World News for Students of English

29-02-2016 07:00

The US has flexed its muscles at North Korea by sending over its stealth jets to its southern counterpart. In a display of political allegiance, America has sent over four of its F-22 stealth fighter jets as a warning after North Korea’s rocket launch last week.

The act violated UN bans imposed on the country, but North Korea maintain they didn’t defy world powers as it was just a satellite launch.

Being able to evade radar detection, the Raptor Jets are America’s most advanced fighter jet. They’re usually kept on the Japanese island of Okinawa, but in an act of South Korean allegiance, flew to an air base just 45 miles (72 kilometres) from the border of North Korea.

“This mission demonstrates the strength of the alliance between United States and the Republic of Korea and the resolve of the both nations to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula. The US maintains an ironclad commitment to the defence of the Republic of Korea.”

This isn’t the first time the US has responded to the North with planes. Following a nuclear test by North Korea, they flew over a B52 bomber at low-level, a jet that’s capable of carrying nuclear weapons. This most recent deployment comes ahead of talks between Seoul and Washington, which could result in the American missile defence system being deployed in South Korea.

Difficult words: flex its muscles (to do something which shows your power), stealth (not easily seen by radar), counterpart (an organisation on the same level, a country in this sentence), allegiance (loyalty), defy (to go against), evade (to avoid, to trick), detection (being detected – seen), resolve (commitment), peninsula (land which is almost surrounded by water), ironclad (not possible to change or get weaker).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com