How Aylan Kurdi changed Canada

WEEK 6.

By Paula Newton, CNN
Updated 2024 GMT (0324 HKT) October 10, 2015

Clutching pages of information and pamphlets, Kate McNaughton is one of thousands of Canadians who says she's serious about transforming her good intentions toward refugees into extraordinary action, even if it means putting up her own money to do it.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to do it more quickly than we did in the past, with the current government's support," says McNaughton, a nurse-practitioner who along with hundreds of others made it to a public forum in Ottawa in late September on how to help Syrian refugees come to Canada.

If there's anything that Aylan Kurdi taught Canada, it's that every minute counts -- every minute, every day, every piece of paper and bureaucratic necessity that stands between a Syrian refugee's misery and a new life in Canada.

"We're still waiting for more information on how to speed the process up," says McNaughton. "I think that there's going to be a lot of administrative hours spent but hopefully it will result in a good outcome."

"My understanding of refugee crises, the history of refugees coming to Canada and generally a sense of social responsibility, that's why I came here," says Andina Van Isschot, as she armed herself with information and contacts.

Thousands of Canadians, from every corner of the country, have flooded charities, faith groups and legal advocates with offers of support and money -- and questions of how they can best help.

"We've got to get people together because people are coming up to all of us and saying, 'How can we help?'" says Jim Watson, the mayor of Ottawa and the organizer of the public forum. "They want to help, they want to sponsor a family they want to provide financial support."

"You've seen an entire country mobilize city by city, community by community, to go and really do whatever we can to help," says Watson.

'Sometimes it just takes one image'

It's been more than a month since Canadians saw the image of 2-year-old Aylan Kurdi, his life ended on a Turkish beach instead of flourishing on Canadian soil as his Canadian family had dreamed. In a country singled out around the world for its generosity to both immigrants and refugees, the death of Aylan -- as well as his mother and 4-year-old brother -- as they waited to be granted asylum in Canada was a profound blow to some.

"Oh yeah, it's a concern, for sure, I wish we were doing a lot more," says Jane Snider, a member of Ottawa's Mennonite Church, a group already sponsoring Syrian refugees and looking to sponsor more.

"Sometimes it just takes one image, like that little girl in Vietnam," says Snider.

Snider is referring to the image of a naked 9-year-old running for her life after her body was scorched by napalm. The photo of Kim Phuc was taken more than four decades ago during the height of the Vietnam War. Phuc eventually claimed asylum in Canada and in May she told CNN she considers the photo a "blessing" that helped bring about peace.

Snider sees the power of the image of Aylan as an important catalyst for people who want to support bringing Syrian refugees to Canada, but she is realistic about what it takes in real terms.

"Just having the personal support for families when they come, it takes a lot of time and effort," she says, adding that the bureaucracy and all the forms required can be daunting.

Taking it all in is Tima Kurdi, Aylan's aunt, who was trying for months to find a way to bring her brother's family to Canada.

Time is of the essence

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to say. I heard from my husband and my friends that Canada will change the rules and now it will be faster and easier," Kurdi told CNN from Kurdistan, where she is currently traveling to see family.

Amid public pressure following Aylan's death, the Canadian government announced it would take 1,000 more Syrian refugees, it would try to streamline the process and it would match, dollar for dollar, all donations raised for the Syria Emergency Relief Fund until the end of the year.

"Yes, my nephew did change the world for politicians; they think of humanity," says Kurdi.

At the public forum in Ottawa, Aylan never seemed far from people's thoughts, many citing "that image" and how it moved them. Some said they hope the outpouring will help console Aylan's family that his death will not have been in vain.

"If [Tima Kurdi] could see the outpouring of support I hope that would give her some comfort," says Michael Allen, head of the Ottawa United Way, a community-based charity trying to coordinate the city's efforts on resettling Syrian refugees.

Mayor Watson, a veteran of fundraising, says the whole world was touched by Aylan's tragedy and he doesn't want to waste any of that sentiment.

"The attention span of everyone tends to wane, and unless we sort of move quickly to do our best to get people involved and engaged and seek their financial support, it will be a missed opportunity," says Watson.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/10/americas/aylan-kurdi-canada-immigration/index.html

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The story behind the front page death of a Syrian boy
(from: youtube)

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/10/americas/aylan-kurdi-canada-immigration/index.html

Structure of the Lead
WHO	A Syrian boy, named Aylan Kurdi
WHEN	October, 2015
WHAT	His life ended
WHY
WHERE	On a Turkish beach
HOW

_________________________________________________________

Keywords:

• nurse-practitioner (n.) 醫療從事者
• forum (n.) 公開討論之場所；討論會
• bureaucratic (adj.) 官僚政治的
• necessity (adj.) 必要性
• speed...up (使)加速
• flourish (v.) 手舞足蹈
• grant (v.) 同意
• asylum (n.) 避難；收容所
• profound (adj.) 深刻的
• scorch (v.) 把...燒焦
• napalm (n.) 凝固汽油彈；汽油膠化劑
• fundraising (adj.) 籌款
• catalyst (n.) 刺激因素

Liquid water exists on Mars, boosting hopes for life there, NASA says

Week 5.

By Michael Pearson, CNN
Updated 1241 GMT (1941 HKT) September 29, 2015 

Potentially life-giving water still flows across the ancient surface of Mars from time to time, NASA scientists said Monday in revealing a potential breakthrough in both the search for life beyond Earth and human hopes to one day travel there.While the discovery doesn't by itself offer evidence of life on Mars, either past or present, it does boost hopes that the harsh landscape still offers some refuge for microbes to cling to existence."The existence of liquid water, even if it is super salty briny water, gives the possibility that if there's life on Mars, that we have a way to describe how it might survive," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA.NASA researchers using an imager aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter confirmed the watery flows by looking at light waves returned from seasonal dark streaks on the surface, long suspected to be associated with liquid water.The investigation showed the streaks absorb light at specific wavelengths associated with chemicals known to pull water from the Martian atmosphere in a process known as deliquescence, said Georgia Tech doctoral student Lujendra Ojha, who first discovered the streaks while still an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona in 2011.The chemicals allow the water to remain liquid at lower temperatures but also help keep it from boiling off in the thin atmosphere of Mars, the researchers said.It remains unclear where the water comes from. Theories include deliquescence, melting subsurface ice or even a liquid-water aquifer that feeds the process. Discovering what precisely is causing the phenomenon is a mystery for the next round of investigations, said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program.The researchers' findings are in a new paper being presented this week at the European Planetary Science Congress in France.This is not the first discovery of water on Mars.Researchers have known for many years that Mars has water frozen at its poles, in its thin atmosphere, and, most recently, in tiny puddles that appear to form at night on the surface.Nor is it the first potential clue that Mars could have once -- or may still -- host life. The Mars Curiosity rover, for instance, has detected methane on the surface of Mars, as well as other chemical signatures suggesting the possibility of past or present life.t remains to be seen whether the new discovery improves the odds of life on Mars, but researcher Mary Beth Wilhelm said the results suggest "more habitable conditions on the near surface of Mars than previously thought."How habitable, she said, depends on how salty and how cold the conditions are.But Alfred McEwen, who heads up NASA's HiRISE high-resolution camera aboard the Mars orbiter, said he's fairly confident life will one day be found on Mars."It's very likely, I think, that there's life somewhere in the crust of Mars, microbes," he said.Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA, said the discovery announced Monday puts NASA in a perfect position to look for that life."We haven't been able to answer the question, 'Does life exist beyond Earth?' " Green said. "But following the water is a critical element of that. We now have, I think, a great opportunity to be in the right locations on Mars to thoroughly investigate that."

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/28/us/mars-nasa-announcement/index.html
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Liquid water exists on Mars boosting hopes for life NASA says extraterrestrial living
火星上發現水
(from: youtube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYvdtGakF3s

Structure of the Lead
WHO	NASA
WHEN	September, 2015
WHAT	Found liquid water
WHY	Not given
WHERE	Mars
HOW	Not given

_________________________________________________________

Keywords:

• life-giving (adj.) 給予生命的
• breakthrough (n.) 突破
• microbe (n.) 微生物
• briny (adj.) 鹽水的；海水的
• imager (n.) 圖像顯示器
• deliquescence (n.) 溶解(性)；潮解(性)
• subsurface (adj.) 表面下的
• precisely (adv.) 精準地
• puddle (n.) 水坑；漥
• methane (n.) 甲烷；沼氣

Zimbabwe won't press charges against Cecil the Lion's killer

WEEK 4.
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNNUpdated 0451 GMT (1151 HKT) October 13, 2015

Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist and big-game hunter who killed Cecil the Lion while on a July hunting expedition, won't face charges in the beloved big cat's death, a Zimbabwean minister said Monday.

There has already been ample publicity surrounding the lion's death, said the country's minister of environment, water and climate, Opa Muchinguri."If you talk to him, tell him that tourists are welcome here," she said. "No hunting, though."Palmer and his family faced threats and saw worldwide protests unfold, including demonstrations outside his Bloomington office after the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force reported that Cecil was lured out of Hwange National Park and shot with a compound bow.Cecil lived another 40 hours until the hunters tracked him down and shot him with a gun, the conservation group said. He was then skinned and beheaded.The hunters also tried to destroy the GPS collar that Cecil was wearing as part of a research project backed by Oxford University, according to the conservation group.Palmer said in interviews with The Associated Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he couldn't see the collar because it was buried beneath Cecil's mane. He also said that it was not illegal to kill a collared lion.Social media took aim under the hashtag #WalterPalmer. "A poor excuse of a human being," "a killer" and "Satan" were just a few of the Twitter insults hurled in his direction. A Facebook page devoted to shaming Palmer still has more than 17,000 members.Celebrities such as model Cara Delevingne, actress Alyssa Milano and TV host Sharon Osbourne -- who have a combined total of 8.39 million followers -- joined in as well."I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt," Palmer said in a statement in late July. "I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."Palmer disappeared for a spell and shuttered his office, River Bluff Dental, as he weathered the storm of criticism and threats. He returned to work last month.Two Zimbabweans have been charged in the case, and before Monday, officials there had said they wanted Palmer extradited to face charges.The 55-year-old dentist had indicated that he'd cooperate, although he said he had yet to be contacted by anyone about the investigation.Cecil's killing apparently was not the first time Palmer landed into trouble while hunting. A man with the same name and age, and from the same town, illegally killed a black bear in Wisconsin several years ago, according to court documents.That individual pleaded guilty to making false statements knowingly to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was sentenced to one year on probation and ordered to pay a fine of nearly $3,000, records show.

Journalist Columbus Mavhunga and CNN's Ed Payne contributed to this report.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/12/africa/zimbabwe-cecil-lion-walter-palmer-no-charges/index.html

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Zimbabwe won't press charges against lion killer(from: youtube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ-5CdlbPRM

Structure of the Lead
WHO	Walter Palmer
WHEN	July, 2015
WHAT	Walter Palmer killed the lion, Cecil
WHY	For fun
WHERE	America
HOW	It evoked demonstrations outside his Bloomington office and worldwide public outrage

_________________________________________________________

Keywords:

• expedition (n.) 遠征；探險；考察
• ample (adj.) 大量的；豐富的
• demonstration (n.) 示威
• mane (n.) 鬃毛
• expertise (n.) 專門技術
• conservation (n.) 保存
• extradite (v.) 引渡(逃犯等)；獲取(逃犯等)引渡 
• knowingly (adv.) 故意地
• sentence (v.) 宣判 
• probation (n.) 鑑定；見習；(法律的)緩刑
• shaming (adj.) 令人羞愧的
• lure (v.) 誘惑

Worried about MERS? South Korea will insure you for free

week 3.

By Charles Riley and KJ Kwon   @CNNMoney

Thinking of canceling your trip to South Korea because of the MERS virus outbreak? Relax, the government will insure you.

More than 100,000 tourists have already dropped plans to visit the country, and if many more stay away the economy could lose billions of dollars.

South Korea now says that foreign visitors will be automatically insured against the risk of contracting Middle East Respiratory Syndrome."To relieve the anxiety of the foreign tourists, we will develop and promote [an] insurance package that compensates foreign tourists if they are confirmed with MERS during their stay in South Korea," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said.The government is still working out the details with an insurance company, and it's not immediately clear how much cover will be provided, or when the plan will go into effect.But it's part of a broader effort to reassure travelers. The country's main tourism website, for example, prominently displays the phone number of a MERS hotline specifically for tourists.

• South Korea MERS death toll at 20; 8 more cases diagnosed

The government estimates that a 20% decline in visits during the peak June to August tourism season would cost the industry $900 million in lost revenue. A 50% decrease in numbers would cost $2.3 billion.South Korea's economy was looking shaky even before the MERS outbreak killed 20 people. On Wednesday, the government announced eight new cases, ringing the total number to 162 -- 18 of whom are in an "unstable" condition.

• South Korea races to limit economic fallout from MERS

Last week, the Bank of Korea warned that MERS posed a significant threat, and cut its main interest rate to a record low to try to contain the fallout. By making it cheaper for companies and households to borrow, the central bank is hoping to stoke domestic demand.

South Korea's economy is home to major global companies such as Samsung (SSNLF) and Hyundai (HYMTF), and heavily dependent on exports. Domestic consumption has been weak in recent months, and external demand has slowed.The International Monetary Fund warned last month that officials should take measures to stimulate the economy if signs of a recovery did not emerge soon. It expects growth to stagnate around 3.3% this year.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/17/news/south-korea-mers-tourism-insurance/index.html

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DAY BREAK 06:00 Latest update on MERS in Korea: 4 deaths, 41 cases(from: youtube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NV2tiKAVlw

MERS in Korea(from: youtube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_HvuWf29wM

Structure of the Lead
WHO	Korea government
WHEN	Not given
WHAT	Outbreaks of MERS
WHY	Not given
WHERE	Korea
HOW	The government will insure tourists

_________________________________________________________

      Keywords:

• automatically  (adv.)自動地；無意識地；不自覺地
• respiratory (adj.)呼吸的
• syndrome (n.)併發症狀
• compensates (v.)補償
• revenue (n.)收入
• unstable (adj.)不穩定的
• stimulate (v.)刺激

Treacherous journey to epicenter of deadly Nepal earthquake

WEEK 2.

By Arwa Damon, Samson Karki and Tim Hume, CNN

Updated 0407 GMT (1107 HKT) May 5, 2015

More than 1,400 meters above sea level, amidst Nepal's treacherous alpine terrain, an entire mountain is shaking.

The terrifying tremors last for about five seconds. They send the few villagers left in the remote village of Mandre -- a 174km drive northwest of Kathmandu, when roads are passable -- scrambling down the mountainside towards the relative safety of the plains. Most of the village has taken refuge there since the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck more than a week ago.

We hear a landslide below us. In the distance, three more can be seen, triggered by the jolt.

Sunil Bishokerma, making his way up the mountain with his brother to search for his missing family members, tells us his whole body is in shock.

• No assistance

We are making our way on foot in an attempt to reach Barpak, a village in Nepal's Western Region. It lies more than 2,000 meters above sea level, at the epicenter of the deadly April 25 quake which has claimed 7,365 lives.The route here has involved an eight-hour drive west from Nepal's capital, along a bumpy road winding its way along the banks of the Trishuli River.As we drive among stunning Himalayan scenery, the effects of the earthquake gradually reveal themselves.We meet a mother, Miru, who tells us her family have lost everything. The only consolation -- that they still have their daughter Sanjita, who was nearly killed when their house collapsed.At a local grocery store, we meet a group from a village further up the mountain. They've been walking down to the road every day since the quake hit to try to get assistance, but so far none has arrived.The little aid we do see is generated by the community. We encounter 10 friends who say they have driven 100 km (62 miles) on their motorbikes to distribute supplies."We have heard that (the) earthquake affect(ed) that village and we came to help them," says one.Further along, we reach the end of the road. Massive boulders have tumbled down the mountainside, crushing a digger and blocking the road, cutting off what lies beyond from a vital lifeline to aid. From here we must continue on foot.

• Abandoned village

The arduous path up the mountain is marked with gaping crevasses and uprooted trees, tossed down the slope. Porters say we should proceed with caution, as the steep walkway is unstable and there is a constant threat of falling debris from the frequent tremors.

The village of Mandre -- or what is left of it -- is unnervingly empty.

Unlike many other villages we've passed through, there are no shelters pitched next to the ruined homes.

There are only markers of what has been lost. A child's doll -- a Winnie the Pooh plush toy -- lies abandoned amid the scattered stones and broken timber of what was once a home. There's a fresh grave for three young women, marked with a traditional necklace showing one was married.

Nepalese troops arrive to dig out the bodies of livestock buried beneath the rubble, the decomposing carcasses leaving a heavy stink in the air. But there's no sign that any aid has made it here, other than three tents dropped days earlier.

• complete devastation

Further up the mountain -- a seven-hour trek from where we left our vehicle, stopping to film along the way -- we finally reach Barpak.

The scene is one of complete devastation. The mountainside is dotted with white stones marking graves of the freshly buried. Ninety-five percent of the homes here are destroyed -- those that survived are made of brick and concrete, as opposed to the stone and timber construction that predominates.

The village is a sea of debris: corrugated iron and piled timber. There's a din of clanking and hammering, as residents undertake the work of dismantling the wreckage themselves.

Even here, at the earthquake's epicenter, aid has been frustratingly slow in arriving. One of the few signs of assistance is an Indian army medical team, treating the infected head wound of an injured girl, who cries as they insert stitches.

• 'Best we can'

Why more assistance has failed to make it from Kathmandu to here, where it is needed most, seems inexplicable.

But Nepal's Information Minister Minendra Rijal says the country's response is the best it could do, given the paucity of its resources and the magnitude of the disaster.

"Given the resources we have, given the situation that we're facing, I would say we're doing the best we can," he tells CNN.

"I'm not saying that it could not have been better -- it could have been better -- but I would not say this is something to complain a lot about."

He compared the government's response to the U.S.'s struggle to respond to Hurricane Katrina -- and disputed claims that unlike Katrina, this earthquake was anticipated.

"This was also unexpected," he said.

 "The preparations that were made in the workshops and seminars were simply of no use... No one forecasted an earthquake which would span as large an area as it did, which would affect as many people as it did."

• Tearful reunion

Back in Barpak, Bishokerma chases information from locals about the fate of his family members.

He has received no word from them since the quake.

There's an ominous piece of news from a local resident: she says a girl was killed on their street.

Things do not look promising on the approach to the site of their former home, now a cascade of rubble. Bishokerma walks slowly, dreading what he may discover.

But there's good news. His aunt rushes out from a tent and throws her arms around him.

"My god, they are okay," says Bishokerma, as tears stream down his cousin's face.

They have lost almost everything. But at least they are alive.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/04/asia/nepal-earthquake-epicenter-barpak/index.html

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2015 NEPAL Earthquake - Full Documentary(from: youtube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weGUeZsX4d4

Structure of the Lead
WHO	Residents
WHEN	April 25, 2015
WHAT	attempt to reach Barpak
WHY	Deadly earthquake took place
WHERE	Nepal
HOW	7,365 lives were claimed

_________________________________________________________

     Keywords:

• treacherous (adj.) 變化莫測的
• tremor (n.)震動
• refuge (n.) 避難；庇護
• epicenter (n.) 震中；中心；中心點
• bumpy (adj.) 崎嶇不平的
• arduous (adj.) 艱巨的；陡峭的
• crevasse (n.) 地球表面的裂縫；裂隙；破口
• debris (n.) 殘骸；碎瓦殘礫；岩層
• corrugated (adj.) 縮成皺紋的；成波狀的
• paucity (n.) 少量 ；缺乏
• magnitude (n.) 巨大；強度
• seminar(n.) 研討會
• ominous(adj.) 不詳的