
1suspected – have an idea without certain proof
2recovered – regain possession of something
Think about it: Would a bad safety record deter you from traveling to and from a country?
China: Nuclear Power Key To Clean Energy Plans
China is keen to develop more nuclear power projects as it views these as a way to reach their carbon goals more quickly. They have developed a nuclear fusion reactor that imitates the activity taking place within our sun. China plans to build an experimental3 reactor this year, followed by an industrial prototype in 2035 and finally entering it into largescale commercial use by 2050. The country’s progress in this area shows that the relevant authorities have mastered the vital technologies for the design, construction and operation of the device. Analysts believe that with advances through research and development, China will be one of the pioneers4 in developing nuclear fusion energy. Nuclear fusion is the process whereby two atoms fuse together to form a larger atom, such as when hydrogen atoms combine to form helium. The process releases a large amount of energy.
3experimental – not yet finalized
4pioneers – the first people to explore or settle an area
Think about it: How do you think nuclear power compares to renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar?
China: Workers Urged Not To Travel During Spring Festival
Employees have been encouraged to stay in the city of their workplace for the Spring Festival. It is hoped that they will avoid the travel rush and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Some cities are also encouraging employees to work through the holiday period to help meet production targets. The incentives5 include overtime pay, free food, free accommodations and holidays arranged for a later date. Typically, the Spring Festival travel rush in China is the world’s largest human migration6 as people travel back to their hometowns for family reunions. 407 million passengers are expected to ride the railways, but some are reconsidering their travel plans due to the coronavirus. In addition, some cities are encouraging people to have reunion dinners of not more than 10 people.
5incentives – a thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something
6migration – movement of people from one area to another
Think about it: If you were a worker in China away from your hometown, would you still want to go back or will you stay and work?
United Kingdom: Cases Top 3m As It Battles New Strain
Britain became the first country in western Europe to report more than three million coronavirus cases, with the new strain putting pressure on its health service. This is also the fifth-highest case load in the world. Britain first reported having one million cases on Oct 31, and this number doubled seven weeks later. It took just another three weeks to increase from two million to three million cases. The number of deaths due to Covid-19 is also the highest in Europe at more than 80,800. The country is currently under its third national lockdown, closing schools and non-essential businesses. The mayor of London has also warned that the National Health Service is at risk of being overwhelmed7. About two million people have already been vaccinated, with around 200,00 getting the shots every day. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to inoculate 15 million elderly and vulnerable8 people by the middle of February.
7overwhelmed – to have too much of something
8vulnerable – exposed to being attacked or harmed
Think about it: It’s plain to see that the rate of infections in Britain is going up. Do you think the current lockdown came too late?
United States: Security Failure at Capitol
A day after rioters stormed the Capitol building, lawmakers’ fear and shock at how easily security in the building had been breached gave way to anger. Many leading lawmakers demanded the Capitol’s top security officials to resign and for investigations into why security had failed. There are also questions about why Capitol Police were so understaffed when extremist9 groups had already telegraphed10 their intention to disrupt11 the counting of the Electoral Votes at the Capitol. The FBI had estimated that as many as 20,000 people might attend the protest, yet federal law enforcement decided to keep the number of heavily armed police or military to a minimum. Already, Capitol police chief Steven Sund has announced that he would resign on Jan 16, followed by the resignation of the House Sergeant At Arms and Senate Sergeant At Arms. Blame is also placed on President Trump for failing to approve deployment of the D.C. National Guard.
9extremist – a person who holds extreme political views
10telegraphed – convey a message
11disrupt – interrupt an event by causing a disturbance
Think about it: Why do you think there was so much less law enforcement personnel on standby this time as compared to the Black Lives Matter protests?