Big blaze
Firefighters on April 7 try to extinguish a fire at a petrochemical plant in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, China. At least six people were injured in the blaze. — Reuters
Captain’s crime
Coral poacher fined
Tokyo — A Japanese court on April 7 sentenced a Chinese fishing boat skipper to a suspended 18-month prison term for poaching coral at islands off Tokyo.
The Yokohama District Court also fined the 43-year-old captain 4 million yen (about 1.1 million baht) for illegally collecting red coral last November in the sea off the Ogasawara Islands in Japan, 1,000 kilometres south of Tokyo.
The ruling comes as Japan cracks down on poachers due to the increasing numbers of Chinese fishing boats spotted plundering red coral, which is highly prized in China and used for ornaments and jewelry. — DPA
Tunnel vision
Drug smugglers caught
Tijuana, Mexico — Nine people in Mexico were caught on April 7 digging a tunnel that was apparently to be used to sneak drugs into California, officials said.
The detainees had been digging from inside a house in the northwest border town of Tijuana, National Defence officials said.
The tunnel was about 20 metres underground and reachable by climbing down a ladder through a closet in the house. Army troops also seized a truck that the detainees had been using to take away soil from the digging. — AFP
Destructive storm
Bangladeshi victims survey the damage to their homes caused by massive storms in Bogra, Bangladesh. The disaster killed more than 30 people, authorities reported on April 6. — AFP
Fatal fall
Teen dies in police pursuit
New York — Police said a New York City teenager died after falling off the roof of a six-storey building as police officers attempted an arrest, authorities reported on April 5.
The New York Police Department said that 17-year-old Hakeem Kuta succumbed to injuries from the fall in the Bronx. Police said Kuta appeared to have misjudged a ledge while backing away from approaching officers.
Police spokesman Stephen Davis said previously that officers had chased the teenager and other teenagers up the stairs after somebody complained that they were smoking marijuana. — AP
Jewel heist
Thieves steal over Easter
London — Thieves took advantage of the Easter holiday to cut into dozens of safety deposit boxes in London’s famous Hatton Garden jewellery quarter, police said on April 8.
Police were alerted only on April 7, four days after the Easter holiday began. The raiders reportedly used heavy cutting tools to enter the vault via a lift shaft, as British media speculated that the operation could turn out to be one of the world’s biggest jewellery thefts.
Police said they were working with the company to identify the owners of up to 70 boxes that were opened during the raid. The Hatton Garden Safety Deposit Company claims to be one of London’s leading safe deposit companies. — DPA
Wet Mass
Storms hit Easter ceremony
Vatican City — Pope Francis and tens of thousands of people braved a rainstorm for Easter Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square in Italy, local media reported on April 5.
Pope Francis was shielded from the pelting rain by a canopy outside St Peter’s Basilica, while prelates carried umbrellas in the yellow and white colours of the Vatican.
Following days of warm temperatures and sunshine, Rome was lashed by thunderstorms during the Mass. During that ceremony, the Pope encouraged people to go beyond their comfort zone and banish indifference from their lives. — AP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Illegal load
Officials seize tons of drugs
Bogota, Colombia — Navy officials seized 5.2 tons of cocaine on a ship. Fourteen crew members were arrested. It happened in Narino, Colombia. It was the biggest ever cocaine seizure in Colombia’s Pacific region, authorities said. — AP
Exercises
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the story about the jewel heist in London?
a. At least 700 deposit boxes were stolen.
b. Thieves stole Easter eggs from the Hatton Garden Company.
c. The Hatton Garden Safety Deposit Company is a safe deposit company.
2. How old was Hakeem Kuta?
3. Who is the Labour Ministry’s permanent secretary?
Vocabulary
- petrochemical (n): any chemical substance obtained from petroleum oil or natural gas
poach (v): to illegally hunt birds, animals, fish, etc. on somebody else’s property or without permission
ornament (n): an object that is worn as jewellery
canopy (n): a cover that is faxed or hangs above something as a shelter or decoration
indifference (n): a lack of interest, feeling or reaction towards somebody or something
