The Washington Post
By Kathy McCormack

CONCORD, N.H. — It happened in a moment: The colored powder sprayed over a crowd

In this photo taken Wednesday Dec. 2, 2015 Alex Haas plays with his dog Charlie at his home in Mont Vernon, N.H. This past summer Haas received burns over 90 percent of his body at a Taiwan water park. (Jim Cole/Associated Press)

partying at a Taiwan water park ignited and engulfed hundreds — including a New Hampshire man who moved there to teach English — in flames.

Now, five months after he suffered burns over 90 percent of his body and prospects for his survival were grim, Alex Haas has made remarkable strides in his recovery: He can shower by himself, cook and even take care of the family dog.

“I’m just happy I can be pretty independent,” the 27-year-old told The Associated Press in a phone interview from his home in Mont Vernon.

Just a month ago, Haas had difficulty walking, sitting and standing. But that was a vast improvement from June, when his family rushed to his bedside after the horrific explosion that left at least 12 dead and more than 500 injured.     [FULL  STORY]

Defense News
Date:  December 5, 2015
By: Wendell Minnick

WASHINGTON — In 2001, President George W. Bush’s administration released the largest

(Photo: Wendell Minnick/Staff)

arms package to Taiwan since the closing of US military bases on the island in 1979. The deal included four Kidd-class destroyers, 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and eight diesel-electric submarines.

Since then, the package has been completed except for the submarine offer. The many sticking points include the fact the US has not built diesel-electric attack submarines since the last Barbel-class was finished in 1959. But that has not stopped Taiwan’s Navy from pushing forward on an official release via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) office before beginning an indigenous build program.

Taiwan’s frustrations with the US FMS process it began 14 years ago are growing, leading it to pursue an indigenous construction effort that it hopes will  provide some tactical and strategic leverage against China’s rapidly growing naval modernization efforts.

On Dec. 1, the Washington-based Project 2049 Institute sponsored a conference on the topic with Taiwan’s Rear Adm. David T.W. Yang presenting the keynote speech. The conference, “A Deep Dive: Taiwan’s Future Submarine Program,” included commentary by Mark Stokes, executive director of the Project 2049 Institute.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 05, 2015
By: Yeh Kuan-yu  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Thousands of religious devotees flocked to Qingshan Temple (青山宮) in

Members of Qingshan Temple’s Eight Generals team on Wednesday march in a Taipei street to celebrate the deity Qingshanwang’s birthday. Photo: Yeh Kuan-yu, Taipei Times

Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) this week to join in the nightly patrols and parades celebrating the birthday of the deity Qingshanwang (青山王; Green Mountain King), which was yesterday.

Some of the most eye-catching personages in the annual Qingshanwang Festival are the bajiang (八家將), or Eight Generals.

The Eight Generals, along with an inlutongzi (引路童子, guide boy), serve as guards for Qingshanwang.

Each year, eight people play the role of the Eight Generals — four green-faced “lock generals” and four red-faced “cangue generals” — and a child is dressed up as a “guide boy” — said to be transformed from a white crane — who carries a calabash that contains conquered evil spirits.     [FULL  STORY]

NAZI ANALOGY:DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen urged Chen Deming to be ‘discreet in his behavior and words’ in the run-up to next month’s elections

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 05, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡

Legislative candidate Sun Po-yu yesterday holds a banner protesting the cross-strait trade in goods agreement in Yilan County. Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times

英文) yesterday urged China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chairman Chen Deming (陳德銘) to be “discreet in his behavior and words” during his visit to Taiwan ahead of next month’s elections after Chen said on Thursday that sometimes a politician with a high support rating causes disaster, citing Adolf Hitler as an example.

The Chinese-language Want Daily reported that Chen, when meeting Want Want Group (旺旺集團) chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) and other company executives on Thursday, said it is “not easy [for the media] to tell the truth” in an environment beset with “geopolitical struggles and complicated political contradictions.”

Chen said that while people do make correct judgements, sometimes it takes time for them to gain an understanding of the problems, citing Germany under the rule of Hitler during World War II as an example.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: December 4, 2015

The winners of this year’s Vivian Wu Journalism Awards were honored at a

UDN reporters show off their Vivian Wu Journalism Awards during a ceremony Dec. 4 in New Taipei City. (UDN)

ceremony Dec. 3 in New Taipei City for producing exceptional news reports that serve the public interest while enhancing the quality of the local media environment.

According to award organizer Vivian Wu Foundation, 18 individuals from six local print and TV media outlets received honors in seven categories spanning foreign affairs, in-depth reports, mainland Chinese coverage and photojournalism.

Among these, United Daily News was the biggest winner, receiving the print media award for foreign affairs coverage with a special project on how burgeoning social enterprises around the world are inspiring local young people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams while contributing to society.

The Chinese-language newspaper also picked up the mainland Chinese coverage award for a series celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ROC’s victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).     [FULL  STORY]