week4_Still Alice, alzheimer's disease, Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore takes best actress Oscar for 'Still Alice'

Reporting By Nichola Groom; Editing by Sandra Maler and Ken Wills

Entertainment | Mon Feb 23, 2015 6:20am EST

(Reuters) - Julianne Moore won the best actress Oscar on Sunday for her role as a university professor with Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice".

The win marked Moore's first Academy Award after being nominated four times previously. The 54-year-old actress was favored to win this year's prize after picking up Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA awards earlier this year.

"I read an article that said that winning an Oscar could lead to living five years longer," Moore said while accepting her award. "If that's true I'd really like to thank the Academy because my husband is younger than me."

In "Still Alice," the veteran actress plays a brilliant lecturer and beautiful redhead who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at 50. The small budget film was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures only in September, thanks to Moore's award-winning potential.

Last year, she said she was attracted to the role because she had never seen Alzheimer's portrayed from the point of view of the patient.

The film was adapted from the novel "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova and was directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland.

Moore has been among Hollywood's most celebrated actresses for the last 20 years, earning Oscar nominations for previous roles in "Boogie Nights," "The End of the Affair," "The Hours" and "Far from Heaven."

She also won an Emmy in 2012 for her acclaimed turn as politician Sarah Palin in the television movie "Game Change."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/23/us-awards-oscars-actress-iduskbn0lr0ap20150223

Structure of the lead

WHO-Julianne Moore

WHAT-won the best actress Oscar

WHEN-Sunday

WHERE-not given

WHY-her role as a university professor with Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice"

HOW-not given

Keywords

1. BAFTA:英國電影和電視藝術學院
2. veteran:經驗豐富的
3. acclaimed:受到讚揚的

week3_uber, taxi, crime

Uber may infringe on taxi law: French court

PULL OVER:In one of the many litigations facing the ridesharing service worldwide, a Paris commercial court ordered Uber to change its app, but stopped short of banning it

AP, PARIS

A French court on Friday ruled that Uber Inc’s ridesharing service may infringe French law and ordered the company to make changes to its popular mobile app-based service.

However, the court did not ban the service, which has been established across 45 countries and launched in France earlier this year. Uber matches people seeking rides with drivers through a mobile phone app.

The contretemps is the latest in a string of challenges that Uber and other ride-hailing companies such as Lyft face around the world, as taxi drivers argue that the new car hire services have an unfair advantage because they do not have to follow the same regulations and can afford to offer cheaper prices.

The Paris Commercial Court said on Friday that it is ordering Uber to withdraw from its app in France “all mention suggesting it is legal” for Uber’s drivers to act like taxis — that is, driving around and waiting for clients.

The court also said it is up to a French criminal court to decide if the company should be fined.

In a case brought by taxi and limosine companies earlier this year, Uber was convicted by the criminal court of engaging in misleading commercial practices. The ride-hailing service is appealing the verdict, but a ruling is not expected for several months.

Uber did not immediately return calls seeking comment about Friday’s ruling.

Maxime de Guillenchmidt, a lawyer representing limosine companies that brought the commercial court lawsuit, said they are only partially satisfied by its verdict.

“We wanted the court to immediately order Uber to stop this service, which infringes the law,” Guillenchmidt said. “Uber has won time [with the ruling], during which they will win lots of market share.”

While the court’s decision must come as a relief for San Francisco-based Uber, the company’s legal tussles took a new form when the Brussels Government on Friday said it filed a criminal complaint against Uber.

“As long as Uber refuses to abide by the basic rules for security, responsibility and social security, it will remain an illegal service,” Brussels Minister of Transport Pascal Smet said in a statement on his Web site.

The complaint will enable prosecutors “to proceed with an in-depth inquiry” to determine whether fiscal and social security rules are upheld, Brussels authorities said in the statement. The city also said it warned Google Inc and Apple Inc that making Uber’s service available to users “encourages illegal practices.”

The Brussels authority said it asked the Belgian police’s computer crime unit to put Uber’s Web site offline in the country. The government also said it joined a civil complaint against Uber by a city taxi company, Taxi Verts.

The Brussels’ decision adds to a week of setbacks for the startup: It was sued by the district attorneys of Los Angeles and San Francisco over claims it makes false assurances about drivers’ background checks. That followed a ban in Spain, while Rio de Janeiro declared the service illegal and the Netherlands halted its ridesharing service.

The company was also sued by the city of Portland, Oregon, this week for allegedly violating local laws, while in India, New Delhi banned the company after one of its drivers was accused of raping a passenger.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2014/12/14/2003606667

Structure of the lead 

Who-A French court

What-Uber Inc’s ridesharing service may infringe French law

When-Friday

Where-not given

Why-not given

How-ordered the company to make changes to its popular mobile app-based service

keywords

1. infringe:違反
2. contretemps:意外事故
3. withdraw:收回
4. verdict:裁決
5. attorneys:律師
6. halted:暫停, 終止

week2_Sydney cafe, hostage

Sydney siege victims lauded for courage, kindness

Victims of Sydney siege remembered for kindness, brilliance as reports emerge of heroism

By KRISTEN GELINEAU Associated Press 2014-12-16 07:02 PM SYDNEY (AP) -- She was a brilliant lawyer who taught young students how to prepare for mock trials. He was the beloved manager of a chocolate shop and cafe who was known for putting his staffers' needs first. Both of their lives ended in a hail of bullets inside a Sydney cafe after a disturbed gunman took them hostage along with 15 others. Katrina Dawson, a 38-year-old mother of three, and Tori Johnson, the 34-year-old manager of the Lindt Chocolat Cafe, where the 16-hour siege unfolded, were being lauded Tuesday for their courage after unconfirmed reports emerged that both had sacrificed themselves to save their fellow hostages. Sydney's Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher said at an emotional memorial service attended by hundreds at St. Mary's Cathedral that Johnson had reportedly brought the siege to a head by grabbing the shotgun wielded by hostage-taker Man Haron Monis. Monis was killed as police stormed the cafe to end the siege. "Apparently seeing an opportunity, Tori grabbed the gun. Tragically, it went off, killing him. But it triggered the response of police and eventual freedom for most of the hostages," Fisher said. "Reports have also emerged that Katrina Dawson was shielding her pregnant friend from gunfire. These heroes were willing to lay down their lives so others might live." New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn declined to comment on any individual's actions, saying what transpired in the cafe remained under investigation. "This will all come out in time, no doubt," Burn said. "Can I just say, I think every single one of those hostages, every single one of those victims, acted courageously." Dawson was the mother of three young children, Chloe, Sasha and Oliver, and a highly respected commercial lawyer. She was remembered as "one of our best and brightest" by New South Wales Bar Association president Jane Needham. Andrew Powell, head of the Ascham School, which Dawson attended in her youth, said she was a well-respected and giving woman who excelled at her studies. Dawson's daughter Chloe is a student at the school and Sasha will be attending next year. Dawson was the school's debating captain and played hockey and basketball. After she became a lawyer, she helped teach senior students at her former school how to prepare for mock trials. Johnson was remembered as a selfless man who put others first. "By nature he was a perfectionist and he had a genuine passion for the hospitality industry and people," Lindt Australia CEO Steve Loane said in a statement. "His loss is absolutely tragic." Johnson's parents issued a brief statement, thanking the public for its support. "We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori, gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for," they said. http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=2646502 Structure of the lead WHO-a brilliant lawyer, beloved manager of a chocolate shop and cafe WHAT-their lives ended  WHEN-not given WHERE- Sydney cafe WHY-not given HOW-in a hail of bullets Keywords hail:一陣 bullet:子彈 laud:讚美 trigger:引起 transpire:發生

week1_Ting Hsin, Wei Ying-chung, cooking oil, tainted oil scandal

Ting Hsin owner out on NT$100 mil. bail

By Katherine Wei ,The China Post

January 29, 2015, 12:00 am TWN

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Taipei District Court yesterday released former Ting Hsin Oil & Fat Industrial Co. (頂新製油實業) Chairman Wei Ying-chung (魏應充) on bail of NT$100 million after Wei was detained and indicted for alleged fraud and using inedible oil in cooking oil as well as food products.

Having investigated the Ting Hsin tainted oil case since last September, the Changhua Prosecutors Office yesterday expressed its disbelief regarding the court's bail decision, saying that the prosecution has decided to file an appeal. As the Ting Hsin oil scandal broke, four local prosecutors from Changhua, Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung started to investigate the matter and officially requested Wei's indictment at the local court last November.

The prosecutors registered their surprise over the court's decision, with some saying that since all relevant evidence has been collected, and the case's direction had been decided from the beginning, the defendants were consequently released on bail.

Also released on bail were other Ting Hsin officials, including its acting Chairman Chen Mao-chia (陳茂嘉) and the company's General Director Chang Mei-feng (常梅峰).

The court held two trials relating to the case previously, with the main controversy surrounding the process of Ting Hsin dispatching its staff to oversee oil production by Vietnamese manufacturer Dai Hanh Phuc Company (大幸福公司) — using feed oil to produce food oil for human consumption — and the supposed inspection procedure of the latter.

Prosecutors said that Wei allowed his employees to continue purchasing animal feed oil from Dai Hanh Phuc Company, using feed oil for human food products. Wei has been charged with fraud, forgery and violations of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

Five witnesses and defendants, all ranking officials of the oil company, have been questioned regarding the oil manufacturing scandals, said the Changhua District Court. “As the ... investigations are complete, the court feels that the witnesses may well be cooperating with future investigations if they have paid certain sums in bail and if limitations on residence are imposed,” the court announced.

Prosecutors to Appeal

The Changhua prosecution will be insistent on filing an appeal, as the prosecutors deemed that ambiguity surrounding the defendants' capital overseas, and other Ting Hsin personnel related to the Dai Hanh Phuc Company, have not been questioned in detail yet. It is possible that the defendants could collude to falsify their testimonies as well, said the prosecutors.

“We will be filing an appeal as soon as the court's verdict documents are released,” said Lin Han-chiang, the head prosecutor of the Changhua Prosecutors Office.

The case was taken to court for the second time yesterday, and it was ruled that Wei is to report to the local police station near his residence every day after paying his NT$100 million bail.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2015/01/29/427690/Ting-Hsin.htm

Structure of the lead

WHO-The Taipei District Court 

WHAT-released former Ting Hsin Oil & Fat Industrial Co. (頂新製油實業) Chairman Wei Ying-chung (魏應充)

WHEN-yesterday

WHERE-not given

WHY-on bail of NT$100 million

HOW-not given

Keywords

1. alleged:有嫌疑的
2. fraud:欺騙
3. Prosecutors:檢察官
4. prosecution:控方(律師)
5. indictment:起訴書
6. dispatch:派遣
7. forgery:偽造品