Eddie Ray Routh guilty of American Sniper Chris Kyle's murder

The judge sentenced Routh to life in prison without parole; prosecutors had not sought the death penalty.

Defence lawyers for Routh said the 27-year-old was psychotic at the time of the shootings two years ago.

But prosecutors said Routh was aware of what he was doing when he gunned the pair down at a Texas gun range in 2013.

The film based on Kyle's memoir of his four tours of duty in Iraq was nominated for best film at the Oscars this year.

The former Navy Seal, who has the most recorded kills of any US sniper, was shot and killed along with Littlefield at a rural shooting range south-west of Fort Worth.

Having retired from the military, Kyle had been helping other veterans deal with combat-related stress and mental health issues.

On the day of the killings, Kyle and Littlefield took Routh with them to go shooting after the defendant's mother asked for help in dealing with her troubled son.

Routh, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, was under extreme mental distress and was convinced the two men would turn on him on the day of the killing, his lawyers argued.

The court also heard that Routh was under the influence of marijuana and alcohol at the time of the shooting.

In addition, he had been prescribed anti-psychotic medication often used for schizophrenia, reported the Associated Press news agency.

Defence lawyers said Routh had been mentally affected by the time he spent helping earthquake relief efforts in Haiti with the Marines in 2010.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder on grounds of insanity.

However a psychologist testified for prosecutors that Routh was not legally insane, but instead had a paranoid disorder made worse by his drink and cannabis abuse, according to the Associated Press.

As prosecutors had not sought the death penalty, the sentence of life imprisonment without parole was imposed automatically by the judge.

parole有條件釋放，假釋[U]

psychotic精神病的

memoir自傳[P]

veterans富有經驗的人[（+of）]

schizophrenia精神分裂症\

pleaded【律】為（案件）辯護

paranoid 屬於偏執狂的；顯示出偏執狂症狀的

cannabis印度大麻；大麻煙原料；大麻煙

who: Routh

when:2013

why: Routh, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, was under extreme mental distress and was convinced the two men would turn on him on the day of the killing

how: As prosecutors had not sought the death penalty, the sentence of life imprisonment without parole was imposed automatically by the judge.

what: The former Navy Seal, who has the most recorded kills of any US sniper, was shot and killed along with Littlefield at a rural shooting range south-west of Fort Worth.

where:court

 source:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31617308

Six firefighters perish in Taoyuan blaze

Six firefighters, all in their 20s, were killed in Greater Taoyuan yesterday morning after the bowling alley in which they were battling a blaze collapsed. All six were found dead when rescuers managed to reach them.

Officials from the Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office announced that an inquiry would be conducted into the deaths to investigate the cause and circumstances of the fire, and to determine if there had been any negligence or dereliction of duty.

The fire broke out early yesterday morning at about 2am at a three-story building in Sinwu District (新屋). The proprietor operated a bowling alley on the second floor and a swimming pool on the ground level, with the third floor used as a dormitory for employees.

The six firemen were on the second floor, near the bowling alley’s counter area, when a burst of flames erupted at shortly before 3am and the burning structure collapsed, trapping the firefighters.

“Suddenly, we heard a loud explosion, then the burning metal-sheet roofing caved in. It was terrible, because we knew some firefighters had gone inside to battle the fire,” an eyewitness was quoted as saying.

The bodies of the six firefighters were transported to the Sinwu Branch of Taoyuan General Hospital for identification by DNA testing and post-mortem examinations.

Two civilians, including the proprietor of the building, surnamed Liu (劉), were pulled from the fire and sustained minor injuries.

A total of 104 firefighters employing 36 fire engines and other vehicles were dispatched to the blaze.

Officials including Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國), Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) and Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁) sent condolences and paid tribute to the firefighters for their sacrifice in the line of duty.

Cheng said his government would seek the maximum compensation payment possible for their dependents according to official regulations, which would be about NT$19 million (US$600,000) per family.

Taoyuan Fire Department Chief Hu Ying-ta (胡英達) said the building’s operating permit, received in 1994, approved the facility’s swimming pool business and the second floor for residential use.

“The bowling alley did not have a permit, so it was operating illegally. The third floor is also an illegal add-on structure,” Hu said, adding that the building passed a fire safety inspection last year.

After finding out the bowling alley had been operating illegally for 20 years, Cheng was incensed, mandating government officials to make inspections to identify all illegal buildings in Taoyuan within 10 days.

Meanwhile, a number of questions were asked following the incident, including whether the firefighters were equipped with inadequate protective and communication equipment; why there was a lack of accountability among government officials regarding the existence of illegal structures; and why no action had been taken against many known illegal businesses.

Commenting on the incident, the National Association for Firefighters’ Rights (NAFR) said it highlighted a widespread lack of personnel and adequate equipment among firefighting squads across the nation.

NAFR secretary-general Cheng Ya-ling (鄭雅菱) said firefighters could benefit from the use of infrared imaging equipment, such as thermographic cameras, which can be used to establish the topography and temperature of a fire prior to entry.

circumstances在這種情形下; 情形既然如此

negligence疏忽，粗心；玩忽行為

dereliction of duty.失職

proprietor所有人；業主，經營者

post-mortem死後的；驗屍的

dispatched派遣；發送；快遞[（+to）]

incensed激怒了的；憤怒的

mandating命令，指令

inadequate不充分的

WHO:SIX FIREFIGHTERS

WHAT: a great blaze in Taoyuan bowling alley burst out

WHEN: not given

HOW:mayor of the Taoyuan city mandated to make inspections to identify all illegal houses in Taoyuan within 10 days

WHERE:a bowlines alley

WHY: illegal house led to this events

source:http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/01/21/2003609731

Taliban militants killed dozens of children in an attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, Pakistan, that has left 132 people dead so far, the country’s deadliest terrorist attack since at least 2007.

Two attackers were holding 40 teachers and 20 students hostage, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Minister of Information Mushtaq Ghani said by telephone before a military source announced that a nine-hour Pakistani Army operation to retake the school was complete

All nine attackers were reportedly killed, the source said.

Four attackers blew themselves up and another was shot dead by soldiers, he said.

The strike is the worst since the army began an offensive against Taliban insurgents near the Afghan border earlier this year.

The military is expected to want to hit back hard as the Taliban looks for more so-called “soft targets,” such as shopping centers and restaurants affiliated with the armed forces, according to Omar Hamid, head of Asia-Pacific country risk at IHS Inc.

“A lot of the kids that go to this school would have parents in the army who are taking part in the operation,” Hamid said by telephone from London. “It’s an attempt to bring the conflict into the homes of the military, especially in Peshawar.”

The dead included 123 male students, as well as nine staff members, including a female teacher, Peshawar government spokesman Feroze Shah said by telephone.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Express Tribune, citing Taliban spokesman Mohammed Khorasani.

The attack was in retaliation for the military’s operation in North Waziristan and Khyber tribal agency, it said.

“This is a decisive moment in the fight against terrorism,” Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told reporters in televised remarks from Peshawar. “The people of Pakistan should unite in this fight. Our resolve will not be weakened by these attacks.”

Terrorism has killed more than 50,000 people in Pakistan since 2001 and complicated efforts to revive South Asia’s second-biggest economy.

Yesterday’s strike is the deadliest on a school since a 2004 assault by Islamic militants in Russia, according to Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore.

About 350 people died then in Beslan, North Ossetia, half of them children.

It also came a day after a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric from Iran held 17 hostages at a Sydney cafe for 16 hours. He died along with two hostages.

“Due to the momentum of events in Syria and Iraq, the number of groups in Pakistan have become more galvanized,” Gunaratna said. “You can see a trend toward hostage-taking and barricade-type situations. It’s a very serious situation.”

retake再拿；再取

 blew UP爆炸, 炸毀

insurgents起事者；暴動者；叛亂者

affiliated附屬的；相關的

retaliation報復

decisive決定性的，決定的

galvanized在……上鍍鋅

WHO:NINE ATTACKERS

WHEN:NOT GIVEN

WHERE: Pakistan

HOW: Four attackers blew themselves up and another was shot dead by soldiers

WHAT: Taliban militants killed dozens of children in an attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, Pakistan, that has left 132 people dead so far, the country’s deadliest terrorist attack since at least 2007.

WHY: The attack was in retaliation for the military’s operation in North Waziristan and Khyber tribal agency

source;http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/12/17/2003606919

weekly 1 AirAsia flight QZ8501 search area expanded

There were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew, on the plane - the majority Indonesian.

The families of the passengers have been offered a chance to fly to the location believed to be the crash site and lay flower wreaths, the commander of the Armed Forces, Gen Moeldoko, said in Surabaya.

They would fly to Pangkalan Bun, the nearest town, then be taken by a naval ship to the location in the Java Sea. He said he believed this might help "reduce their sadness and the feeling of loss".

Gen Moeldoko also assured the families that all the victims would be identified regardless of their condition when found.

He said 260 national and international doctors were working to identify the remains recovered using finger prints, dental records and bone DNA.

Officials have said the plane was travelling at 32,000ft when the pilot's last communication was a request to climb to 38,000ft to avoid bad weather.

On Saturday, Indonesian weather agency BMKG said initial analysis suggested icy conditions in the air had caused the engine to stall.

It has emerged that AirAsia did not have official permission from Indonesia to fly the Surabaya-Singapore route on the day of the crash, but was licensed on four other days of the week.

The Indonesian authorities have now suspended the company's flights on this route pending an investigation.

AirAsia - which previously had an excellent safety record with no fatal accidents involving its aircraft - said it would "fully co-operate".

At a press conference on Monday, Djoko Murjatmojo from the transportation ministry said officials at the airport operator in Surabaya and air traffic control agency who had allowed the flight to take off had been moved to other duties.

The ministry has also issued a directive making it mandatory for pilots to go through a face-to-face briefing by an airline flight operations officer on weather conditions and other operational issues prior to every flight.

wreaths花圈；花環；花冠

assured確定的；得到保證的[+（that）]

stall熄火；拋錨；失速

licensed許可，准許；發許可證給[O2][（+for）]

suspended使中止

pending等候判定或決定

mandatory義務的；強制的

WHO: Gen Moeldoko

WHEN: not given

HOW: The Indonesian authorities have now suspended the company's flights on this route pending an investigation.

WHAT: Airasia plane crashed on the Java sea

WHERE: java sea

WHY: Officials have said the plane was travelling at 32,000ft when the pilot's last communication was a request to climb to 38,000ft to avoid bad weather.

 source:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30692223

Weekly 7 'Terrorist' murdered soldier 'in cold blood,' Canada's Prime Minister says

The two shootings in Ottawa Wednesday left lawmakers barricaded inside offices and parts of the city on lockdown for hours as police searched for suspects.

Ottawa Police lifted the lockdown Wednesday night and said there was no longer a danger to the public.

But many questions remain about the shootings: Who was the gunman? Why did he open fire? And was he acting alone?

liament

"It appears there was just one shooter, and that shooter is dead," Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "But it has been a traumatic experience, obviously, for not only our city but the country."

Investigators haven't provided any possible motives for the shooting. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn't provide details about the investigation in a televised address to the nation Wednesday night.

"In the days to come, we will learn more about the terrorist and any accomplices he may have had, but this week's events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere in the world," Harper said. "Let there be no misunderstanding: We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated."

It is unclear whether additional suspects were tied to the shootings or whether additional arrests have been made. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said more information would be provided in a press conference Thursday.

As authorities continued to investigate, details began to emerge about the man they suspect was behind the shooting.

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was identified by Canadian officials to their American counterparts as the suspected gunman, multiple U.S. officials told CNN.

Bibeau, who was born in 1982, was a convert to Islam and had a history of drug use before he converted, two sources said.

His passport had been confiscated by Canadian authorities when they learned he planned to go fight overseas, a U.S. law enforcement official told CNN's Susan Candiotti. The official said it was not clear when that happened.

barricaded路障，街壘

accomplices共犯，同謀，幫兇

grim無情的；嚴厲的；殘忍的

immune免除的；免於……的

intimidated威嚇；脅迫

WHO: Ottawa Mayor AND The Royal Canadian Mounted Police

WHERE: Canadian Parliament

HOW: They investigated the result of the event

WHAT: It was not clear to be explained in this report.

WHEN: Wednesday night

WHY: Terrorist murdered soldier in cold blood

source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/22/world/americas/canada-ottawa-shooting/

Weekly6 Syria Iraq: The Islamic State militant group

Under its former name Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), it was formed in April 2013, growing out of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

It has since been disavowed by al-Qaeda, but has become one of the main jihadist groups fighting government forces in Syria and Iraq.

Its precise size is unclear but it is thought to include thousands of fighters, including many foreign jihadists.

The organisation is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Little is known about him, but it is believed he was born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971 and joined the insurgency that erupted in Iraq soon after the 2003 US-led invasion.

This rare image of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was released by the Iraqi interior ministry

In 2010 he emerged as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that later became Isis.

Baghdadi is regarded as a battlefield commander and tactician, which analysts say makes his group more attractive to young jihadists than al-Qaeda, which is led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Islamic theologian.

Prof Peter Neumann of King's College London estimates that about 80% of Western fighters in Syria have joined the group.

IS claims to have fighters from the UK, France, Germany and other European countries, as well as the US, the Arab world and the Caucasus.

Unlike other rebel groups in Syria, IS is seen to be working towards an Islamic emirate that straddles Syria and Iraq.

The group has seen considerable military success. In March 2013, it took over the Syrian city of Raqqa - the first provincial capital to fall under rebel control.

In January 2014, it capitalised on growing tension between Iraq's Sunni minority and Shia-led government by taking control of the predominantly Sunni city of Fallujah, in the western province of Anbar.

It also seized large sections of the provincial capital, Ramadi, and has a presence in a number of towns near the Turkish and Syrian borders.

The group has gained a reputation for brutal rule in the areas that it controls.

However, it was its conquest of Mosul in June that sent shockwaves around the world.

Iraqi security forces fled as IS advanced into the city of Mosul

The US said the fall of Iraq's second city posed a threat to the entire region. It may also have made ISIS the most cash-rich militant group in the world.

Initially, the group relied on donations from wealthy individuals in Gulf Arab states, particularly Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, who supported its fight against President Bashar al-Assad.

Today, IS is said to earn significant amounts from the oil fields it controls in eastern Syria, reportedly selling some of the supply back to the Syrian government. It is also believed to have been selling looted antiquities from historical sites.

Prof Neumann believes that before the capture of Mosul in June 2014, IS had cash and assets worth about $900m (£500m). Afterwards, this rose to around $2bn (£1.18bn).

The group reportedly took hundreds of millions of dollars from Mosul's branch of Iraq's central bank. And its financial windfall looked set to continue if it maintains control of oil fields in northern Iraq.

disavowed否認

insurgency暴動

invasion入侵，侵略

battlefield戰場，戰地

theologian神學家，神學研究者

emirate埃米爾的職位

straddles對……持觀望態度

predominantly佔主導地位地

presence 出席，在場；存在

looted（總稱）戰利品；掠奪物；贓物

assets財產，資產

WHY: ISIS wants to get the administration of Iraq to possess the oil fields of it.

HOW: brutal military invasion

WHERE: Syria and Iraq.

WHAT: , the group relied on donations from wealthy individuals in Gulf Arab states, particularly Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, who supported its fight against President Bashar al-Assad.

WHO: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

WHEN: January 2014

source:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24179084

Weekly5 Boko Haram Seizes Nigerian Town where Schoolgirls Were Abducted

ABUJA, NIGERIA—

The Nigerian army says it has pushed Boko Haram militants out of the northeastern town of Chibok, the home of more than 200 schoolgirls the group kidnapped earlier this year.

Army officials say the military had recaptured the town, in an operation late Saturday, just two days after it was seized by Boko Haram.

Locals say the army was aided in the operation by a local vigilante force.

There was no information about casualties from Saturday's battle.

Boko Haram has taken a number of towns in the northeastern states of Borno and Adamawa this year for a "caliphate" proclaimed by the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau.

Nigerian security forces and vigilante groups have succeeded in retaking some areas, including the Adamawa town of Mubi, freed during a battle on Thursday.

Fighting has continued despite a cease-fire announced by the Nigerian government on October 17.  Shekau said in a subsequent video that no cease-fire existed and that the kidnapped schoolgirls had been converted to Islam and married off.

The kidnapping from a Chibok secondary school April 14 made headlines and drew outrage from around the world.  The Nigerian government has been unable to rescue the schoolgirls despite surveillance and intelligence help provided by the United States, Britain and other allies.

Hundreds of fighters on motorcycles and trucks poured into the town of Chibok late afternoon Friday, overrunning the military forces and vigilante groups to take control.

“The local vigilantes did put up a fight with the contingent of the military that’s in Chibok, but they were outgunned,” said Pogo Bitrus, chairman of the Chibok elders’ forum.

Who: The Nigerian army  and Boko Haram 

Why: Army officials say the military had recaptured the town, in an operation late Saturday, just two days after it was seized by Boko Haram.

What: The Nigerian army says it has pushed Boko Haram militants out of the northeastern town of Chibok, the home of more than 200 schoolgirls the group kidnapped earlier this year.

Where: chairman of the Chibok elders’ forum.

When: not given

How: “The local vigilantes did put up a fight with the contingent of the military that’s in Chibok, but they were outgunned

recapture奪回，收復

vigilante【英】治安維持會成員；自發組織的維持治安者

subsequent後來的，其後的，隨後的[B]

surveillance看守；監視

alliy同盟國；同盟者

contingent分遣隊；代表團；（大組中的）一組[G]

outgun火力壓過；武器多於；力量超過，比……有優勢

forum討論會

source: http://www.voanews.com/content/nigerias-boko-haram-seizes-chibok-home-of-kidnapped-girls/2520472.html