Terror attack
On January 7 in Paris, an injured person is evacuated outside the office of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, after a gun attack at the office killed 12 people. — AP
Flight fright
Aircraft passengers jump to safety
Wellington — The pilot of a light aircraft was praised for his quick thinking on January 7 after all 13 people on a skydiving flight leapt to safety moments before the plane plunged into a lake.
On board with the pilot were six parachutists and six thrill-seeking tourists heading for a skydive over Lake Taupo in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island. Despite jumping for their lives thousands of feet below the recommended level for a jump, all parachutes opened and they descended safely. — AFP
On alert
Australians given travel warning
Sydney — The Canberra government alerted Australians travelling to Indonesia to exercise a high level of caution following new US warnings about potential terrorist attacks.
The Department of Foreign Affairs on January 7 advised a high degree of caution in Indonesia, including Bali, due to the current high threat of a terrorist attack.
“We continue to receive information that indicates that terrorists may be planning attacks in Indonesia, which could take place at any time,” the department statement said. — AFP
Local election
Sri Lankan voters queue up to cast their vote on January 8 in the country’s local election at a polling station in the town of Tangalla, about 195 kilometres from the capital Colombo. — AFP
Suicide bomber
Bomb blast kills cadets
Sana’a — A suicide bomber driving a minibus full of explosives killed at least 30 people on January 7 as cadets gathered to enroll at a police academy in the heart of Yemen’s capital Sana’a, officials said. The blast wounded dozens of people.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorised to brief journalists.
At the scene of the blast, the dead and wounded lay on a pavement against a wall. A charred taxi cab smoked near what remained of the minibus, metres from the gate of the police academy. — AP
Drug bust
Syndicate members arrested
Jakarta — Indonesian authorities said on January 7 that a major Hong Kong drug lord had been arrested at a shopping mall in Jakarta. More than 860 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine was also seized following a three-year investigation into a global syndicate.
Three other Hong Kong residents, as well as a Malaysian and four Indonesians, were also detained in the drug bust on January 5. All could face the death penalty if convicted, authorities said.
Indonesian authorities had been monitoring the head of the ring since 2012. — AFP
Lost at sea
Crew members presumed dead
London — Eight crew members were presumed dead after a cargo ship capsized and sank off the coast of Scotland, authorities said on January 5.
Rescuers called off the search for the crew of the Cyprus-registered cement carrier Cemfjord, whose upturned hull was spotted by a passing ferry on January 3 in the Pentland Firth.
The vessel’s management company said bad weather was a likely a factor in its sinking. The ship, which carried seven Polish crew members and one Filipino, did not send a distress signal. — AP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Up in flames
Fire hits South Australia
Adelaide — A massive wildfire destroyed 26 houses. It happened in Adelaide, southern Australia. Officials reported the news on January 5. Twenty-nine people were injured in the fire. — AP
Exercises
1. Where is Lake Taupo located?
a. Switzerland.
b. New Zealand.
c. Ireland.
2. How many people were killed in the blast in Sana’a, Yemen?
3. How old is Kwan Yomin?
Vocabulary
- satirical (adj): using humour to show faults or weaknesses in order to criticise somebody or something
parachutist (n): a person who jumps from a plane using a parachute
anonymity (n): the state of remaining unknown to most other people
syndicate (n): a group of people or companies who work together and help each other in order to achieve a particular aim
distress (n): a situation in which a ship, plane, etc. is in danger or difficulty and needs help
