VOA常速英语:寒潮袭击,美国得州进入重大灾难状态

This is VOA news. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd. Saturday was believed to be the worst single day of violence in Myanmar since a military coup on February 1, with at least two protesters reportedly killed and many others wounded. Reuters Matthew Larotonda reports. At least two people have been killed in Myanmar in the city of Mandalay in what is believed to be the single bloodiest day of protests against the military coup that happened almost three weeks ago. A local volunteer emergency service reported the deaths on Saturday. The ongoing demonstrations have hit several cities but in Mandalay, the situation escalated when security forces were confronted by shipyard workers who had gone strike with other protesters. Some of them fired catapults at police in a cat-and-mouse game through the city streets. Police responded with tear gas and gunfire. Witnesses say they found both rubber bullets and live ammunition on the ground. In addition to the dead, at least 22 people are reportedly injured. That's Reuters Matthew Larotonda.

President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in the state of Texas after freezing weather led to power outages, burst pipes and deaths. The designation will free federal resources to help. The White House said Saturday the president has asked federal agencies to identify additional resources to help alleviate the suffering in the southern state. Biden has been monitoring the situation in the South and had declared states of emergency in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. At least 69 people have died across the country because of the weather, which featured a blast of unseasonably cold air that reached almost to the Gulf of Mexico. You can find more on our website VOAnews.com. This is VOA news.