Free to choose
Myanmar people wait to cast their ballot at a polling station in Mandalay, Myanmar on November 8. The country held the first general elections since 1990 in which all major parties contested a poll. — EPA
Taliban bomb
Militants attack elders
Khar — A roadside bomb killed an anti-Taliban tribal elder in a lawless Pakistani district bordering Afghanistan on November 3, officials said.
The bomb exploded when Malik Mohammad Younis, a prominent elder of the Salarzai tribe, was travelling in a vehicle with his two sons.
“Malik Mohammad Younis was killed and his two sons were wounded after a bomb planted on a roadside exploded as their vehicle passed,” tribal administration official Saaz Mohammad said. — AFP
Taxi attack
Driver rapes victim
New Delhi — An Indian Uber taxi driver convicted of raping a passenger was on November 3 sentenced to life in prison.
The victim, a 25-year-old finance executive, was assaulted while travelling from her workplace to her home in the north of Delhi.
Driver Shiv Kumar Yadav, 32, was found guilty of rape, criminal intimidation and kidnapping. He had pleaded not guilty. Soon after the attack, Delhi Police temporarily banned Uber, saying it had failed to conduct basic safety checks. — DPA
Rally together
On November 7, Kashmiri Muslims attend a public rally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Srinagar, India. — EPA
Equal rights
Court allows adoptions
Bogota — In a historic decision, Colombia’s constitutional court opened the door on November 4 for same-sex couples to legally adopt children in the conservative South American nation.
In the 6-2 ruling, the court said adoption agencies can’t discriminate against gay, lesbian and transsexual couples during an adoption process.
“A person’s sexual orientation or gender are not indicative of a lack of suitability to adopt,” chief justice Maria Victoria Calle Correa told a news conference after the court announced its decision. — AP
Early election
Prime Minister wins a third term
Belize City — Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow won a record third term in a snap general election in the tiny English-speaking Central American country on November 4, after his party gained a clear majority in parliament.
Dean, a 64-year-old lawyer, called the vote in late September more than a year ahead of schedule amid signs his political opponents were regrouping and fears generous Venezuelan aid crucial to his budget may be at risk. — Reuters
Corruption conviction
Official gets 12 years
Beijing — A former senior Communist official and ally of ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang was sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption on November 3, a court said.
Li Chongxi, was convicted of accepting 11 million yuan (61.8 million baht) in bribes. Assets worth 1 million yuan were seized from him, the Nanchang People’s Intermediate Court said.
Li is the latest in a long string of Zhou’s former allies to be jailed under President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption drive. — AFP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Volcano day
Eruptions close airports
Jakarta — Mount Rinjani erupted. It happened on Lombok Island in Indonesia on November 4. Several nearby airports were temporarily closed. — AP
Exercises
1. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the news about Li Chongxi’s conviction?
a. Li was sentenced to 21 years in prison for corruption.
b. Li was convicted of accepting 11 million US dollars in bribes.
c. Li was a former senior Communist official.
2. An Indian taxi driver convicted of raping a passenger was sentenced to death. True or false?
3. What bus number was most complained about, according to a recent report by the Ministry of Transport?
Vocabulary
- elder (n): people of greater age, experience and authority
intimidation (n): to frighten or threaten somebody so that they will do what you want
adopt (v): to take somebody else’s child into your family and become its legal parents
