IN BRIEF (Page 12)

New Zealand

Drone nearly hits plane from Japan

Air New Zealand said on Tuesday that a drone came within meters of a flight descending into Auckland Airport from Tokyo, putting the safety of 278 passengers and crew at risk. After Sunday's incident, the national carrier is calling for prison terms for drone operators who endanger lives. Air New Zealand said the pilots of Flight NZ92 spotted the drone about 5 meters from their Boeing 777-200 at a point in their descent when it was impossible to take evasive action.

Japan

Key figure refuses to testify on deal

A key figure in a document-tampering scandal involving the Finance Ministry on Tuesday refused to testify on exactly how the ministry's financial bureau had deliberately altered the documents. He denied that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe or his wife instructed bureaucrats to alter documents to erase signs of their role in a school land sale scandal. Opposition lawmakers criticized Sagawa's silence, demanding Abe's wife, Akie, and others testify.

Brazil

Court dismisses Lula's latest appeal

A Brazilian federal court on Monday rejected an appeal made by former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's lawyers, upholding his conviction for corruption and money laundering. The three judges rejected Lula's appeal, leaving him ineligible to run in the presidential campaign in October, the official Agencia Brasil reported. Lula was found guilty of corruption and money laundering in the first trial in 2017 and was sentenced to prison for nine and a half years.

United States

Gun maker files for bankruptcy

Remington Outdoor Company, the oldest and largest gunmaker in the country, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday. It happened one day after the nationwide March for Our Lives rally against gun violence in honor of the 17 students and faculty members killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Remington was sued by families of victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting which happened in December 2012.

Europe

Orange snow falls in eastern region

Parts of Russia and Eastern Europe are covered by orange-tinted snow this week, a bizarre weather phenomenon caused by sand blown from the Sahara desert across Europe. Storms in northern Africa, which picked up sand, dust and pollen from the Sahara and blew them across the Mediterranean and Europe, turned the snow orange by mixing them with snow and rain. The phenomenon takes place every five years or so, and has occurred in other parts of the world.

(China Daily 03/28/2018 page12)