Taiwan news-26 Sept 2013 ICRT http://www.icrt.com.tw
TransAsia to launch direct flights to Tokyo
TransAsia Airways will launch direct flights between Taipei and Tokyo
tomorrow.
The carrier says the move is aimed at capitalizing on the rising interest in
travel to Japan, mostly spurred by a weakening yen.
TransAsia will operate one daily round trip flight to Tokyo.
capitalize /ˋkæpət!͵aɪz/vi.利用
round trip n.【美】環程旅行; 來回旅行[C]
A round trip ticket costs 60 dollars.
(來回票價60美元。)
He made the 90-mile round trip in one hour.
(她一個小時完成了90英浬的來回旅程。)
The round trip took just over an hour.
(往返旅程需要一個多小時。)
adj.來回的；雙程的
Tai-Ex ends flat ahead of 8,300 points
Closer to home...
The Tai-Ex closed little changed yesterday after fluctuating in a narrow
range ahead of strong technical resistance at around 8300 points.
The weighted index closed up 6-points at 8,299 on turnover of 80-billion
N-T. (加權股價指數收盤上漲6點收在8299點，成交值新台幣800億。)
While investors pocketed gains they posted a session earlier in the old
economy and financial sectors, the bellwether electronics sector helped the
broader market end in positive territory.
bellweather /ˋbɛl͵wɛðɚ/ n. 1.表示市場走向的證券、股票或公債
2.前導者
3.繫羚羊
pocket /ˋpɑkɪt/ vt.忍受
I can no longer pocket her insults . 我再也無法忍受她的侮辱了。
\
TransAsia to launch direct flights to Tokyo
TransAsia Airways will launch direct flights between Taipei and Tokyo
tomorrow.
The carrier says the move is aimed at capitalizing on the rising interest in
travel to Japan, mostly spurred by a weakening yen.
TransAsia will operate one daily round trip flight to Tokyo.
capitalize /ˋkæpət!͵aɪz/vi.利用
round trip n.【美】環程旅行; 來回旅行[C]
A round trip ticket costs 60 dollars.
(來回票價60美元。)
He made the 90-mile round trip in one hour.
(她一個小時完成了90英浬的來回旅程。)
The round trip took just over an hour.
(往返旅程需要一個多小時。)
adj.來回的；雙程的
Tai-Ex ends flat ahead of 8,300 points
Closer to home...
The Tai-Ex closed little changed yesterday after fluctuating in a narrow
range ahead of strong technical resistance at around 8300 points.
The weighted index closed up 6-points at 8,299 on turnover of 80-billion
N-T. (加權股價指數收盤上漲6點收在8299點，成交值新台幣800億。)
While investors pocketed gains they posted a session earlier in the old
economy and financial sectors, the bellwether electronics sector helped the
broader market end in positive territory.
bellweather /ˋbɛl͵wɛðɚ/ n. 1.表示市場走向的證券、股票或公債
2.前導者
3.繫羚羊
pocket /ˋpɑkɪt/ vt.忍受
I can no longer pocket her insults . 我再也無法忍受她的侮辱了。
NSA spied on Martin Luther King, documents reveal
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24279394# \
President Lyndon Johnson, right, with Martin Luther King, left, and Whitney
Young, who were both targeted by the NSA
The US National Security Agency spied
on civil rights leader Martin Luther King and boxer Muhammad Ali during the
height of the Vietnam War protests, declassified documents reveal.
The documents show the NSA also tracked journalists from the New York Times
and the Washington Post and two senators.
Some NSA officials later described the programme as "disreputable if not
outright illegal", the documents show.
The operation, dubbed "Minaret", was originally exposed in the 1970s.
However, the names of those on the phone-tapping "watch list" had been kept
secret until now.
The secret papers were published after a government panel ruled in favour of
researchers at George Washington University.
The university's
National Security Archive - a research institute that seeks to check
government secrecy - described the names on the NSA's watch-list as
"eye-popping".
The agency eavesdropped on civil rights leaders Martin Luther King and
Whitney Young as well as boxing champion Muhammad Ali, New York Times journalist
Tom Wicker and Washington Post columnist Art Buchwald.
Protest fears
The NSA also monitored the overseas phone calls of two prominent US senators
- Democrat Frank Church and Republican Howard Baker.
Many of those targeted were considered to be critics of US involvement in the
Vietnam War.
In 1967 the strength of the anti-war campaign led President Lyndon Johnson to
ask US intelligence agencies to find out if some protests were being stoked by
foreign governments.
The NSA worked with other spy agencies to draw up the "watch lists" of
anti-war critics, tapping their phone calls.
The programme continued after Richard Nixon entered the White House in 1969.
US Attorney General Elliot Richardson shut down the NSA programme in 1973, just
as the Nixon administration was engulfed in the Watergate scandal.
The latest revelations come as the NSA is embroiled in fresh controversy over
its surveillance programmes.
US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden recently exposed far-reaching
electronic surveillance of phone records and internet traffic by the agency.
Researchers Matthew Aid and William Burr, who published the documents on
Wednesday, said the spying abuses during the Vietnam War era far surpassed any
excesses of the current programme.
"As shocking as the recent revelations about the NSA's domestic eavesdropping
have been, there has been no evidence so far of today's signal intelligence
corps taking a step like this, to monitor the White House's political enemies,"
they wrote.
Cabinet approves minimum wage hikes for 2014
The Cabinet has approved a plan to raise the minimum wage beginning in 2014.
Officials say the minimum hourly wage will be increased from 109 to 115 N-T
an hour starting January 1-st next year.
The minimum monthly wage - which is now 19,047 N-T - will be increased to
19,273 N-T beginning on July 1-st 2014.
According to the government, the increases will benefit 310-thousand
hourly-wage workers and 1.76-million monthly paid workers.
The government has said beginning next year, the minimum wage will be related
to growth in the island's consumer price index(消費者物價指數).
However, that policy has drawn criticism from labor groups - who say the
move means the basic wage level will remain stagnant for the foreseeable
future.
stagnant /ˋstægnənt/ adj.停滯的、不流動的
foreseeable /forˋsiəb!/ adj. 可預見到的
Panda cub to be highlighted in zoo celebrations
The Taipei City Zoo says its a 80-day-old panda cub - Yuan Zai - will
headline its Halloween celebrations -- which this year will be aimed at
promoting wildlife conservation.
According to the zoo, its "Zoolloween" event will focus on the living
environments of endangered species in an effort to raise awareness of the
need for animal protection.
The zoo says it is hoping to build on the popularity of the young panda cub
to promote the "Zoolloween" celebrations that begin today.
cub /kʌb/ n.熊, 獅, 虎, 狼等的)幼獸; 幼鯨; 幼鯊
a two-month-old leopard cub 一隻年僅兩個月的幼豹
Cabinet approves minimum wage hikes for 2014
The Cabinet has approved a plan to raise the minimum wage beginning in 2014.
Officials say the minimum hourly wage will be increased from 109 to 115 N-T
an hour starting January 1-st next year.
The minimum monthly wage - which is now 19,047 N-T - will be increased to
19,273 N-T beginning on July 1-st 2014.
According to the government, the increases will benefit 310-thousand
hourly-wage workers and 1.76-million monthly paid workers.
The government has said beginning next year, the minimum wage will be related
to growth in the island's consumer price index(消費者物價指數).
However, that policy has drawn criticism from labor groups - who say the
move means the basic wage level will remain stagnant for the foreseeable
future.
stagnant /ˋstægnənt/ adj.停滯的、不流動的
foreseeable /forˋsiəb!/ adj. 可預見到的
Panda cub to be highlighted in zoo celebrations
The Taipei City Zoo says its a 80-day-old panda cub - Yuan Zai - will
headline its Halloween celebrations -- which this year will be aimed at
promoting wildlife conservation.
According to the zoo, its "Zoolloween" event will focus on the living
environments of endangered species in an effort to raise awareness of the
need for animal protection.
The zoo says it is hoping to build on the popularity of the young panda cub
to promote the "Zoolloween" celebrations that begin today.
cub /kʌb/ n.熊, 獅, 虎, 狼等的)幼獸; 幼鯨; 幼鯊
a two-month-old leopard cub 一隻年僅兩個月的幼豹
Taiwan only ‘guest’ due to China: ICAO
CHINESE ‘GOODWILL’:China opposed Taiwan participating in the aviation authority as an observer and proposed guest status instead, squeezing Taiwan’s international space
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter
Taiwan’s attendance at the ongoing 38th International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly as a “guest” was an idea proposed by China, ICAO Council President Roberto Kobeh-Gonzalez told Taiwanese reporters covering the event in Montreal yesterday.
ongoing /ˋɑn͵goɪŋ/ adj. 進行的
cover /ˋkʌvɚ/ vt.採訪, 報導
Jack covered the Gulf War for CNN then . (傑克當時替美國有線新聞電視網報導海灣戰爭。)
Kobeh-Gonzalez’s remarks were reported online in several media outlets when Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) was at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee in the legislature, prompting lawmakers to seek answers from the minister.
remark /rɪˋmɑrk/ n.言辭; 談論, 評論[C][(+on/upon/about/at)]
He had a habit of making humorous remarks . 他有說幽默話的習慣。
outlet /ˋaʊt͵lɛt/ n.(感情, 精力等的)發洩途徑(或方法)[(+for)]
These boys want an outlet for their energy . 要有個辦法讓這些男孩子發洩他們的精力。
Foreign Affairs 外交部
National Defense Committee 國防部
Because China was opposed to the US’ idea that Taiwan be invited to the assembly as an observer, it suggested that Taiwan participate as a guest, and the suggestion was accepted by all, Lin said in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉).
“This only occurred as a result of compromise,” David Lin added.
According to several reports in Taiwanese media that have sent their reporters to cover the assembly, Kobeh-Gonzalez told them that he invited Taiwan to the event “at the suggestion of the government of China.”
Kobeh-Gonzalez sent a letter of invitation to “Chinese Taipei Civil Aeronautics Administration” Director-General Jean Shen (沈啟) inviting administration experts and officials to be his “guests” at the assembly.
At the opening of the assembly on Tuesday, Shen and her delegation members entered the conference hall of the ICAO headquarters with the name badges listing them as a “Guest” from the “Chinese Taipei CAA,” the first time in 42 years that the country was able to present at the UN’s specialized agency after it abandoned its seat in the UN in 1971.
opening /ˋopənɪŋ/ n開始
badge /bædʒ/ n. 徽章, 證章; 獎章; 紀念章
I seldom wear the school badge . 我很少佩戴校徽。
The presence at the ICAO assembly was hailed by the government, while US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton both issued statements to welcome the invitation for Taiwan to attend the assembly.
However, the nomenclature of Taiwan’s participation in the assembly remained an issue of concern for the DPP, ranging from the name of the delegation, which the DPP said would be mistaken for a local civil aviation authority in Taipei, China, the one-time invitation and now the initiative by China to put Taiwan on the guest list using the Chinese Taipei designation.
nomenclature /ˋnomən͵kletʃɚ/ n.命名法; 命名
designation /͵dɛzɪgˋneʃən/ n. 命名; 稱號
DPP Legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told the committee he worried that the arrangements for Taiwan to be present at the ICAO assembly could lead to Taiwan’s international space being further squeezed.
The government has been saying that the presence of Taiwan at the assembly was facilitated by the US, Lin Chia-lung said.
“However, what Kobeh-Gonzalez has said today was a clear message to the international community that invitations for Taiwan to participate in international activities must go through China,” Lin Chia-lung added.
Taiwan’s international space will only get narrower, Lin Chia-lung said.
David Lin told Lin Chia-lung that he could be assured that the model enabling the country’s access to the ICAO assembly this year would not be applied to its quest for participation in other international organizations.
“It’s not an established model [of our international participation],” he said.
As far as the ICAO is concerned, Taiwan will continue to strive to participate in related ICAO meeting, mechanisms and activities as an observer, he added.
as far as ... be concerned 就...而言、對...來說
As far as we ' re concerned , you can go whenever you want . 就我們而言, 你什麼時候走都行。
strive /straɪv/ vi.努力, 苦幹, 奮鬥[(+for/after)][+to-v]
This is the goal we are striving toward . 這是我們奮鬥的目標。
Today women are striving to occupy positions previously closed to them .
(現今婦女正在努力爭取以往不對她們開放的職位。)
2.反抗, 鬥爭[(+against/with)]
The swimmer strove against the tide . 游泳者與潮水搏鬥。
The attendance at this year’s assembly was the first positive step forward toward the goal, David Lin said.
“We have to reach out [internationally],” he added.
Meanwhile, at a regular press conference at China’s Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing yesterday, spokesman Yang Yi (楊毅) was asked by a Taiwanese reporter to comment on Kobeh-Gonzalez’s remarks.
“The way that the Chinese Taipei CAA was invited by the ICAO council president as his guest reflects our goodwill to our Taiwanese compatriots and sincerity to maintain the momentum of peaceful development of cross-strait relations,” Yang said.
Shen on Tuesday denied that Taiwan’s aviation data was being sent to the ICAO through China, responding to a remark by an ICAO consultant that Taiwan’s information should be forwarded via China under the “one China” policy.
The CAA has always posted its aeronautical information on its Web site, allowing open access to the data, Shen said.
Taiwan has never asked China to forward aviation information to the ICAO, she said at a party hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada to welcome Taiwan’s delegation to the ICAO assembly.
Shen was responding to a remark by ICAO consultant Denis Chagnon, who told Taiwanese reporters earlier in the day that Taiwan’s aviation data should be passed to the ICAO via China as the ICAO is under the UN, which adheres to the “one China” policy.
The policy refers to Beijing’s claim that there is only one state called China and Taiwan is a part of that entity.
entity /ˋɛntətɪ/ n. 1.實體 2.存在 3.本質
Shen said it has been difficult for Taiwan to receive ICAO information on matters such as air safety since Taiwan is not a member of the agency.
She said she hopes Taiwan will be given such information directly following the assembly.
Additional reporting by CNA
A woman stands amid the rubble of her home at Coyuca de Catalan, in Guerrero state, Mexico, on Tuesday.
ongoing /ˋɑn͵goɪŋ/ adj. 進行的
cover /ˋkʌvɚ/ vt.採訪, 報導
Jack covered the Gulf War for CNN then . (傑克當時替美國有線新聞電視網報導海灣戰爭。)
Kobeh-Gonzalez’s remarks were reported online in several media outlets when Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) was at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee in the legislature, prompting lawmakers to seek answers from the minister.
remark /rɪˋmɑrk/ n.言辭; 談論, 評論[C][(+on/upon/about/at)]
He had a habit of making humorous remarks . 他有說幽默話的習慣。
outlet /ˋaʊt͵lɛt/ n.(感情, 精力等的)發洩途徑(或方法)[(+for)]
These boys want an outlet for their energy . 要有個辦法讓這些男孩子發洩他們的精力。
Foreign Affairs 外交部
National Defense Committee 國防部
Because China was opposed to the US’ idea that Taiwan be invited to the assembly as an observer, it suggested that Taiwan participate as a guest, and the suggestion was accepted by all, Lin said in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉).
“This only occurred as a result of compromise,” David Lin added.
According to several reports in Taiwanese media that have sent their reporters to cover the assembly, Kobeh-Gonzalez told them that he invited Taiwan to the event “at the suggestion of the government of China.”
Kobeh-Gonzalez sent a letter of invitation to “Chinese Taipei Civil Aeronautics Administration” Director-General Jean Shen (沈啟) inviting administration experts and officials to be his “guests” at the assembly.
At the opening of the assembly on Tuesday, Shen and her delegation members entered the conference hall of the ICAO headquarters with the name badges listing them as a “Guest” from the “Chinese Taipei CAA,” the first time in 42 years that the country was able to present at the UN’s specialized agency after it abandoned its seat in the UN in 1971.
opening /ˋopənɪŋ/ n開始
badge /bædʒ/ n. 徽章, 證章; 獎章; 紀念章
I seldom wear the school badge . 我很少佩戴校徽。
The presence at the ICAO assembly was hailed by the government, while US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton both issued statements to welcome the invitation for Taiwan to attend the assembly.
However, the nomenclature of Taiwan’s participation in the assembly remained an issue of concern for the DPP, ranging from the name of the delegation, which the DPP said would be mistaken for a local civil aviation authority in Taipei, China, the one-time invitation and now the initiative by China to put Taiwan on the guest list using the Chinese Taipei designation.
nomenclature /ˋnomən͵kletʃɚ/ n.命名法; 命名
designation /͵dɛzɪgˋneʃən/ n. 命名; 稱號
DPP Legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told the committee he worried that the arrangements for Taiwan to be present at the ICAO assembly could lead to Taiwan’s international space being further squeezed.
The government has been saying that the presence of Taiwan at the assembly was facilitated by the US, Lin Chia-lung said.
“However, what Kobeh-Gonzalez has said today was a clear message to the international community that invitations for Taiwan to participate in international activities must go through China,” Lin Chia-lung added.
Taiwan’s international space will only get narrower, Lin Chia-lung said.
David Lin told Lin Chia-lung that he could be assured that the model enabling the country’s access to the ICAO assembly this year would not be applied to its quest for participation in other international organizations.
“It’s not an established model [of our international participation],” he said.
As far as the ICAO is concerned, Taiwan will continue to strive to participate in related ICAO meeting, mechanisms and activities as an observer, he added.
as far as ... be concerned 就...而言、對...來說
As far as we ' re concerned , you can go whenever you want . 就我們而言, 你什麼時候走都行。
strive /straɪv/ vi.努力, 苦幹, 奮鬥[(+for/after)][+to-v]
This is the goal we are striving toward . 這是我們奮鬥的目標。
Today women are striving to occupy positions previously closed to them .
(現今婦女正在努力爭取以往不對她們開放的職位。)
2.反抗, 鬥爭[(+against/with)]
The swimmer strove against the tide . 游泳者與潮水搏鬥。
The attendance at this year’s assembly was the first positive step forward toward the goal, David Lin said.
“We have to reach out [internationally],” he added.
Meanwhile, at a regular press conference at China’s Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing yesterday, spokesman Yang Yi (楊毅) was asked by a Taiwanese reporter to comment on Kobeh-Gonzalez’s remarks.
“The way that the Chinese Taipei CAA was invited by the ICAO council president as his guest reflects our goodwill to our Taiwanese compatriots and sincerity to maintain the momentum of peaceful development of cross-strait relations,” Yang said.
Shen on Tuesday denied that Taiwan’s aviation data was being sent to the ICAO through China, responding to a remark by an ICAO consultant that Taiwan’s information should be forwarded via China under the “one China” policy.
The CAA has always posted its aeronautical information on its Web site, allowing open access to the data, Shen said.
Taiwan has never asked China to forward aviation information to the ICAO, she said at a party hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada to welcome Taiwan’s delegation to the ICAO assembly.
Shen was responding to a remark by ICAO consultant Denis Chagnon, who told Taiwanese reporters earlier in the day that Taiwan’s aviation data should be passed to the ICAO via China as the ICAO is under the UN, which adheres to the “one China” policy.
The policy refers to Beijing’s claim that there is only one state called China and Taiwan is a part of that entity.
entity /ˋɛntətɪ/ n. 1.實體 2.存在 3.本質
Shen said it has been difficult for Taiwan to receive ICAO information on matters such as air safety since Taiwan is not a member of the agency.
She said she hopes Taiwan will be given such information directly following the assembly.
Additional reporting by CNA
Mexico flooding death count rises
MORE TO COME:The Mexican meteorological service warned that more rain was expected in areas where rivers were already spilling over their banks
Reuters, MEXICO CITY
A woman stands amid the rubble of her home at Coyuca de Catalan, in Guerrero state, Mexico, on Tuesday.
amid /əˋmɪd/ prep. 在...之間; 在...之中
Photo: AFP
The death toll from heavy flooding across much of Mexico rose to 130 on Tuesday, while authorities warned that more heavy rains could soak areas that have already suffered some of the worst storm damage in decades.
Mexican Minister of the Interior Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said in a radio interview that more bodies had been recovered from a devastating mudslide that buried 40 homes in the mountain village of La Pintada in southern Guerrero state.
Osorio Chong and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto oversaw recovery efforts in La Pintada, where dozens are still feared missing under the mud.
Pena Nieto said over the weekend there was little hope that anyone had survived the village mudslide. Guerrero, home to the battered Pacific resort of Acapulco as well as some of the country’s poorest rural communities, has seen the worst damage after Tropical Storm Ingrid and Hurricane Manuel last week drenched the country with torrential rains.
Mexico’s meteorological service warned later on Tuesday that a new low pressure zone would bring more moderate to heavy rains to Guerrero and states where dams are already swollen to capacity and rivers are spilling over their banks.
meteorological /͵mitɪərəˋlɑdʒɪk!/ adj.氣象的、氣象學的
dam /dæm/ n. 水壩、水堤
They have decided to build a dam across the river . 他們決定在這條河上建一座水壩。
Pena Nieto said on Sunday that Mexico’s Congress will revise its proposed budget for next year to allow for more disaster spending beyond the roughly 12 billion pesos (US$938.91 million) available in emergency funding.
The government put off providing a preliminary report of the country’s damaged infrastructure on Tuesday.
Mexican Minister of the Interior Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said in a radio interview that more bodies had been recovered from a devastating mudslide that buried 40 homes in the mountain village of La Pintada in southern Guerrero state.
Osorio Chong and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto oversaw recovery efforts in La Pintada, where dozens are still feared missing under the mud.
Pena Nieto said over the weekend there was little hope that anyone had survived the village mudslide. Guerrero, home to the battered Pacific resort of Acapulco as well as some of the country’s poorest rural communities, has seen the worst damage after Tropical Storm Ingrid and Hurricane Manuel last week drenched the country with torrential rains.
Mexico’s meteorological service warned later on Tuesday that a new low pressure zone would bring more moderate to heavy rains to Guerrero and states where dams are already swollen to capacity and rivers are spilling over their banks.
meteorological /͵mitɪərəˋlɑdʒɪk!/ adj.氣象的、氣象學的
dam /dæm/ n. 水壩、水堤
They have decided to build a dam across the river . 他們決定在這條河上建一座水壩。
Pena Nieto said on Sunday that Mexico’s Congress will revise its proposed budget for next year to allow for more disaster spending beyond the roughly 12 billion pesos (US$938.91 million) available in emergency funding.
The government put off providing a preliminary report of the country’s damaged infrastructure on Tuesday.
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