News Headlines - 14 February 2014
A volcano erupted on the heavily populated Indonesian island of Java today, sending a huge plume of ash and sand 10 miles into the air and forcing the evacuation of more than 200,000 people and the closure of five airports. Indonesia's national disaster agency ordered the evacuation of all families living within a six-mile radius of Mount Kelud. The volcano is 54 miles south of Indonesia's second biggest city Surabaya, a major industrial centre.
▽Facebook expands gender options: transgender activists hail 'big advance' | theguardian.com
You don’t have to be just male or female on Facebook anymore. The social media giant is adding a customizable option with about 50 different terms people can use to identify their gender, as well as three preferred pronoun choices: him, her or them. Facebook said the changes, shared with the Associated Press before the launch on Thursday, initially cover the company’s 159 million monthly users in the US and are aimed at giving people more choices in how they describe themselves, such as androgynous, bi-gender, intersex, gender fluid or transsexual.
Belgium became the world's first country to allow terminally ill children the "right to die." A new legislation was passed on Thursday (13 February 2014) that granted euthanasia for terminally ill children regardless of age. In 2002, the country had legalized euthanasia for 18 years and above, to relieve them from pain and sufferings.
▽BBC News - French economy avoids recession with 0.3% quarterly growth
The French economy grew by 0.3% in the last three months of 2013, government figures indicate. At the same time, the country's INSEE statistical office reported that growth was zero in the third quarter of 2013, revised up from an initial estimate of a 0.1% contraction.
▽Valentine's Day celebrated by Google Doodle | theguardian.com
For St Valentine's Day, Google has posted an interactive doodle on their home page which allows users to send virtual chocolates to others. Users can choose three ingredients for three different chocolates which can then be sent via Twitter, Facebook or Google plus. The ingredients include chocolate, nuts, fruit, salt, ants, and hundreds and thousands.
