Not forgotten
Japanese Buddhist monks bow and pray for Nanjing massacre victims at the Memorial Museum in Nanjing, China on December 13. Air raid sirens sounded in the city as it marked the 75th anniversary of the mass killings at the hands of Japanese soldiers there during World War II. — AFP
Tonnes of tusks
Illegal cargo seized
Kuala Lumpur — Malaysian authorities seized 1,500 elephant tusks in a shipment that was believed to have been headed to China. Customs officials said on December 12.
At the beginning of December inspectors at Port Klang harbour found 24 tonnes of tusks hidden in secret compartments in containers of timber.
The shipment originated from Togo, West Africa, and sailed to Spain, where it was transferred to another ship before arriving in Malaysia. — AP
Monks march
Hundreds protest in Myanmar
Yangon — Hundreds of Buddhist monks took to the streets of several cities and towns in Myanmar on December 12 to protest against police violence during a crackdown on demonstrators at a copper mine last month.
On December 12, about 100 monks marched peacefully in the commercial capital, Yangon, from the city’s Shwedagon Pagoda, towards the city centre amidst heavy police security. Hundreds also demonstrated in Mandalay and in Pakokku, 600 kilometres northwest of Yangon. — Reuters
Winter wonderland
A decorative snowman and bear on December 12 are on display at a country house estate in Grabovnica village in Central Croatia. The estate displays 1.3 million Christmas lights and turns the area into a winter wonderland in December each year. — Reuters
Great change
New marriage law introduced
Montevideo — Uruguayan lawmakers approved a bill on December 12 to legalise same-sex marriage and sent it on to the Senate.
The Chamber of Deputies approved the measure after eight hours of debate. The result was greeted with applause from around 200 activists watching from the gallery.
The bill was introduced by members of President Jose Mujica’s leftist Frente Amplio Party.
“This is a measure to equalise the institution of marriage independent of the sex of the couple,” Frente legislator Julio Bango said. — AFP
Long life
New Yorkers get good news
New York — New Yorkers are living longer than Americans overall, and the margin is increasing, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on December 11 as he praised his administration’s health policies.
A New Yorker born in 2010 has an average life expectancy of 80.9 years, 2.2 years longer than the national life expectancy of 78.7 years.
Since 2001, New Yorkers’ life expectancy has increased by three years, according to data released by Bloomberg and the city’s health department. — AFP
Drastic action
Flight attendants threaten service
Hong Kong — Flight attendants with Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific Airways are threatening to withhold food, alcohol and even smiles from passengers during the Christmas holidays over a pay dispute, a union official said on December 13.
Cabin staff at the airline voted at a union meeting in the middle of December in favour of industrial action that could also result in flight delays.
“We may not provide alcoholic drinks or meals to our passengers,” union chief Tsang Kwok-fung said. — AP
EASY NEWS FOR M1-3
Big bust
Woman caught with hidden drugs
Madrid — Spanish police caught a woman with drugs. She had 1.3 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in her breast implants. Officials reported the news on December 12.
Exercises
1. What happened in Myanmar?
a. Monks gathered to join a religious ceremony.
b. Monks staged a protest.
c. Locals gave offerings to monks.
2. A New Yorker born in 2010 has an average life expectancy of 89 years. True or false?
3. How many tonnes of rice has the Thai cabinet agreed to donate to the Philippines?
Vocabulary
- massacre (n): the killing of a large number of people especially in a cruel way
compartment (n): one of the separate sections that something such as a piece of furniture has for keeping things in
timber (n): wood that is prepared for use in building, etc.
implant (n): something that is put into a person’s body in a medical operation
lawmaker (n): a person in government who makes the laws of a country
equalise (v): to make things equal in size, quantity, value, etc. in the whole of a place or group
legislator (n): a member of a group of people that has the power to make laws
margin (n): an extra amount of something such as time, money, etc. that you include in order to make sure something is successful
