This week's UK news: 14 February 2014
j0314269
14 February 2014


More rain, more wind

So far, we have had the wettest January for more than 200 years, and parts of the UK have flooded. This has been caused by unusual and constant bad storms. New areas have been flooded this week, and politicians have realised they need to act. So senior politicians have visited flooded places this week, and promises of money to help with repair work.

Rain is not the only problem brought by the storms. This week has been astonishingly windy as well. A huge storm caused chaos on road and rail transport in part of the UK this week, with wind speeds of 108 miles per hour measured in Wales. The wind was so strong that weather forecasters gave a very rare red warning to people.

More storms are forecast for the next week. People in the UK are beginning to wonder when it will stop raining.


Dead king's body investigated by scientists

Richard III was an English king who died 500 years ago, but was made famous in a Shakespeare play. People believed that he had a crooked body and arranged for his brother's sons to be murdered, so he could be king.

It was an amazing story when his bones were found buried under a car park in the English city of Leicester, and when scientists proved it was really the famous king's body. Now scientists will analyse those bones and hope to find out much more about the king, including the colour of his eyes and hair. The work will be the first time that so much is scientifically known about a historic figure.


Album sells 6,000,000 copies in the UK

The biggest selling album ever in the UK is the Greatest Hits by Queen. It has just sold its six millionth copy, which means a third of all families own it.

The record was released in 1981 and the band's lead singer, Freddie Mercury, died 23 years ago. Yet the album is still selling well and a London theatre show based on Queen's songs, called We Will Rock You, is still popular. Even if you don't think you know much about Queen, you are likely to recognise the songs which include Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are The Champions, Don't Stop Me Now, and of course We Will Rock You.


Smoking much less popular in UK

Under 20 per cent of adults in the UK now smoke cigarettes. This is the lowest number for about 80 years. It is now illegal to smoke inside public buildings, which includes pubs and workplaces.

Numbers have been falling since the early 1960s, when around 70 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women smoked. Researchers say that smoking is still the main reason why people die early in the UK, and that more needs to be done to help people give up.

 

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