Week 7 : Canadian Parliament. Ottawa. shooting. gunman

Canada ‘will not be intimidated’ by ‘terror’ attack

Fri , Oct 24 , 2014 , Page1 (TAIPEI TIMES)

By AFP, OTTAWA

RESOLUTE:After a second soldier died in an attack in three days, the Canadian prime minister said all steps would be taken to identify and counter security threats

Canada’s prime minister vowed the country would “not be intimidated” after a reported Muslim convert stormed parliament and killed a soldier, the nation’s second “terrorist” attack in days.

The gunman, whose name was on a terror watch list, tried to force his way into Canada’s parliament on Wednesday before the assembly’s sergeant-at-arms shot him dead.

The attack — the second this week targeting Canadian military personnel — came as Canadian jets were to join the US-led bombing campaign against militants in Iraq.

“Canada will never be intimidated,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the nation in a televised address after the shootings on Wednesday.

“In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts and those of national security agencies to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats and keep Canada safe,” he said.

The spectacular security breach came two days after an alleged Islamist ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one of them, in what officials branded a terrorist attack.

In audio of the attack on parliament, repeated shots could be heard booming through its chambers.

The suspect, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau who was said to be a convert to Islam, had a record of drug offenses and robbery.

Dave Bathurst, who met the 32-year-old Zehaf-Bibeau in a mosque about three years ago, said his friend did not at first appear to have extremist views, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

However, he said that at times, he exhibited a disturbing side.

“We were having a conversation in a kitchen, and I don’t know how he worded it. He said the devil is after him,” Bathurst told the the CBC.

He said his friend frequently talked about the presence of Shaytan in the world — an Arabic term for devils and demons.

“I think he must have been mentally ill,” he said.

Bathurst last saw Zehaf-Bibeau praying in a mosque in the Vancouver area six weeks ago and said he spoke of wanting to go to the Middle East. He insisted he was only going abroad with the intent of learning about Islam and to study Arabic.

Zehaf-Bibeau was considered a “high risk” suspect, according to reports, whose passport had been confiscated to prevent him joining militants abroad.

He first shot and killed a Canadian soldier who was on ceremonial guard at a war memorial on Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa, before storming into the nearby parliament building.

The slain soldier was named as Corporal Nathan Cirillo. At least three people were admitted to hospital with minor injuries.

The attacker was killed, reportedly by a shot fired by the bearer of the Canadian House of Commons’ ceremonial mace, Sergeant-At-Arms Kevin Vickers, who was hailed as a hero by lawmakers.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said it appeared the shooter had acted alone.

Lawmakers, staff and reporters, evacuated from the historic building, spoke of intense gunfire inside.

Paul Clarke, a builder who was working in parliament at the time, said: “It has just been a nightmare.”

Canadian Member of Parliament Maurice Vellacott said that House of Commons security had told one of his aides the suspect had been killed inside parliament.

“I heard this ‘pop, pop’ — possibly 10 shots, I don’t really know,” Liberal Party member John McKay told reporters outside.

Passers-by told reporters that a bearded man had gunned down the soldier and hijacked a passing vehicle to take him the short distance to parliament.

Local media reported that the suspect, raised in Laval, Quebec, about 16km from Montreal, had an extensive criminal record, including robbery and drug charges to which he pleaded guilty.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/10/24/2003602777/2

Structure of the Lead：

WHO: The gunman, whose name was on a terror watch list

WHEN: On Oct 22 , Wed

WHAT: The man had gunned down the soldier and hijacked a passing vehicle to take him the short distance to parliament.

WHY: Not mention

WHERE: Canadian Parliament

HOW: By shooting gun

Keywords:

1. Canadian Parliament : 加拿大國會

2. intimidated : 恐嚇

3. storm: 強攻

4. security : 安全

Week 6 : 蘇格蘭獨立公投-Scottish independence referendum

EDITORIAL: Scottish vote reflects a wider win

Sun , Sep 21 , 2014 - Page 8

By TAIPEI TIMES

Scotland’s independence referendum ended in a resounding victory for the side advocating Scotland remaining within the UK as the “No” side received 55 percent of the vote against the “Yes” side’s 45. The result notwithstanding, the referendum itself has been lauded as a great victory for democracy and something that Scotland and the UK should be proud of.

In the past, governments treated independence movements as secessionists betraying their nation and they often ended in bloody suppression.

However, the UK showed tolerance and followed democratic ideals in giving Scots the freedom to decide their own future, with the queen encouraging Scots to “think very carefully about the future,” while British Prime Minister David Cameron said that Scottish independence would “break [his] heart.”

Although the “Yes” side lost, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who led the pro-independence effort, accepted the loss and said he would resign from his post in November. Although he lost this battle, he gained a place in history and has probably also managed to improve Scotland’s situation within the UK. After the result was announced, Scotland remained mostly calm and both sides have displayed the demeanor one would expect in a long-standing democracy.

The need to trust in the public was one important lesson to be learned from this referendum. Government leaders did not try to block it by saying that there was no need for a referendum at this time, and instead let Scots decide their own future. The government did not treat the referendum as a bloodthirsty monster or play around with referendum legislation and set irrational restrictions to create a “birdcage” referendum law which would make passing a referendum, although nominally possible, very difficult or even impossible in practice.

Instead, all that was required to win the referendum was a simple majority: half of all votes plus one. UK and Scottish politicians did not have the idiotic idea that the future of Scotland should be decided by all UK citizens, in the way that some people feel that Taiwan’s future should be decided by all Chinese.

Although the UK government was fully opposed to Scottish independence, it did not treat the prospect of it as a rebellion or imprison pro-independence leaders. Nor did it hold military exercises or fire missiles or say that “no one who promotes independence will meet with a happy ending,” as former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji (朱鎔基) once said.

The Scottish independence movement issued a detailed white paper detailing what the nation would look like following independence to give the public a clear blueprint when considering their future. In the end, the Scots considered their own future based on their national identity, and in addition to national defense and foreign affairs, they considered taxes, healthcare, how the North Sea oil resources should be distributed and which solution would be more beneficial to themselves , Scotland and the UK as a whole.

Although the whole world was waiting to find out how Scottish independence would affect the UK, the EU and the rest of the world, the result was a soft landing, as the Scots decided to remain within the UK and observers breathed a sigh of relief. Someone has said that referendums are populist , but the people of Scotland displayed their intelligence and wisdom throughout the entire process.

 Referendum is of course a major gamble for all parties. Prior to voting day, the situation is fluid and everyone is concerned, and if this concern and anxiety are not handled correctly, they can lead to disorder. However, a referendum lets everyone express their opinion and make their own decision. For the foreseeable future, Scotland and the UK will enjoy political stability.

Trust in the public is indeed the way to long-term political stability.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2014/09/21/2003600192/2

Structure of the Lead：

WHO: Scotland’s citizen 

WHEN: On September 18

WHAT: Scotland’s independence referendum ended in a victory for remaining within the UK as the “No”

WHY: Government leaders did not try to block it by saying that there was no need for a referendum at this time, and instead let Scots decide their own future.

WHERE: Scotland

HOW: Scotland’s citizen was having a referendum.

Keywords:

1. Scotland’s independence referendum: 蘇格蘭獨立公投

2. notwithstanding : 儘管如此

3. laud:讚美

4. suppression: 鎮壓

5. demeanor: 風範

6. nominally: 名義上是

7. rebellion: 暴動

8. populist: 平民主義

Week 5: 西非伊波拉病毒- ebola(virus).west Africa

Scientists trial quick Ebola test in Guinea

Sun, Nov 30 , 2014-Page6(TAIPEI TIMES)

By AFP, CONAKRY

FRENCH VISIT:Francois Hollande promised support for the Ebola-hit former French colony, saying it was important to show that Guinea is still alive and fighting

British scientists announced trials on a 15-minute Ebola test in Guinea, while French President Francois Hollande became the first Western leader to visit a country devastated by the epidemic.

The prototype is six times faster than current tests and aims to speed up diagnosis, the London-based global research charity Wellcome Trust and Britain’s Department for International Development said in a statement.

“A reliable, 15-minute test that can confirm cases of Ebola would be a key tool for effective management of the Ebola outbreak, allowing patients to be identified, isolated and cared for as soon as possible,” Wellcome Trust spokesperson Val Snewin said.

She said the test was designed to be suitable for remote field hospitals, where electricity and cold storage are often scarce.

The trials, to be led by researchers from Dakar’s Pasteur Institute at an Ebola treatment center in Conakry in the coming weeks, will come as a welcome boon in Guinea, which has lost 1,200 people to Ebola.

The biggest Ebola epidemic on record has claimed about 5,700 lives in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since the beginning of the year, according to the WHO.

Hollande pledged his support for Guinea after arriving in the former French colony on Friday.

He said he was bringing with him a message of solidarity to healthcare workers who “take risks to ensure the highest quality care,” and a message of confidence, because “it was very important to tell the world that Guinea is still alive, still fighting.”

He also wanted to call for vigilance, he said, because “the battle against Ebola isn’t won.”

The visit is the first by a French president since 1999, and comes after France pledged 100 million euros (US$125 million) toward the fight against the epidemic in Guinea.

The money will help finance several care centers as well as 200 beds, some of which are reserved for health workers caring for the sick. France has also pledged to set up two training centers for health workers, one in France and one in Guinea.

Hollande visited healthcare workers at Conakry’s Donka Hospital, which hosts the city’s Doctors Without Borders Ebola treatment unit, alongside Guinean President Alpha Conde.

Before entering, both men followed the protocol of washing their hands and having their temperatures taken.

The French leader is also due to sign a cooperation agreement with Guinean authorities for the creation of a Pasteur Institute in Conakry by the end of 2016, the global medical research organization said on Thursday.

“For the people of Guinea, the arrival of President Hollande is a very, very important sign,” Conde said. “If the president of a country as important as France can come to Guinea, that means anyone can come to Guinea.”

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2014/11/30/2003605640

Structure of the Lead：

WHO: Francois Hollande

WHEN: Not mention

WHAT:Francois Hollande promised support for the Ebola-hit former French colony

WHY: Important to show that Guinea is still alive and fighting

WHERE: In west Africa

HOW: Giving  support

Keywords:

1. devastate:蹂躪

2. prototype:原型

3. confirm:證實

4. scarce: 缺乏的

5. vigilance:提高警惕

6. protocol: 協議