2016年12月20日星期二

Paris Climate Change Conference, COP 21

Taiwan heats up climate change conference

Despite being banned from direct participation at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, NGOs from Taiwan have made their voices heard.

By Jason Pan / Staff reporter in Paris

Taiwan’s government representatives may not have been allowed to participate in the negotiation process at the Paris Climate Change Conference, but civic society organizations made their presence felt.
A number of committed climate activists from Taiwan, along with environmental groups and researchers, represented the nation at the 21st UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 21), which took place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
Because Taiwan is not a member of the UN, activists had to use other means to garner international support in order to gain entrance.
“We represent young people in Taiwan who are concerned about global warming and its effects,” said William Cheng who spoke on behalf of an environmental organization from Canada.
Cheng’s organization is classified as part of the “Youngo” (Young People’s Organizations) — non-state entities given observer status.
Other non-state entity groupings include “Engo” (Environmental Organizations), “Tungo” (Trade Union Organizations) and“IPO” (Indigenous Peoples Organizations), among others.
Lindsey Wu, an environmental activist from Taiwan, who fell under the “Engo” category, has participated in climate change meetings in the past.
“It has been very difficult for someone from Taiwan to attend these UN climate forums because the Taiwanese government is excluded from the process, and this also precludes effective participation by us NGOs,” she said.
Wu added that at times, it was frustrating to see many small Third World nations entering COP 21 venues and engaging in climate negotiation.
“It’s like the world has invited everyone to a big party, but when mentioning that we are from Taiwan, the door is slammed shut to keep us out in the cold.”

Wu believes Taiwan should forge stronger bonds with its Pacific allies such as Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and the Solomon Islands — all who were well-represented at the COP meetings.
Ghazali Ohorella, an executive of Pacific Island Youth Network, said: “Taiwan is part of the global community, and they are suffering from the effects of global warming, just like other nations; Taiwan and its NGO representatives should be allowed to participate as an equal member in the COP 21 process.”
Instead, Taiwan’s government was only allowed to send a delegation of 50 people headed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Paris. However, they tried to make the most out of the circumstances. On Dec. 10, a press conference was held at the Representative Office of Taiwan to discuss future goals such as gaining observer status at upcoming COP 21 events.
In addition, the government delegation has co-sponsored programs and seminar talks at venues of the official COP 21 site.
While smaller NGOs fought tooth and nail to participate at COP 21, larger organizations, by contrast, filled up most of the booths at COP 21’s NGO halls; they included the Tzu Chi Foundation, the Tang Prize Foundation and Delta Electronics Inc.

who:Taiwan’s government representatives
what:may not have been allowed to participate in the negotiation process
where:at the Paris Climate Change Conference
how:civic society organizations made their presence felt
when:not given
why:not given

keywords:
1.civic(adj.)市民的
2.presence(n.)存在
3.garner(v.) 得…分[票]
4.indigenous(adj.)本土的
5. preclude(v.)排除
6.delegation(n.)代表團
7.seminar(n.)研討會
8.venues(n.)場館

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2015/12/20/2003635208

unmanned aerial vehicle

Military extends UAV deployment area

US WORRY?A military official said that the US was concerned over the development of the drone program and asked that the defense ministry brief it on the project

By Lo Tien-pin / Staff reporter

The military said it is able to effectively detect military deployments in China through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), after it expanded detection zones from airspace over eastern and southern Taiwan to airspace over the Taiwan Strait.

According to a military official, who wished to remain anonymous, the US has expressed concern over how the UAV project has developed and military missions the drones are commissioned to perform.

The US has demanded that the Ministry of National Defense send specialists to brief the US Department of Defense on the project before a delegation was to head to the US for a meeting about bilateral cooperation on military issues involving high-level officials from both countries, the military official said.

A UAV launched from a base in western Taiwan would be able to detect military movement in China’s southeast coastal area, he said.

Given Taiwan’s proximity to China, the capability of the UAVs to detect military deployments on the other side of the Taiwan Strait is highly valued by the US, he said.

Despite the US having sophisticated UAVs that can fly long distances to access the area, there are concerns within the US military that such missions would be costly, as well as there being political and military issues preventing its use of UAVs in the area, he added.

The UAV development program was undertaken by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology. It has delivered 32 UAVs to the army.

In addition to Taimali (太麻里) in Taitung County, where the UAVs are based and training exercises are carried out, the ministry has been in talks with the Civil Aeronautics Administration over the possibility that part of the Hengchun airport in Pingtung could be used as another training base for the drones.

According to sources from the military, the air force’s airspace training area is within the range of missiles deployed in southeast China, making it impossible for the air force to carry out missions in the areas that the UAVs can access.

The military said it was still deliberating whether it would deploy the UAVs in western Taiwan.

who:the military

what:effectively detect military deployments in China

how:through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

where:it expanded detection zones from airspace over eastern and southern Taiwan to airspace over the Taiwan Strait

when:not given

why:not given

keywords:

1.anonymous(adj.)匿名的

2.commission(v.)委任

3.specialist(n.)專家

4.delegation()n.代表團

5.bilateral(n.)雙方

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/07/13/2003594974

Leonardo Dicaprio

The Revenant’ gets 12 Oscar nods

NY Times News Service, LOS ANGELES
The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road were showered with honors by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, picking up Oscar nominations for best picture and best director.
There are to be six best picture nominees to join them: Bridge of Spies, Spotlight, The Big Short, The Martian, Brooklyn and Room. Notably not among them: Straight Outta Compton and Carol both of which were pegged to make the cut by awards handicappers.
The Revenant, directed by Alejandro Inarritu, drew 12 nominations in total — the most of any film — with Leonardo DiCaprio honored for his wounded frontiersman and Tom Hardy for his villainous supporting role.
With 10 nominations, George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road was the second most-honored film, although most of its support came from technical areas, like film editing, costume design and makeup and hairstyling. Behind Fury Road came The Martian with seven nominations — although its director, Ridley Scott, was prominently snubbed — and Spotlight with six.
The acting fields were filled with familiar faces. As expected, Cate Blanchett came away with her sixth best actress nomination for Carol. Jennifer Lawrence, now a four-time nominee, this time for Joy, joined Blanchett in the category. Also selected were Brie Larson from Room, Charlotte Rampling from 45 Years and Saoirse Ronan from Brooklyn.
DiCaprio, picking up his fifth acting nomination, is competing against the reigning best actor winner, Eddie Redmayne, who picked up a nod for The Danish Girl. Voters also backed Matt Damon (The Martian), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo) and Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs).
Concussion, starring Will Smith, and Beasts of No Nation, featuring Idris Elba, received nothing.

The racially diverse Creed, directed by Ryan Coogler, was shut out, except for a nomination for its war-horse supporting actor, Sylvester Stallone.

what:The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road were showered with honors by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
how: picking up Oscar nominations for best picture and best director
who: not given
when: not given
why: not ven
where: not given

keywords:
1.nominee(n.)被提名
2.peg(v.)固定,限制
3.handicapper(n.)阻礙
4.villainous(adj.)壞人似的,惡棍的,惡毒的,缺德的
5.frontiersman(n.)拓荒者
6.snub(v.)冷落

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/01/16/2003637363

2016年12月2日星期五

refugee

Europe's refugee problem simmers despite collective effort to end

By Geir Moulson, AP
August 29, 2016, 12:33 am TWN

BERLIN -- Faced with more than 1 million migrants flooding across the Mediterranean last year, European nations tightened border controls, set up naval patrols to stop smugglers, negotiated an agreement with Turkey to limit the numbers crossing, shut the Balkan route used by hundreds of thousands, and tried to speed up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers.

Yet many issues still remain.

European nations continue to squabble about whether, and how, to share the newcomers between them and the issues that drove refugees to Europe in the first place — such as Syria's unrelenting war — are unresolved.

Overall, 2,901 people have died or disappeared crossing the Mediterranean in the first six months of 2016, most along the dangerous central route to Italy — a 37 percent increase over last year's first half, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Here's where things stand in key countries.

Turkey

Turkey is hosting some 3 million refugees, including more than 2.7 million Syrians. Most refugees there don't get government support, but the agreement with the EU calls for the bloc to provide up to 6 billion euros (US$6.8 billion) to help Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The deal also provides for one Syrian refugee from Turkey to be relocated to EU countries for each Syrian who arrives illegally in Greece and is sent back. So far only 1,152 have been resettled under the program — more than half of them to Germany and Sweden.

Greece

The numbers of migrants arriving in Greece have dropped dramatically since the March agreement with Turkey, but several thousand a month still make the journey, some 160,000 in the first half of this year.

Over 58,000 people remain stuck in the financially struggling country, most hoping to continue north to nations like Germany or Sweden. The majority have applied for asylum, hoping to be relocated among EU nations — but the program is moving at snail's pace amid fierce resistance from eastern and central European countries.

So far, only around 4,400 people have been relocated from southern Europe under a plan that's supposed to see 160,000 moved over two years through September 2017. Yet there's little Brussels can do to force any nations to comply.

New arrivals now are insignificant compared to 2015, but they have increased since the July 15 attempted coup in Turkey, topping 2,300 in the first three weeks of August. This is straining resources on the eastern Aegean Sea islands and the government has promised to build more housing on the mainland. Fears are also growing that the EU-Turkey deal might fall apart as Ankara presses for the 28-nation bloc to allow its citizens visa-free entry.

why:faced with more than 1 million migrants flooding across the Mediterranean
when:last year

who:European nations

how: tightened border controls, set up naval patrols to stop smugglers, negotiated an agreement with Turkey to limit the numbers crossing, shut the Balkan route used by hundreds of thousands, and tried to speed up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers.

what:not given

where:not given

keywords:

1.naval (adj.)海軍的

2.patrol(n.)巡邏艦隊

3.smuggler(n.)走私者

4.deportation(n.)驅逐

5.squabble(v.)爭吵

6.unrelenting(adj.)不退讓的/堅定不移的

7.bloc(n.)聯盟/團體
8.asylum(n.)避難所
9.comply(v.)順從/答應

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/europe/2016/08/29/476852/Europes-refugee.htm

2016年11月28日星期一

Paris terror attack

Silent fans remember victims of Paris attacks 1 year on

AP
November 13, 2016, 6:59 am TWN

PARIS -- Players linked arms as fans stood to observe a minute's silence at Stade de France one year after the Paris attacks.

Friday's poignant silence before the World Cup qualifier between France and Sweden remembered victims of the attacks on Nov. 13 last year, which saw 130 people killed and hundreds more injured.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The night of terror began when three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the Stade de France, where France was playing Germany in a friendly match. One passerby was killed. At least one of the bombers tried to enter the stadium but was foiled by security guards.

Security measures were the same Friday as they have been since the attacks, with spectators patted down and their bags searched twice -- once near to the stadium and the second time close to the entry gates.

But the atmosphere was calm and relaxed. Several international rugby and soccer matches have been played at this stadium since then, including the European Championship final in July.

Players from the French and Swedish national teams stood facing each other either side of the halfway line, many with their heads bowed as they solemnly remembered the victims.

"In a way we're linked to this drama," France goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris said on the eve of the match. "You have to try and move forward, look ahead. Even though these events will probably stay in our memories for life."

However, it wasn't quite a perfect silence.

A few random voices -- among 80,000 fans -- shouted out sporadically, but it was otherwise impeccably observed.

Moments before the silence, France's national anthem, "La Marseillaise," was played as usual.

But this time something different happened.

Fans were already singing heartily when the accompanying music suddenly stopped halfway through, and the noise levels went up considerably as only the sound of supporters singing could be heard echoing around the stadium.

The Nov. 13 attacks started at around 9:20 p.m. outside the stadium, during the first half of France's match against Germany.

French President Francois Hollande was evacuated from the stadium, and he was in attendance again on Friday.

Following the bombings outside the stadium last year, six cafes were targeted in quick and coordinated attacks and the heaviest bloodshed of all came at the Bataclan concert hall, where 90 of the victims

were killed.

what:Friday's poignant silence before the World Cup qualifier
where:between France and Sweden

who:victims of the attacks /130 people killed and hundreds more injured.

when:on Nov. 13 last year

why:not given

how:not given

Keywords:

1.poignant (adj.)悲傷的/劇烈的

2.pat(v.)拍打

3.solemnly(adv.) 嚴肅地/莊嚴地

4.sporadically(adv.)零星地/個別地

5.impeccably(adv.)完美地

6.evacuate(v.)疏散/撤離

7.qualifier(n.)合格者

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/europe/2016/11/13/483765/Silent-fans.htm

2016年10月24日星期一

Malala Yousafzai

Pakistan's Malala leaves hospital ahead of surgery
AFP
January 5, 2013, 12:06 am TWN
LONDON -- The British hospital treating Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, said Friday that she has been temporarily discharged ahead of surgery.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, west-central England, said Malala would stay at her family's temporary home nearby before undergoing major surgery on her skull in a few weeks.
"Malala Yousafzai was discharged from Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham as an inpatient yesterday to continue her rehabilitation at her family's temporary home in the West Midlands," the hospital said in a statement. "The 15-year-old, who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, is well enough to be treated by the hospital as an outpatient for the next few weeks."
In an attack that shocked the world, Malala was shot by a Taliban hitman in October as her school bus made its way through the town of Mingora in Pakistan's northwestern Swat Valley.
The bullet grazed her brain, coming within centimeters of killing her, and she was airlifted to the specialist Queen Elizabeth Hospital days after the attack.
"She is still due to be re-admitted in late January or early February to undergo cranial reconstructive surgery as part of her long-term recovery and in the meantime she will visit the hospital regularly to attend clinical appointments," the hospital said.
Video released by the hospital showed Malala wearing a grey dress and cream patterned headscarf as she walked out of her ward, waving to staff as a nurse led her by the hand
Photographs showed her hugging a nurse at the doors.
The hospital said Malala had been regularly leaving the hospital over the past couple of weeks to visit her family at home.
"Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home with her parents and two brothers," said the hospital's medical director Dave Rosser.
He added that medics would be visiting Malala at home ahead of her return to hospital for surgery.
"Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery," said Rosser.
Malala's father Ziauddin Yousafzai has accepted a three-year role as Pakistan's education attache at its consulate in Birmingham, making it more likely that the family will remain in Britain long-term.
His daughter first rose to prominence aged just 11 with a blog for the BBC's Urdu service charting her life in Swat under the Taliban, whose two-year reign of terror supposedly came to an end there with an army operation in 2009. Her attempted murder has sparked calls for her to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, while the United Nations announced a global "Malala Day" in November in support of her campaign for girls' education. Pakistan is paying for her treatment at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, which specializes in treating British soldiers wounded in Afghanistan.

Where:the British hospital
Who:Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl
Why: shot by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education
When:Friday

How:temporarily discharged ahead of surgery.

What:not given