American Sniper

‘American Sniper’ killer given life

A former Marine on Tuesday was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of murdering the US Navy SEAL whose story inspired the blockbuster movie American Sniper.

After deliberating less than three hours, jurors unanimously rejected claims from Eddie Ray Routh, 27, that he was not guilty by way of insanity when he killed famed sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield at a Texas shooting range in February 2013.

The two-week trial in Erath County, about 160km southwest of Dallas, attracted massive media attention across the US, coinciding with the release of Clint Eastwood’s movie based on Kyle’s experiences in Iraq.

The jury of two men and 10 women found Routh guilty with a unanimous vote.

Erath County District Court Judge Jason Cason sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It was a capital case, but prosecutors took the death penalty off the table before the trial started, the Washington Post reported.

Kyle and Littlefield were killed after Routh’s mother asked the Navy SEAL veteran to help her son with post-traumatic stress disorder, the said.

They picked him up in Kyle’s pickup truck the day of the killings with plans to enjoy the shared hobby of shooting and offer some ways to help.

Kyle, a father of two, was shot six times with one of his own .45-caliber pistols, including a wound to the back that pierced his aorta and another to the jaw that caused a lethal spinal cord injury, the Post said.

Littlefield, a father of one, was hit seven times, including four that would have been instantly fatal, according to court testimony.

Judy Littlefield, Chad’s mother, made a brief statement after the verdict.

“We have waited two years for God to give us justice on behalf of our son, and God has proved to be faithful,” she said. “We are so thrilled that we have the verdict that we have.”

Kyle, officially credited with killing 160 people during four military tours, was lionized in the blockbuster film starring Bradley Cooper as the soldier.

Routh’s attorneys pleaded insanity and said their client was gripped by psychosis. Routh said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

After the shootings on Feb. 2, 2013, Routh took Kyle’s truck and was later arrested at the home of his sister.

He allegedly confessed to the killings after complaining that “people were sucking his soul and that he could smell the pigs.”

During the trial, jurors heard how Kyle and Littlefield knew something was badly wrong minutes before Routh opened fire.

“This dude is straight up nuts,” Kyle wrote to Littlefield in an alarmed text message.

“He’s right behind me, watch my six,” replied his friend, using military jargon for “watch my back.”

It is not clear how much Kyle and Littlefield knew about Routh’s mental instability.

Routh, who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, had been released from psychiatric treatment about a week before meeting Kyle and Littlefield for the first and last time, the Post said.

Jurors also heard emotional testimony from Kyle’s widow, Taya, who sobbed as she recounted their life together.

Lawyers had questioned whether Routh could receive a fair trial in the small town, given the success of American Sniper and the widely held view of Kyle as a hero.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2015/02/26/2003612302

Structure of the Lead：

WHO- A former Marine

WHEN- On Tuesday 

WHAT-Be sentenced to life in prison 

WHY- murdering the US Navy SEAL 

WHERE- not given

HOW- nor given

Keywords：

1. parole：假釋

2. deliberate：深思熟慮

3. unanimously ：全體一致地

4. coincide：巧合

5. prosecutor：檢察官

6. veteran：老兵,有經驗的人

7. upgrade：改進更新

8. testimony：證詞

9. verdict ：裁決

10.lionize ： 捧...為名人

week3- Six firemen killed when blazing bowling alley collapses in Taiwan

Six firemen killed when blazing bowling alley collapses in Taiwan

Six firemen were killed today as they fought a blaze that engulfed a bowling alley in northern Taiwan.

The men, all in their 20s, were trapped and killed in a sudden burst of flames which caused the partial collapse of the building in Taoyuan county.

Two of the firemen who died had graduated from Taiwan Police Academy only last year.

The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning when the venue was shut, police said.

About 90 firefighters had been sent to the scene and two workers were rescued uninjured, the Taoyuan fire department said.

“There was a lot of smoke. We decided that our firemen should stop going in and requested our colleagues to pull out, but they did not have time to evacuate during a sudden burst of flames,” said fire department official Shih Shou-yang.

An initial investigation revealed the fire could have been started by a fault in a electricity conversion system, installed on the second floor of the bowling alley, which was an illegal structure, department officials said.

Taoyuan’s mayor Cheng Wen-tsan ordered the operators of the illegal bowling alley to be punished, and called for all illegal structures in the county to be demolished.

Cheng wrote on his Facebook page: “Great sadness. Six firemen unfortunately died in the line of duty.” 

The families of each of the firemen that died would receive a consolation payment of NT$19 million (about HK$4.7 million), he said.

Cheng also promised that firefighting equipment and facilities at all fire departments in Taoyuan would be upgraded, and subsidies for firemen would be increased.

Local news media said that the six dead firemen, including the two new graduates, were not experienced enough to have tackled a major fire like this.

They urged the authorities to ensure that such a tragedy never happened again.

Earlier this month, five mainland Chinese firefighters were killed in Harbin, in Heilongjiang province, in a blaze at a warehouse.

The oldest of the firemen was aged 22, while the youngest, aged 18, had completed only one month's training before he died, The Beijing News said.

Inexperience and the high staff turnover had contributed to the deaths of the young firemen, mainland media reported.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1682795/six-firemen-killed-tackling-blaze-taiwan

 Structure of the Lead：
WHO- Six firefighters

WHEN- 20, Jan., 2015

WHAT- Six firemen killed when blazing bowling alley collapses in Taiwan

WHY- not given

WHERE- Bowling alley in Taoyuan
HOW- nor given

Keywords：
1. engulf：捲入
2. venue：犯罪地點
3. evacuate：撤離
4. illegal：違法的
5. demolish：毀壞
6. consolation：撫慰金
7. upgrade：改進更新
8. warehouse：倉庫

week2-Pakistan arrests Peshawar school massacre suspects

Pakistan arrests Peshawar school massacre suspects
Pakistan announced the arrest of 12 members of the Pakistani Taliban over their alleged involvement in a deadly attack on a Pakistani school, an army spokesman said.

Another nine members of what is believed to be a 27-member cell have already been killed, Major-General Asim Saleem Bajwa told a media briefing on Thursday.

Bajwa credited the cooperation by neighbouring Afghanistan - where six of the men were arrested based on tips from Pakistani intelligence.

"Our cooperation is growing," Bajwa said - particularly since the December 16 assault on an army-run school in the city of Peshawar that killed 150 people, mostly uniformed schoolchildren.

In the wake of that attack, both Pakistan and Afghanistan mutually pledged to work together and fight armed groups.

Previously the two neighbours routinely traded accusations that each was harbouring the other's fugitives in lawless tribal areas along their mutual border.

Islamic governance
The Taliban are a loose umbrella of dozens of local armed groups bent on toppling the Pakistani government and installing their own harsh brand of Islamic governance.

Taliban attacks have killed tens of thousands of Pakistanis in the past decade.

Bajwa, the army spokesman, said Pakistan has also been working closely with the Afghan government over the hunt for Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah - who is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.

He showed taped confessions from two of the arrested fighters, who said Fazlullah ordered the attack and assigned commanders.

He also identified a mosque prayer leader who sheltered the attackers the night before they stormed the school.
Bajwa claimed that an ongoing Pakistani army offensive launched last June against fighters in the North Waziristan tribal region was progressing well, saying that the fighters had been squeezed into a corner.

But he sought international community support for the ongoing fight against the fighters.

"I want to say that it is time for the world to do more for Pakistan," Bajwa said.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/150213054712848.html

Structure of the Lead：
WHO- the members of the Pakistani Taliban
WHEN- In December
WHAT- arrests Peshawar school massacre suspects
WHY- not given
WHERE- Pakistan
HOW- not given

Keywords：
1. Peshawar：白紗瓦（城市名）
2. suspect：嫌疑犯
3. alleged：涉嫌的
4.involvement：政治活動

week1- Air Asia Flight 8501

AirAsia Flight 8501: Pilots Cut Power To Critical Computers Shortly Before Crash: Report

The pilots of AirAsia Flight 8501 cut power to a critical computer system designed to prevent the aircraft going out of control a short time before the plane crashed in the Java sea Dec. 28, according to people with direct knowledge of the investigation into the crash, cited in a Bloomberg report.

The decision to cut power to the computers was reportedly a factor in causing the crash. The sources said that the pilots were attempting to address alerts from other flight control computers, and subsequently cut power to the entire system, which comprises two separate computers that back each other up.

An aviation safety consultant told Bloomberg that Airbus, the manufacturer of the aircraft in question, an A320, discourages pilots from cutting power to systems, as the aircraft is highly dependent on its computer systems, and one component of the system can affect others.

Questions about the flight's final moments still remain, but significant information about those last seconds has come to light in recent days.

Yesterday it was revealed that that Flight 8501's relatively inexperienced first officer was at the aircraft's controls when it made what investigators described as an “unbelievably” steep climb, ascending 5,000 feet in just 30 seconds.

Such a rate of climb is outside the performance envelope of the A320. It is believed that the climb may have slowed the aircraft to the extent that its wings ceased to generate lift.

"It is not normal to climb like that. It's very rare for commercial planes, which normally climb just 1,000 to 2,000 feet per minute," Indonesia's transport minister, Ignasius Jonan, told the BBC. "It can only be done by a fighter jet," he added.

The first officer, Rémi-Emmanuel Plesel, had just over 2,200 hours of logged flight experience, while captain Iriyanto had more than 20,000 hours.

Data from the aircraft's black box recorders has given investigators a “pretty clear picture” of what happened in its final moments, according to Reuters.

Indonesian search and rescue teams recently suspended an operation that was attempting to lift the aircraft's fuselage from the sea floor using balloons. The wreckage is reportedly too fragile to be lifted and authorities believe that no bodies remain inside.

http://www.ibtimes.com/airasia-flight-8501-pilots-cut-power-critical-computers-shortly-crash-report-1799964

Structure of the Lead：
WHO- not given

WHEN- Dec. 28

WHAT- AirAsia Flight 8501 crash

WHY- cut power to a critical computer system

WHERE- the Java sea
HOW- nor given

Keywords：
1. subsequently：後來隨後
2. comprise：包含構成
3. aviation safety consultant：飛安顧問
4. inexperienced：經驗不足的
5. cease：停止
6. commercial plane：商務機
7. captain：機長
8. fuselage：機身

9. wreckage：殘骸

10. fragile：易碎的

week7- Himalayas avalanche

Nepal snowstorms kill at least 20 people in Himalayas

The search for trekkers missing after blizzards swept through Nepal resumed on Thursday as the death toll from the extreme weather reached at least 20 people, including eight foreign hikers.

Rescuers said the death toll could rise as dozens of other foreigners and locals who had been trekking were out of contact due to poor communication links and could have been caught in blizzards.

An avalanche buried one Indian and four Canadian trekkers in Phu on Wednesday, said the chief administrator of Manang district. The snow buried the trekkers’ bodies and digging them out would take days, he said.

Three yak herders were killed in the same district, about 100 miles north-west of the capital, Kathmandu, and their bodies were recovered on Wednesday.

In neighbouring Mustang district, four trekkers caught in a blizzard died on Tuesday. Rescuers recovered the bodies of the two Poles, one Israeli and one Nepali from the Thorong La pass area. The pass is on a route that circles Mount Annapurna, the world’s 10th highest peak.

It was initially thought the group had been caught in an avalanche, but Baburam Bhandari, governor of Mustang, said the group perished in a blizzard.

He added that emergency workers had rescued five German, five Polish and four Israeli trekkers who were trapped in the snowfall early on Wednesday. One German tourist fractured his leg, he said. They were taken to Jomson town by helicopter.

Police said eight Nepalis had also been killed in Mustang, which is about 150 km (93 miles) northwest of the capital, Kathmandu.

A government official said more bodies were likely to be found and that it was unclear how many people were on the snow-covered route, but dozens were believed to be stranded.

An avalanche on Mount Dhaulagiri – near the Annapurna area – hit climbers at the base camp who were preparing to scale the 8,167m (26,800ft) peak, the world’s seventh tallest. Two of the missing climbers were from Slovakia and three were Nepalese guides.

Weather forecasters said the blizzard was caused by cyclone Hudhud, which hit neighbouring India several days ago.

October is the most popular trekking season in Nepal, with thousands of foreigners hiking in the Himalayan mountains.

An avalanche in April just above the base camp on Mount Everest killed 16 Nepalese guides, the deadliest single disaster ever on the mountain. Climate experts say rising global temperatures have contributed to avalanches in the Himalayas.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/15/himalayan-snowstorm-nepal-mustang-district

Structure of the Lead：
WHO- trekkers, at least twenty people including eight foreign hikers.
WHEN-15 Oct. 2014, on Thursday
WHAT- trekkers missing after blizzards swept through Nepal resumed on Thursday
WHY-Nepal snowstorms
WHERE- Himalayas
HOW- the extreme weather

Keywords：
1.trekker：旅行者
2. resume：恢復
3. the death toll：死亡人數統計
4. avalanche：雪崩
5. administrator：管理人員
6. perish：毀滅
7 fracture：使斷裂
8. strand：處於困境
9. scale ：攀登
10. cyclone：旋風

week6-Massive Volcanic Eruption in Japan

Massive Volcanic Eruption in Japan

Dangerously thick plumes of volcanic ash have caused a significant number of flight cancellations and delays in southern Japan. The eruption of Mount Aso - one of the largest volcanoes in the world - also shook Kyushu island with a massive boom before raining lava and searing rocks on its largely uninhabited countryside.

The volcano and its respective island are about 625 miles away from Tokyo, and so far, no reports have come in concerning injury or death. However, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), this was a relatively unexpected blast, as Aso hasn't seen significant volcanic activity in more than 22 years. Concerns were first raised on Tuesday, when minor activity was detected, but local observatories had not expected the activity to increase in scale in a mere two days, according to The Associated Press.

The Thursday blast sent flying debris and a thick column of smoke and ash more than 3,200 feet into the sky. Planes will often stay grounded or be diverted to a longer route to avoid these conditions, as ash not only cuts visibility, but can clog even the most advanced of jet turbines, leading to dangerous engine failure of even fire.

Volcanic Ash Advisories kept planes grounded on Thursday, and have persisted into Saturday, sacrificing traveler convenience for the sake of safety.

A Japan Airlines spokesperson told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) that they had to cancel twelve flights in all on Thursday and have since been redirecting inbound air traffic to new destinations further from or around Kyushu island.

Japan has been seeing an uncharacteristic amount of volcanic activity recently, even for a country frequently assaulted by geological disasters. Another unexpected eruption that occurred last September trapped hundreds of hikers on Mount Ontake under thick volcanic ash. Search-and-rescue efforts revealed that 56 people had succumbed to asphyxiation, making it Japan's most tragic volcanic disaster in nearly 90 years.

Researchers suggest that these eruptions are becoming harder to predict because Japan's massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami event has left the region like a shaken bottle of champagne - ready to blow at any minute with little warning.

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/10788/20141129/massive-volcanic-eruption-japan.htm

Structure of the Lead：

WHO- not given

WHEN-29 Nov. 2014

WHAT- Massive Volcanic Eruption in Japan

WHY-Not given

WHERE- in southern Japan

HOW- Before raining lava and searing rocks on its largely uninhabited countryside.

Keywords：

1.lava：熔岩

2. observatory：天文台

3. blast：使爆炸

4. divert：使分心

5. clog：塞滿

6. turbine：渦輪

7 redirect：使改方向

8. inbound：歸國的

9. uncharacteristic ：不尋常的

10. geological：地質學的

week5-Boko Haram's treatment of captured Nigerian girls detailed in new report

Boko Haram's treatment of captured Nigerian girls detailed in new report

Nigerian girls have endured physical torture, rape and forced marriages in the secret forest camps of Islamist terror organization Boko Haram, according to a new Human Rights Watch report released Monday.

The report draws on interviews with 46 victims and witnesses of the group's destructive actions. Boko Haram came to international attention in April, when its fighters abducted more than 270 girls from a boarding school in northeastern Nigeria. The kidnapping sparked an international outcry and put pressure on the Nigerian government to secure their release.

Dozens of the captured girls have escaped, but officials estimate that 220 remain missing.Earlier this month, Nigerian officials claimed the release of the girls was near after a cease-fire agreement had been reached with the group. However, there has been no sign that the captives are close to being released, and thirty teenage girls and boys have been kidnapped since Wednesday from villages around Mafa town, 25 miles from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, the local government chairman Shettima Maina told reporters.

Escaping residents said Boko Haram insurgents abducted 80 girls and women from neighboring Adamawa state on Oct. 18.Older women in the group were released the following day and said the extremists kept about 40 younger women and girls, according to the residents. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation by the insurgents.In all, the group is believed to have abducted more than 500 women and girls since 2009.

One 19-year-old told how she and her five friends were ambushed, captured, and threatened with death by Boko Haram fighters while walking to school. They were released after several days only after promising to convert to Islam and give up school.

The report describes how the group, whose name means "Western education is forbidden" in a rough translation, targets Christians and students, threatening to beat or kill them unless they convert to Islam, stop attending school, and wear the traditional hijab.

Other kidnapping victims are forced to take part in attacks and carry ammunition during a battle, and some are used to lure Christian men to places where they will be killed by Boko Haram, the report states.

The report also alleges that girls who escape are largely ignored by the Nigerian government, despite their potential intelligence value. Human Rights Watch claims that Boko Haram's captives have information on the group's chain of command and its information-gathering capability, but are "rarely, if ever" interviewed.

Last week, the Associated Press reported that people who escaped from Bama, a town in a part of northeastern Nigeria where Boko Haram has declared an Islamic caliphate, say hundreds of residents are being detained for allegedly breaking the group's strict version of Shariah law.

Residents who got out of Bama said so many people have been detained by Boko Haram that the local jail is overcrowded and houses are being used as makeshift prisons. Many young men have been forced to join Boko Haram, and those who refuse are killed, said those who ran away.

People are jailed after brief "trials" for infringements like smoking cigarettes, said Amina Bukar, a middle-aged woman who said she hiked through the bush for five days before reaching Maiduguri, the Borno state capital nearly 50 miles away.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/10/27/boko-haram-treatment-captured-nigerian-girls-detailed-in-new-report/

Structure of the Lead：

WHO- Nigerian girls

WHEN-27 Oct. 2014

WHAT-have endured physical torture, rape and forced marriages in the secret forest camps of Islamist                             terror organization Boko Haram

WHY-Not given

WHERE-in northeastern Nigerian

HOW-not given

Keywords：

1. abduct：劫持

2. outcry：強烈抗議

3. estimate：評斷

4. insurgent：叛亂者

5. extremist：極端主義者 

6. anonymity：匿名者

7 retaliation ：報仇　

8. ambush：伏擊

9. ammunition ：軍火

10. detain：拘留