Page Two

‘I Pray For You’: JJ Lin song to aid victims of Taiwan water park blast

The Singaporean singer hopes the song, titled I Pray For You, can serve to encourage the victims of the blast, along with their friends and families.

Channel News Asia
Date: 02 Jul 2015

TAIPEI: Singaporean pop prince JJ Lin has recently collaborated with singer Wing Luo Clipboard01to compose a song for the victims of the Taiwan water park blast.

Two people were killed and more than 500 people injured last Saturday (Jun 27) in a massive dust explosion during a Color Play Asia event at the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park.

Titled I Pray For You, Lin said his song is meant to cheer on the victims of the blast, along with their friends and families. Lin has promised to donate all proceeds from the song to help the injured.

“Hopefully, this will let more victims who need strength hear positive energy! We will donate all proceeds from this song to the victims, and hope to let them get better treatment! Everyone, lets share this and support them!” said the singer in a Facebook post.     [FULL  STORY]

‘Diligent and elderly’ James Soong biding time on presidential bid

Want China Times
Date: 2015-07-02
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

James Soong, head of the minor blue-aligned People First Party, said Wednesday that

James Soong speaks at a PFP press conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, July 1. (File photo/CNA)

James Soong speaks at a PFP press conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, July 1. (File photo/CNA)

he will consider whether to run in Taiwan’s 2016 presidential election but that now is not the right time to make a final decision.

His decision will largely hinge on whether the policies of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party and the ruling Kuomintang are “hijacked” by their fundamentalist factions, Soong added.

Describing himself as a diligent elderly Taiwanese man, the 73-year-old Soong said he has been closely observing Taiwan in a bid to figure out the country’s current situation.

Soong, who is also a chief advisor to Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je, said he wants to let all Taiwan’s people keep their heads up in the face of the world and the other side of the Taiwan Strait and say what they really think.     [FULL  STORY]

Independence party enters fray

Taipei Times
Date:  Jul 03, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter

Senior Taiwanese independence campaigners yesterday announced that they are

Political commentator and Taiwan Independence Action Party cofounder Chin Heng-wei poses in Taipei on Wednesday. Photo: Li Hsin-fang, Taipei Times

Political commentator and Taiwan Independence Action Party cofounder Chin Heng-wei poses in Taipei on Wednesday. Photo: Li Hsin-fang, Taipei Times

establishing the Taiwan Independence Action Party (TIAP), saying that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been diverted from the independence movement.

Led by political commentator Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒), former presidential advisers Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) and Wu Li-pei (吳澧培), and former Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟), the group delivered its application to register a new political party to the Ministry of the Interior.

Its objective is to get politicians supporting independence into the Legislative Yuan.     [FULL  STORY]

Lien Chan backs peace policy: Hung

PEACE TALKS:China’s security law accents the need for cross-strait negotiations with ‘equality and dignity,’ KMT presidential hopeful Hung Hsiu-chu said yesterday

Taipei Times
Date:  Jul 03, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential nominee Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday said former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) approves of her cross-strait policy, which calls for a peace agreement with China, adding that a new Chinese law shows the need for cross-strait talks.

In a news conference after meeting with Lien, Hung said he “greatly appreciates” her cross-strait proposal, adding that Lien mentioned his meeting with former Chinese president Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in 2005, at which a peace agreement was discussed.     [FULL  STORY]

Military facilities in S China Sea easy targets for US forces: experts

Want China Times
Date: 2015-07-01
By: Staff Reporter

China’s man-made islands and military constructions in the South China Sea would be

An aerial view of Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys, which has been transformed into an artificial island by dredging sand to reclaim land. (Photo/Xinhua)

An aerial view of Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys, which has been transformed into an artificial island by dredging sand to reclaim land. (Photo/Xinhua)

nothing more than a “sitting duck” for US armed forces in the event of a naval conflict, say both American and Chinese experts.

In interviews with the US-based outlet Defense News, Ian Easton, a China defense specialist at the Project 2049 Institute in Washington; Wallace Gregson, a former assistant defense secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, and Zhu Feng, a South China Sea expert at China’s Nanjing University, all agreed that China’s rapidly expanding land reclamation efforts and militarization on disputed islands in the South China Sea “would not survive long in a war with the US.”     [FULL  STORY]

Royce pushes for frigates’ transfer

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 02, 2015
By: William Lowther  /  Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce is urging

US Navy 070131-N-8534H-001 Guided missile frigate_USS_Gary_(FFG_51) transits the South China Sea while conducting unit level training during her deployment

US Navy 070131-N-8534H-001 Guided missile frigate USS Gary transits the South China Sea while conducting unit level training during her deployment

the White House to immediately issue a final authorization for two Perry-class guided missile frigates to be transferred to Taiwan.

After visiting one of the frigates — the USS Gary — in San Diego, California, this week, Royce said that he was continuing efforts to strengthen Taiwan-US relations.

“I understand that the Taiwan navy has already inspected these frigates and is eager for the transfer to happen soon,” he said.

“Now that the US navy and Taiwan navy have completed the paperwork needed for this transfer, I urge President Barack Obama’s administration to not delay a moment longer before transferring these frigates to Taiwan,” he added.     [FULL  STORY]

Water Park Inferno: Progress of severe burns patient hailed by health workers

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 02, 2015
By: Staff writer, with CNA

In what physicians are describing as a “miracle,” a 20-year-old college student with burns

The father of Lu Yi-ming, who was injured in the Formosa Fun Coast incident, shows a photograph of his son during a news conference in Taichung on Tuesday.Jul 02, 2015. Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times

The father of Lu Yi-ming, who was injured in the Formosa Fun Coast incident, shows a photograph of his son during a news conference in Taichung on Tuesday.Jul 02, 2015. Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times

to 90 percent of his body has regained consciousness and was breathing unassisted after being injured in the explosion and fire at the Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) water park in New Taipei City on Saturday.

Lu Yi-ming (呂意銘), a sophomore at Vanung University in Taoyuan, was taken off a ventilator at China Medical University Hospital in Taichung on Tuesday evening, plastic surgeon Lee Tsung-hsun (李宗勳) said yesterday.

“It is a medical miracle,” Lee said.

It is uncommon for a patient with such extensive burns to regain consciousness within three days of being injured, he said.     [FULL  STORY]

UPDATE 1-Crew of crashed Taiwan TransAsia plane shut off working engine-source

Reuters
Date: July 1, 2015
By Faith Hung

(Reuters) – The crew of a TransAsia Airways ATR plane that crashed in Taiwan in February, killing 43 people on board, had shut off the working engine after the other lost power, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

The latest investigation report into the Taipei crash, to be released on Thursday, will say data readings showed the almost-new turboprop ATR 72-600 stalled and crashed shortly after the functioning engine was switched off, said the source.

The findings of the report, by the Aviation Safety Council, will also focus on flight operations, air traffic control, weather, the air worthiness of the plane and other factors, added the source, who could not be identified because the report has not yet been made public.     [FULL  STORY]

Water Park Inferno: Hospital defends inability to attend to burn injuries

‘NOT EQUIPPED’:The cancer center said it did not have trauma staff or a cardiology department, but critics said it was making excuses and had turned its back on victims

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 01, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Koo Foundation Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center superintendent Andrew Huang (黃達夫) yesterday dismissed mounting criticism over the hospital’s refusal to admit victims of the Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) blast on Saturday, saying the center is a cancer facility, and does not have a burn unit.

“As Taiwan’s first hospital specializing in cancer treatment, the center operates differently from most general hospitals. We are not equipped with cardiology and cardiovascular surgery departments, or the equipment and staff to treat trauma,” Huang said in an open letter published on Chinese-language news Web site ETtoday.

Due to a patient’s right to receive prompt medical care, Huang said the center finds it unacceptable when a patient is sent to a hospital not outfitted to deal with emergencies, as treatment is inevitably delayed so that the patient can be transferred to another medical institution with the required equipment and specialists.     [FULL  STORY]

Gangsters throw signal bombs and burn

The China Poast
Date: July 1, 2015
By Sun Hsin-hsuan

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Around 10 people were arrested and accussed of throwing signal bombs and crashing cars, including burning cars in fornt of a police station on the streets at midnight Tuesday, according to police officers of New Taipei City Police Department, Sanchong Precinct yesterday.

Police officers said that about 30 gangsters on scooters crashed several cars and threw signal bombs on the street on Tuesday. After checking surveillance cameras, officers have taken nine suspects into custody, eight men, two women, two of which are underage. Another twenty-three suspects will be summoned later, officers added.

Suspects will be investigated with the charge of offenses against public safety, officers said, adding that some of them had possession of Ketamine.

According to the police, three of the suspects have admitted to randomly crashing cars.     [FULL  STORY]