W 7--Himalayan snowstorm kills 17, over 100 remain missing

Himalayan snowstorm kills 17, over 100 remain missing

AFP
October 16, 2014, 12:01 am TWN

KATMANDU -- A snowstorm in the Himalayan region of central Nepal has killed 17 foreign trekkers and a Nepali, while more than 100 other people remain out of contact, officials said on Wednesday.

In a separate incident, rescuers are searching for a 67-year-old French man who fell into a river on Tuesday while following the Manaslu trekking route, police said.

A total of 168 tourists had registered to trek in remote Mustang district near the highly popular Annapurna circuit this week, before the snowstorm hit on Tuesday, police official Ganesh Rai told AFP.

“There has been heavy snowfall in the area, up to three feet (91 centimeters),” said Rai, who is in charge of the rescue effort.

“Among the dead are two Polish trekkers and one Israeli. A Nepali was also buried by the snow,” he said, without giving further details.

Authorities rescued 13 trekkers stranded in the storm after the weather cleared on Wednesday, but the remaining 152 foreign tourists remain out of contact.

“The phone network is not very good so we have not been able to get in touch with the missing, but we hope to find them later today,” Mustang district official Baburam Bhandari said.

Thousands of trekkers visit the Annapurna region every October, when weather conditions are usually favorable for hiking trips.

However, Mustang has seen unusually heavy snowfall this week as a result of Cyclone Hudhud, which struck neighboring India's eastern coast at the weekend, killing 22 people and causing widespread devastation there.

The cyclone also sparked heavy downpours in other parts of central and western Nepal, including hilly Gorkha district, where the French trekker slipped and fell into the Budhi Gandaki river.

“The accident happened around 9 a.m. on Tuesday ... we think it was because the track was slippery due to recent heavy rains. Rescue operations are ongoing,” Gorkha police chief Ramesh Thapa told AFP.

The hiker was part of a team of 10 tourists heading up the scenic Manaslu route, named after Mount Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak, and developed as an alternative to the crowded Annapurna circuit.

The incidents come after the deadliest avalanche to hit Mount Everest left 16 people dead in April and forced an unprecedented shutdown of the world's highest peak.

The avalanche that tore through a group of sherpas — who were hauling gear up the mountain for their foreign clients before dawn — saw scores of expeditions cancelled.

The effective closure of the mountain for the season dealt a huge blow to the poor country which is highly reliant on tourism revenues from climbing and trekking.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/other/2014/10/16/419517/Himalayan-snowstorm.htm

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-foreign trekkers, officials

   WHEN-on Wednesday

   WHAT- killed 17 foreign trekkers and more than 100 other people remain out of contact

   WHERE- in the Himalayan region of central Nepal 

   HOW-A snowstorm

Keywords：

   1. trekker：登山者

   2. register：登記

   3.  circuit ：路線

   4. devastation：毀壞

   5. cyclone ：氣旋

   6. downpour：大雨

   7.  avalanche：雪崩

   8.  unprecedented：史無前例

   9. haul：運輸

 10. expedition：遠征

W 6--Scottish referendum a model for Taiwan

Scottish referendum a model for Taiwan

Wed, Sep 24, 2014 - Page 8

By Hsu Yung-ming 徐永明

After the Scottish independence referendum ends, a new UK will surely emerge. Rather than having London as the core, there is now a call for a fairer balance of power throughout the union.

The flag of Scotland will now stand for more than just the blue backdrop to the Union Jack, as the Scottish people’s decision to remain in the union, through self-determination, has instigated the need for renewed negotiations on the UK’s constitutional arrangements. This referendum has precipitated a new understanding of what plebiscitary democracy means. Britain, an island state, set the standard for both plebiscitary democracy and nationalism in the 21st century.

What can Taiwan learn from the referendum process?

While the pro-unification and pro-independence camps might be more concerned about the outcomes from the perspective of their respective positions, this is perhaps a good time to examine Taiwan’s “birdcage” Referendum Act (鳥籠公投). The nation’s referendum process is pseudo-democratic, falling short of the more civilized standards seen in the Scottish referendum.

When Holyrood pushed for a referendum, the British Parliament at the Palace of Westminster — an instigator of modern representative democracy — did not pass a law to restrict the content of the referendum due to its fear of direct democracy. Nor did the British prime minister establish a referendum review committee to check whether a proposal was appropriate. The Scottish people did not have to collect 1 million signatures first in order to have the right to hold a referendum. Nor was a threshold imposed, so the ruling Conservative Party did not have to call on its supporters to boycott the referendum in order to nullify the results by ensuring that the threshold was not reached. As a result, there has been little controversy over the outcome, which was immediately accepted by the unification and independence camps, allowing the UK to concentrate on the future.

Of particular interest to Taiwanese was the nature of the question asked in the Scottish referendum: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

There were only two simple choices — yes or no — while the referendum was implemented by a simple majority method. This is a civilized referendum system, a model that could point the way for furthering Taiwan’s democratization.

As a former member of the Cabinet’s referendum review committee, I used to support all the proposals during my term, irrespective of whether they were proposed by the blue or the green camp. Eventually, I chose to withdraw from the committee to show my protest against the unfair mechanism.

Today, many of my former colleagues serve as Examination Yuan and Control Yuan members or chair conglomerates. This highlights the barriers of interest to the civilization of Taiwan’s referendum system.

Thanks to the efforts of their ancestors, the Scottish people have been able to avoid the bloody wars that tore Ireland in two, and now they have had the chance to decide their own future through a referendum. The option was always there and has become an example for Taiwan’s democracy to follow.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2014/09/24/2003600432

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-a new UK

   WHEN-not give

   WHAT-the Scottish independence referendum ends 

   WHERE- UK, London 

   HOW- referendum

Keywords：

         1. referendum：公投

   2. self-determination：自決

   3.  negotiation：談判

   4. plebiscitary：國民投票的

   5. pro-unification：支持統一派

   6. instigator：煽動者

   7.  threshold：門檻

   8.  colleagues：同事

   9. conglomerate ：集團

 10. ancestor：祖先

W5 -- Boko Haram denies truce, says kidnapped girls married

Boko Haram denies truce, says kidnapped girls married

7:22 p.m. EDT November 1, 2014

Ameen Auwalii, Special for USA TODAY

ABUJA, Nigeria — The leader of Nigeria's Islamist extremist group dashed hopes for the release of 200 kidnapped girls Saturday, denying reports of a truce with the government.

In a new video message, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau says the schoolgirls have converted to Islam and married off. "The issue of the girls is long forgotten because I have long ago married them off," he says, laughing.

The news goes counter to what the Nigerian government said nearly two weeks ago when it announced a cease-fire deal with the terrorist organization, raising hopes among the families of the kidnapped girls — who were taken from the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok in April — that their daughters would soon be released.

But as the weeks dragged on with no sign of the kidnapped girls, hopes began to fade.

"I was very excited when I heard the news — I will finally reunite with my daughter," said Hamidah Amira, 36, whose 17-year-old daughter was kidnapped. But then desperation set in, especially as Boko Haram abducted dozens of young women and teenagers in northeast Nigeria and continued to launch attacks that forced hundreds to flee.

Despite those incidents, the government insisted negotiations with the Islamists were ongoing in Chad, as some began to raise doubts a cease-fire was even agreed upon by the group.

Martin Ewi, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies' office in Pretoria, said he didn't think Boko Haram had agreed to a truce, citing the lack of public statements on the issue in the past two weeks.

"The government might be talking to one faction … and then you have the other factions which might not have bought into the idea of dialogue," he said.

Human Rights Watch estimates Boko Haram, whose name loosely translates as "Western education is forbidden," has abducted around 500 young women over the past five years.

Although some girls managed to escape from the Islamists, the whereabouts and the fate of the rest of the young women are uncertain.

A recent Human Rights Watch report, based on interviews with victims and witnesses of Boko Haram abductions, offers rare insight into a series of physical and sexual abuses the girls suffer in captivity, including rape, forced labor and beating.

"We found that the Nigerian government has never interviewed these girls, never really found out or learned what they've gone through, never attempted to do any kind of investigations," said Rona Peligal, Human Rights Watch deputy director for the Africa Division. "They were kind of left on their own."

Chibok resident Solomon Ali is deeply critical of the government's handling of the situation since the beginning.

"We were disappointed that the government has done nothing to ensure these girls are released," he said, adding officials have failed to keep the community informed.

Outraged by the kidnappings and the atrocities committed by Boko Haram, the international community has urged the Nigerian government to step up its efforts to free the girls. Since April, a campaign under the motto "Bring Back Our Girls" went viral on social media.

Peligal says Nigerian authorities should do a better job responding to the Boko Haram threat and ensuring protection around schools.

"The government needs to better anticipate and plan for those kinds of abductions because they're continuing," she said. "And the government should respond capably."

Ewi worries the girls would not be freed unless the government yields to Boko Haram's demands to release some of their militants.

"You can't pursue military operations and still be hoping to release the girls alive," he said.

Analysts warn the situation is likely to get worse in the months ahead of the 2015 election. Earlier this week, President Goodluck Jonathan, who is under increasing scrutiny for his failure to locate the girls, confirmed he would be running for re-election.

"The Boko Haram issue has been indeed politicized, and I expect it would be further politicized as we get closer to the election," said Peligal.

In the meantime, Amira — like other moms — waits, while making a personal appeal to Boko Haram to release her daughter and the other girls.

"They should sympathize with us, not with the government," Amira said.

 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/01/boko-haram-kidnapped-girls/18311175/

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-ABUJA, Nigeria

   WHEN-Saturday

   WHAT- dashed hopes for the release of 200 kidnapped girls

   WHERE- not give

   HOW- denying reports

Keywords：

         1. release：釋放

   2. convert：轉變

   3. marry off：嫁出去

   4. kidnap：綁架

   5. desperation：絕望

   6. abduct：拐走

   7. whereabouts ：下落

   8. witnesses ：證人

   9. scrutiny：審查

 10. politicize：政治化

W 4--Flight MH17 bodies reach Ukraine base

Flight MH17 bodies reach Ukraine base

Wed, Jul 23, 2014 

Reuters, DONETSK, Ukraine

A train carrying the remains of many of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 arrived at a Ukrainian government base yesterday on the first leg of their final journey home to be reclaimed by their families.

Five refrigerated rail cars containing 200 body bags arrived in the city of Kharkiv after pro-Russia separatists agreed to hand over the plane’s black boxes to Malaysian authorities and the bodies to the Netherlands, where many victims had lived.

The train slowly rolled into the grounds of an arms industry plant, where the remains are due to be unloaded and flown to the Netherlands.

A spokeswoman for a Dutch team of forensic experts in Kharkiv said the transfer was not expected before today.

The Malaysia Airlines plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down on Thursday last week near Donetsk, a stronghold of pro-Russian rebels, where fighting with Ukrainian troops flared again yesterday.

Western governments, including those of EU ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday, have threatened Russia with broader sanctions for what they say is its backing of the militants although they are struggling to agree a response.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would urge the separatists to allow a full investigation.

The Netherlands said it would lead the investigation, while Malaysia said it would look after the plane’s black boxes until a team was set up.

“Here they are, the black boxes,” separatist leader Aleksander Borodai told journalists at the headquarters of his self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic as an armed rebel placed the boxes on a desk.

A small group of Malaysian air crash experts became the first international accident investigators to reach the site yesterday, escorted by a convoy of international monitors and heavily armed separatist fighters.

As they went about their work, loud explosions were heard on the outskirts of Donetsk, about 60km from the site.

Putin said a Ukrainian military “tank attack” on Donetsk was “unacceptable” and urged the West to put pressure on Kiev to end hostilities.

Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Security Council, said 13 Ukrainian troops were killed in fighting in the east in the previous 24 hours when “terrorists” attacked the army and their roadblocks 20 times.

The rival sides were now fighting around the city of Lysychansk, about 130km northeast of Donetsk, he said.

Kiev also said it recaptured the adjacent town of Severodonetsk, while the rebels confirmed that they were forced out.

EU foreign ministers were meeting yesterday to discuss further penalties against Russia, but the most they are expected to do is to speed up implementation of sanctions against individuals, and possibly companies, agreed to in principle last week before the plane was brought down.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/07/23/2003595731

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-the remains of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, their families

   WHEN-yesterday

   WHAT- carrying the remains 

   WHERE- a Ukrainian government base

   HOW- use a train

Keywords：

   1. remains：遺體

   2. journey ：旅程

   3.reclaimed：回收

   4. separatists：分離主義者

   5. forensic：法庭的

   6. struggling：奮鬥

   7. investigation：調查

   8.transfer ：轉讓

   9. minister：部長

 10.terrorist：恐怖分子

W 3--Police say comic Robin Williams committed suicide

Police say comic Robin Williams committed suicide

Thu, Aug 14, 2014 

AP, SAN RAFAEL, California

Authorities on Tuesday described Robin Williams’ final moments, saying the actor and comedian hanged himself with a belt in his San Francisco Bay Area home.

Marin County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Keith Boyd said Williams was last seen alive by his wife on Sunday night when she went to bed. She woke up the next morning and left, thinking he was still asleep.

Shortly after that, Williams’ personal assistant came to the home and became concerned when Williams failed to respond to knocks at a door. The assistant found the 63-year-old actor clothed and dead in a bedroom.

Boyd said all evidence indicates Williams killed himself, but he said a final ruling will be made once toxicology reports and witness interviews are complete.

The condition of the body indicated Williams had been dead for at least several hours, Boyd said.

Williams had been seeking treatment for depression, Boyd said. He would not say whether the actor left a suicide note.

“We still have people we want to speak with, so there is some information we’re going to withhold,” he said. “We’re not discussing the note, or a note, at this point as the investigation is ongoing.”

It was no secret that the actor had periodic bouts of substance abuse and depression — he made reference to it himself in his comedy routines. Just last month, Williams announced he was returning to a 12-step treatment program.

The circumstances of the death do not help explain what motivated him, suicide experts said. They stressed that suicide is rarely triggered by a single factor. Typically there are at least two such influences, often compounded by acute stress, such as from financial hardship or troubled personal relationships.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2014/08/14/2003597411

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-Authorities,Robin Williams

   WHEN-Tuesday 

   WHAT-the actor and comedian hanged himself with a belt 

   WHY-not given

   WHERE-in San Francisco Bay Area home

   HOW- with a belt 

Keywords：

   1. comedian：喜劇演員

   2. assistant：助理

   3. toxicology：毒理學

   4. depression：沮喪

   5. ongoing ：不斷的

   6. suicide：自殺

   7. reference：參考

   8. compound：合成

   9. motivate：刺激

 10. substance abuse：藥物濫用

Week 2--MRT attacker kills 4 people, injures 22

MRT attacker kills 4 people, injures 22

Thu, May 22, 2014

By Stacy Hsu  /  Staff writer, with CNA

A 21-year-old student  allegedly killed four people and injured 22 yesterday in a random killing spree on a train of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system’s Bannan Line.

The four victims were a 47-year-old woman, a 62-year-old woman and two men aged 20 and 30. They had reportedly lost all vital signs before they were rushed to the New Taipei City Hospital’s Banciao Branch, the Taipei Hospital and the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital respectively.

It was the first deadly attack on an MRT train since the Taipei commuter rail system went into commercial service in 1996.

The suspect, who has been identified as Cheng Chieh (鄭捷) from Greater Taichung’s Tunghai University, allegedly started attacking passengers around him with a 30cm-long fruit knife while the train was traveling between the Longshan Temple Station and the Jiangzicui Station at approximately 4:26pm.

He was apprehended by security guards, police officers and other passengers shortly after the train stopped at the Jiangzicui Station, from where he was taken to the Jiangzicui police station for questioning.

According to New Taipei City Police Department Director-General Chen Kuo-en (陳國恩), Cheng boarded an MRT train heading to the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center at the Jiangzicui Station earlier in the afternoon and alighted at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station.

He subsequently hopped on the ill-fated train heading to the Banciao Station before carrying out the killing spree, Chen added.

“The suspect told us that he had since elementary school wanted to ‘do something big’ and that he had shared the idea with some of his high-school and college classmates,” Chen said.

Chen said Cheng originally planned to execute the idea after he graduated from university, but decided to move it forward to yesterday after giving it some thought last week.

“He bought two fruit knives of different sizes from a supermarket before he boarded the trains… His blood-alcohol content registered 0.04mg/L and he has no medical records of mental illness,” Chen said.

“He showed no signs of remorse during questioning,” Chen added.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said that for the next two weeks, the city government planned to deploy 80 special police officers to MRT stations to conduct routine patrols, to assist the 143 MRT police officers.

“Our priority is to restore order and security at MRT stations to make sure that our passengers do not feel afraid when taking the metro,” Hau said.

New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said the city government had instructed all available police officers to patrol the areas surrounding the city’s 34 MRT stations shortly after the incident, in an effort to tighten security.

Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (台北捷運公司) general manager Tan Gwa-guang (譚國光) said the company would give NT$4 million (US$132,000) in compensation to the families of the victims and would take care of all medical expenses incurred by the injured passengers.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/05/22/2003590929

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-A 21-year-old student,people

   WHEN-yesterday

   WHAT-a random killing

   WHY-not given

   WHERE-on a train of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system’s Bannan Line

   HOW-not given

Keywords：

   1.  injured：受傷

   2. rush：趕緊

   3. respectively：分別

   4. suspect：嫌疑

   5.apprehended：拘押

   6. patrols：巡邏

   7. priority：優先

   8. metro：地鐵

   9.  execute：執行

  10. incurred：招致