Wet, wet, wet

The UK is famous for its rain, but it is not usually severe or long lasting. This year has been different though. This spring we had a drought in most of England and we were banned from using hosepipes to wash cars.
Almost as soon as the drought was announced the rain began, and we had the wettest few months for a century.
After a few dry weeks the rain returned this week with a terrible storm. Some places had a month's rain in a day, and many places flooded, including parts of the city of York.

Not Harry Potter

J.K. Rowling is famous for being the author of the Harry Potter novels. This week she published a new book, for adults. The Casual Vacancy starts with the death of a politician in a little village and pokes fun at the behaviour of rich people living nearby. The story contrasts their behaviour with that of a poor family in the area. It is very different in every way to Harry Potter, with a very adult storyline and lots of swearing.
Early reviews of the book are mixed. Some critics particularly like the way she writes about teenagers and young adults. Others have said the book is dull.
 

Teacher runs away with pupil

There has been a lot of publicity about 15-year-old Megan Stammers, who did not arrive at school on Friday morning last week. She was last seen getting on a ferry to France with her Maths teacher, 30-year-old Jeremy Forrest. He got married last year.
The British police are looking for the pair to bring Megan home to her family. There is an international arrest warrant out for Mr Forrest for taking a child away.Teachers are not allowed to have relationships with pupils and lots of questions are being asked about what has happened. It is not known if the runaways are still in France or have moved on.

Pompeii comes to the UK

It is almost 2000 years ago that the volcano Vesuvius erupted and buried two nearby Roman cities. Pompeii was buried in ash, and residents choked to death. Herculaneum was swamped in lava. The disaster killed and preserved both cities.
Now an exhibition of some of the most famous relics of the Roman cities is coming to the British museum in London next year. These include plaster casts made of six bodies buried in ash, a dog, a mosaic, and a baby's cradle. The man in charge of the exhibition says there will be lots of ordinary things used in everyday life in the exhibition, which opens in March 2013.