英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

◎張沛元

Passengers and crew on two commercial jets helped locate a missing yachtsman off Australia by looking through the windows with binoculars.

兩架民航噴射機上的乘客與機組人員藉由拿望遠鏡透過機窗向外看，來協助確定一名在澳洲外海失蹤的遊艇駕駛的所在位置。

An Air Canada jet and an Air New Zealand aircraft swooped down to 4,000ft to assist rescuers in the search for the solo yachtsman who had activated his emergency beacon.

一架加拿大航空客機與一架紐西蘭航空客機將飛行高度驟降到4000呎，以協助搜救人員尋找一名已啟動應急救援無線電信標的單人遊艇駕駛。

His remote location was out of helicopter range so rescuers asked the planes’ pilots to get involved as they were flying over the yacht’s GPS position.

該遊艇駕駛位於超出直昇機搜救範圍的偏遠地區，因此搜救人員要求這兩架正飛越該遊艇全球衛星定位系統位置上空的客機的機長，參與救援。

According to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, one passenger wrote on Facebook： "15 hour flight ends up being 17 hours as we descended to 4,000ft to locate a capsized yacht for search and rescue."

根據雪梨每日電訊報，一名乘客在臉書上寫道：「隨著我們下降到4000呎以便確定一艘翻覆的遊艇的所在位置，15小時的飛行以17小時作收。」

"Amazing, and slightly off putting, to see what a Boeing 777 aircraft can do when not on autopilot and flying/circling low over the ocean."

Following a week of violence that left 140 people dead, Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire that began early this morning. But there are still doubts over how long it will hold, with both sides saying they are ready to resume fighting if the other side violates the deal. 

After eight days of fighting, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a truce.

Mohammed Kamel Amr 
Egyptian Foreign Minister 
Each side has agreed to a cease-fire that we hope will bring peace and end the bloodshed. 

Hillary Clinton
US Secretary of State

The 49th Golden Horse Awards will take place tomorrow in Yilan. A bit of controversy arose today when a worker trying to clear pigeons from the area killed one with a BB gun. The county government quickly apologized. 

The Golden Horse Awards are scheduled to take place tomorrow night at Yilan’s Luo Dong Cultural Workshop. As part of the preparations, workers used BB guns to clear the venue of pigeons.

To animal rights activists, the action seemed cruel and extreme.

Chu Tseng-hung
EAST Director
Peace doves are released in many celebrations. And now that they are preparing for a temporary event, they want to get rid of these pigeons. They even accidentally harmed one. I think it’s a poor model for art and culture events.

Many are surprised to see popular Taiwanese locations such as Sun Moon Lake and Cingshui Cliffs featured in the new Chinese passport issued this year. After prodding by lawmakers, the Mainland Affairs Council expressed its outrage today. 

On May 15 of this year, China’s new passport was issued. Each page in the passport contains watermark images of well-known tourist locations from each province. 

Many were surprised that Taiwanese sites were included, such as Sun Moon Lake and the east coast’s Cingshui Cliffs. A brief description said: “Taiwan Province is well known for its mountains and ocean scenery.” The wording made clear that Taiwan is a part of China.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs first response was asking the Mainland Affairs Council to comment on the matter. In the morning, the MAC had no immediate response. But the Philippines and Vietnam did. They were angry over the inclusion of disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Philippines Foreign Ministry
The Philippines does not accept the validity of the nine dash lines that amount to an excessive declaration of maritime space in violation of international law. 

Some opposition Taipei councilors are happy that the government is reducing the amount of debt that the city can take on. They say it’s needed a step to rein in wasteful spending by Mayor Hau Lung-bin. 

Workers come out in force to excavate the road. A few years ago Taipei was proud of this bike lane on Dunhua South Road. But it only stayed open a year. Beset by criticism over the design, the city removed it. The road returned to the way it was before. More than NT$100 million went down the drain.

Taipei Resident
I think this is a waste. The government shouldn’t keep changing its policies.

Other symbols of waste dot the city. There is the empty extreme sports park in Nangang and the rarely visited Deaflympics memorial. Another target is the costly infrastructure left over from the Flora Expo. 

Chang Mao-nan

Municipality leaders are blasting a new debt proposal from the cabinet. The most furious among them is Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, who could see his city’s remaining borrowing power lowered by over two-thirds. The proposal would free up the other four municipalities to borrow more money, but the mayors of Taichung and Kaohsiung say the changes don’t go far enough. 

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin led a contingent of eight KMT lawmakers from the city in protest today. They are furious over a proposed amendment to the Public Debt Act, which would lower the remaining debt his city could still take on from NT$269 billion to NT$85 billion.

Hau Lung-bin
Taipei Mayor
Work may have to slow down or even stop on the Wanda Line, the Airport Line passing through Xinzhuang and the East Section of the Circular Line through Xinyi.

Alex Tsai
KMT Legislator

Divers have a new reason to visit Kenting, even if it is something they can barely see. Tiny hairy shrimp, under a centimeter in size, have been spotted in Kenting’s waters and were filmed by a diver there recently, drawing plenty of interest. 

This is a hairy shrimp filmed by a diver in waters off Kenting. As the name suggests, the mollusk has tiny hairs on its shell. One can also see its eyes and long antennae.

Divers in Kenting have spotted both orange and the much rarer green variety of hairy shrimp. 

Also known as algae shrimp, the crustaceans are tiny, under a centimeter in length and often barely 5 millimeters. They’re mostly found in waters in East Asia. To catch a glimpse of them, Taiwanese divers have headed in the past to the Lembeh Strait in northern Indonesia. 

But local divers are thrilled to have found that compared with the Lembeh Strait, Kenting’s waters have far more of the tiny creatures. 

Just as it tries to recover from severe flooding, England is about to get hit by a cold front that could eventually deliver record low temperatures. Authorities there are bracing for the worst. 

Heavy rains in recent days have caused flooding throughout England. As cleanup efforts begin, many areas and homes are still submerged in water, cut off from outside transportation links. The authorities have warned that some rivers could still surge.

Even worse, weather forecasters are saying temperatures over the weekend could fall to minus three degrees Celsius and could fall to minus 20 in December and January. The arrival of what could be England’s coldest winter on record was simply more bad news for those already displaced by the floods.

The unusual weather has extended to southern Italy. A massive tornado struck the port of Taranto on Wednesday, causing severe damage to a steel factory. About 20 workers were injured and one was still unaccounted for. Video of the tornado as it rolled into the town showed a big burst of fire.

In northern Italy, the region of Tuscany has experienced heavy rains and flooding, and a small coastal town was ravaged by a tornado, the roofs of many houses badly damaged and trees uprooted. Exhausted firefighters continue to clean up the area.

Ahead of preparatory fishery talks, negotiators from Taiwan and Japan signed two unrelated agreements today. Analysts interpreted it as a gesture of goodwill ahead of the more sensitive talks tomorrow, but officials said the close timing was simply coincidental. 

Taiwanese and Japanese officials will discuss fishery rights tomorrow. Before then, the chairman of the Japan Interchange Association met with Liao Liou-yi, head of Taiwan’s Association of East Asian Relations. They signed an agreement to mutually recognize each other’s inspections of machinery and electronics goods and an MOU on industrial cooperation. Analysts think the timing shows that the two sides want to ease tensions following the recent controversy over the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands. 

Liao Liou-yi
Association of East Asian Relations
Your question overanalyzes. This wasn’t the meaning. It just happened that the 37th trade meeting took place at the end of November. It was the original plan. We are working hard to sign MOUs and MRAs, and the timing of the two unrelated events just happened to overlap.

Fishermen in Taiwan are most concerned about fishing talks, specifically where they will be allowed to fish. For an answer, they’ll have to wait for another day.

The cabinet has announced that second-generation health insurance will begin from Jan. 1. At that time the insurance rate will fall to 4.91 percent, though some people will have to pay an additional premium on certain kinds of supplementary income. 

Second-generation health insurance begins next year. At that time, the insurance rate will fall from 5.17 to 4.91 percent, reducing revenues by nearly NT$21 billion. The government will recoup the shortfall by levying a supplementary premium of 2 percent on income outside of regular salaries. The Department of Health gave an initial estimate of premiums rising for 3 million people. The remaining 85 percent of the population will pay a lower amount.

Su Ching-chuan
KMT Legislator
The premium calculation base should be expanded, so it will include rental income, interest income and dividends. What’s wrong with that?

Eva Teng
NHI Civic Surveillance Alliance

Experts slammed the Next Media sale today at a public hearing. Outside the venue, protesters urged the government to block the sale. 

After a deal was reached to sell Next Media, the Fair Trade Commission held a public hearing. Experts turned out, fearful of a monopoly. They said Want Want China Times Group owner Tsai Eng-meng should not be allowed to gain a stake in Apple Daily, the main newspaper unit of Next Media. 

Jang Show-ling
NTU Economics Professor
In name, Tsai Shao-chung purchased a stake in the Apple Daily. In fact, it was Tsai Eng-meng who put forward the money. It will be his. He will become a cross-media monster.

The public hearing was lively. It was even more animated outside.

Yen won’t be going to jail for the first time, having been locked up in 2008 for illegal possession of firearms. Here’s a more in-depth look at this man who has been arrested as an organized crime figure, elected repeatedly to public office, and emerged as the popular leader of one of Taiwan’s most famous Mazu temples. 

This is a rare glimpse of Yen Chin-piao relaxing during his 2012 re-election campaign. He is more often thought of as a behind-the-scenes power broker at the Legislature.

In 2007 during a review of a bill, when DPP lawmakers surrounded the speaker’s podium and threw their shoes around in anger, Yen protected Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng and harshly criticized the DPP’s actions. 

But he has also made mistakes. In a vote of no-confidence against the Cabinet earlier this year, he voted for the measure by mistake, causing an uproar that forced him to apologize to the head of the Cabinet, Premier Sean Chen.

Born in 1960, Yen quickly emerged as an organized crime leader in Taichung. In 1987, he was arrested as part of an anti-crime campaign and sent to Green Island to be reformed. He entered politics after being released and won election as a ward chief in 1990, then became a Taichung County councilman, and eventually council speaker before getting elected as a legislator in 2001. He has been a lawmaker since then and has never lost an election.

Legislator Yen Chin-piao’s lengthy legal battle came to an end Wednesday. He was sentenced to 42 months in jail for spending public funds in nightclubs while serving as Taichung County Council speaker in the late 1990s. 

The verdict was final, although Yen’s lawyer said he will file a last-gasp extraordinary appeal. Yen will lose his legislative seat, to be filled through a by-election in his district within three months. Yen’s eldest son Yen Kuan-heng 顏寬恆has announced his intention to run. Also convicted in the same case was incumbent Taichung Council speaker Chang Ching-tang, and the speaker’s seat will also be up for grabs.

無黨籍立委顏清標在擔任台中縣議長期間，與當時的副議長、現任台中縣議長張清堂用公款喝花酒，昨天被最高法院判決兩人各3年6月徒刑、褫奪公權3年定讞。

全案定讞後，顏清標喪失立法委員資格，三個月內將辦理補選投票，顏清標之子顏寬恆將「代父出征」參選。張清堂也被解職，台中縣議長一職將進行改選。顏清標委任律師表示，將聲請提起非常上訴。

One year after a Taiwan envoy pleaded guilty to labor fraud in the United States, another is embroiled in controversy. This time it’s Taipei’s ambassador to Guatemala, Adolfo Sun. He was bashed by women’s groups today after a former staffer recently accused him of suggesting it’s ok to abuse women. 

Ambassador Adolfo Sun’s alleged verbal abuse began in March of 2011. A male secretary named Tsao Sung-mao and a female news staffer named Hu Sheng-fen were arguing over a piece of copy Hu wrote. Tsao thought the quality was poor and threw a file at Hu. Sun stepped in to calm the pair down, but apparently told Hu, quote, “What does it matter if women let men rough them up a bit?” After Hu filed a lawsuit against the secretary, Sun allegedly threatened her by saying, quote, “If you don’t obey, it will hasten your demise. And you’ll never get your pension.” Ambassador Sun denies the accusations, but women’s groups came to the defense of Hu.

Huang Sue-ying
Taiwan Women’s Link
I think it’s unbelievable that a country’s foreign representative could utterly disrespect women and say something that ignores human rights and democratic values. I think if he said such things, he’s not suitable for his position.

Steve Hsia
Foreign Ministry Spokesman

After the cabinet proposed new debt rules for local governments last week, local leaders became highly protective of their budgets. Today lawmakers joined the fight, arguing for better treatment of their respective districts. 

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin does not want to see local funds dry up. He continued his recent attacks on the cabinet.

Hau Lung-bin
Taipei Mayor
The Ministry of Finance is still unable to provide its formula or the numbers it uses.

Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford ripped into Hau and his local counterparts. Chang asks why localities are spending so much on New Year’s events when they say money is tight.

Some of Taiwan’s leading television personalities are embroiled in an alleged art scam. They were recruited by suspected fraudster Yan Cheng-de 嚴程德to speak at investors’ meetings in which people were apparently duped into paying big bucks for worthless art. When the allegations against Yan arose, the TV stars said they too were fooled. 

Lai Sian-jheng, a well-known independent stock analyst, was recruited to give a speech offering his analysis of cultural industries. Hosting the event was the company UAN Cultural and Creative. After giving his speech, Lai never thought that he would be investigated as part of an art scam where UAN chairman Yan Cheng-de is accused of raking in NT$500 million. Aside from Lai, other TV personalities ensnared in the case include Tsai Yu-cheng, Ying Nai-ching and Lan Hsuan.

Prosecutors believe that Yan encouraged investors to purchase works by contemporary artists, selling 5,100 paintings and prints. They say he promised that these art investors could sell back their purchases within five years for double the money. Within six months he apparently had duped more than 1,000 investors and earned NT$500 million, even embroiling a number of TV personalities 

Lai Sian-jheng
Independent Stock Analyst
It’s really an unexpected misfortune. I just joined a simple speaking engagement.

A city in the United Kingdom installed fitness equipment that also generates electricity into one of its parks, keeping the park lit at night and helping people stay in shape. The city hope the idea spreads to other areas to improve the environment and public health. 

Many public parks in the UK have fitness equipment which encourages people to exercise. However, in Hull, this fitness equipment actually generates electricity. 

“It’s fantastic and free of charge and you can just come on it anytime you want to which is great.” 

“It’s really good because you get fit.”

Whether it’s exercising one’s arms or thigh muscles, each piece of fitness equipment can generate electricity. Hull hopes this equipment can generate enough power to meet the needs of public facilities and one day contribute to the power grid. 

Winter temperatures seem here to stay. The Central Weather Bureau predicts another cold front will arrive tomorrow, keeping conditions cool. But forecasters say Taiwan does not need to worry about a tropical storm that recently formed over the Pacific. 

Rain eased this morning, but not the low temperatures. The Central Weather Bureau expects these conditions to remain through Friday.

Wu Wan-hua
CWB Forecaster
Another weather front will blow in. From the 28th to 30th central Taiwan up north, along with the east and even mountainous areas in the south, could see rain. But it doesn’t seem like that front will cause temperatures as low as this cold air system did.

The bureau predicts wet, cool conditions in the north until the end of the work week. Residents in the south can expect sun. Meanwhile forecasters have detected a tropical storm that formed over the Pacific, 5,000 kilometers from Taiwan. It is named Bopha.

Recently a Kaohsiung man unwittingly burned himself after sitting next to a heater for an extended period of time. Doctors warn that it’s important to maintain a proper distance and to give the skin frequent breaks from the dry heat produced by heaters. 

Low temperatures have led to an increased use of heaters, but users beware. A male in his 30s went to the doctor because he thought he had an allergic skin reaction on his upper left arm. In fact he burned himself using a heater to the point that red spots had formed.

Liu Jhao-hong
Dermatologist
It’s likely he was near a heat source for a long period of time without wearing much heavy clothing. He was roasted to the point where his arm became red and inflamed.

Doctors say it’s best to stay at least 30 centimeters from a heater and to give the skin a break every half hour.

A poor showing by domestic films at the recently concluded Golden Horse Awards led a group of opposition lawmakers to call for an end to the event. Today most pulled back from their controversial comments and instead suggested more support for local filmmakers. 

The Golden Horse Awards have become politicized due to the strong performance by Chinese and Hong Kong films. Some opposition lawmakers even called for an end to the local awards ceremony, which sparked a stern rebuke from filmmakers and other supporters.

Wang Jin-pyng
Legislative Speaker
The awards ceremony is well run. Since we only took a few awards, we should try to work a little harder.

Over the past few days, DPP Legislator Lin Chia-lung had called for a review of the policies supporting domestic films. He says he was improperly targeted as the person who called for an end to the awards ceremony.