1. Much of Greensburg, Kansas has been leveled by a tornado. Officials say 95% of the homes and businesses there were destroyed including most of the downtown. They say it will take them days to pick through the debris.

2. Search planes are flying over an area where a Kenya Airways flight may have crashed early this morning. The Nairobi-bound jet went down shortly after takeoff in West Africa. About 114 passengers and crew are believed to be aboard.

3. Ballot boxes are in place in France as the country is getting ready to select a new president. The choice is between a conservative who wants to free up labor markets and a socialist who wants to save France's generous welfare system.

4. Paris Hilton could be calling this place home for a month and a half. Yesterday, she was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation. And now officials are giving the public a glimpse of the jail she's supposed to report to.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. ballot box: n-count
A ballot box is the box into which ballot papers are put after people have voted.

2. probation: n-uncount
Probation is a period of time during which a person who has committed a crime has to obey the law and be supervised by a probation officer, rather than being sent to prison.