1.Hung vows to bring KMT back on the road to victory
The China Post June 11, 2015
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) on Wednesday vowed to take the Kuomintang (KMT) to victory in the 2016 presidential election in a highly scrutinized speech delivered at the party's Central Standing Committee, in which she outlined her vision to bring the befuddled ruling party back to the hearts of the nation's voters. With a two-day opinion poll run by the party to gauge her eligibility as presidential candidate looming, Hung's speech was her last good chance to rally last-minute support.
In her 20-minute speech called “The Road,” the 67 year-old Hung touched upon cross-strait relations, energy policy, trade pacts and other topics. The main thrust of her attack, however, targeted the KMT's establishment thinking and what had caused the ruling party to lose its supporters.
“We must ask ourselves: Have we blurred over what should remain clear, compromised over what we should remain steadfast on, appeased on the inappeasable, and given up on what we must hold on to?” she asked a packed meeting room in the KMT headquarters.
Accuses DPP of Warping Democracy
While she tied the ruling party's apathy to its cowering from core party values, Hung also argued that Taiwan's process of democratization had been made into a tool in a struggle against China's 1.3 billion people. She also accused the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of masking its pro-independence stance under the packaging of “maintaining the status quo.”
Proposes Peace Pact with China
The sole registrant to the KMT's oft-uncertain presidential primary also proposed the signing of a peace accord with China in order to guarantee cross-strait peace and open up opportunities for Taiwan's international space. She also advocated creating the measures possible to attract more talent to the island in higher education while continuing the current administration's call to join regional trade agreements such as the Tran-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Dark Horse Credentials Touted
Hung, whose underdog campaign was initially seen as an upstart sideshow vis-a-vis the greater whims of the more influential party heavyweights, made an impassioned attempt to characterize herself as a loyal party member outside the privileged inner circle. Her increased popularity in recent weeks has so far foiled attempts by higher level party members to scrap her campaign.
“I want to tell the people of Taiwan that I am the poorest of all presidential contender's in (Taiwan's) history, and I know what its like to have nothing to eat,” she said, while also referencing her father's imprisonment during Taiwan's White Terror era in the 1950s. Hung's mother worked overtime, but her family was forced to separate due to economic hardship.
“God placed me in this family, forced me to work hard, and forced me even harder not to give up on myself.”
She concluded by calling attention to the fact that the KMT is a party that has given opportunities to the poor, and was convinced that if given another chance, she could lead the party toward the ultimate objective of victory.
- Business Dynasties Try to Pass the Torch Without Dropping It
The New York Times JUNE 13, 2015
From left: James, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch.CreditFrank Micelotta/Invision for the Television Academy
A 17th-century Armenian alchemist, Zildjian invented an alloy of copper, tin and silver while trying to make gold, and used it to create an exceptionally resonant cymbal for court musicians. Nearly 400 years later, his descendants still own and operate Zildjian, a private company in Norwell, Mass., making cymbals for the best drummers in the world.
Few business dynasties last anywhere near that long, of course. And as Mr. Murdoch prepares to hand the chief executive role of 21st Century Foxto his son James, he is embarking on what is often a hazardous task — trying to transfer control of a company to the next generation, while positioning it for future success.
Letting go is hard, and Mr. Murdoch, 84, is expected to stay closely involved with 21st Century Fox as executive chairman, a title he also holds at News Corporation, a collection of media properties he spun off in 2013.
But while his skill may be welcome in the boardroom — he built the companies into a $75 billion empire — his lingering presence could pose challenges for his son.
“Murdoch didn’t say he was going off to the senior citizen golf tournament,” said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management. “His phone is going to be busy, and he’s going to be making decisions, and those decisions aren’t going to be subordinate to James’s.”
Many family transitions strain under the patriarch’s reluctance to let go. Sumner Redstone, who remains chairman of Viacom and CBS, tried to involve his children, Shari and Brent, in the business. But relations with both have been contentious over the years. At one point Brent sued his father for $1 billion to gain a stake in a company and is no longer in the picture. Mr. Redstone, who is 92, has reportedly mended ties with Shari, making her his likely successor.
Family dynamics do not have to be explosive, but they require a delicate balancing act. Hal and Hank Steinbrenner steered the Yankees to continued success after their father, George Steinbrenner, handed over the reins. But they did so under his watchful eye.
- Turkey facing turbulence after Erdogan poll blow
AFP , June 9, 2015
ISTANBUL -- Turkey on Monday entered a new period of political and financial turbulence after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party lost its absolute majority in parliament for the first time since coming to power in 2002.
The uncertainty swiftly rattled financial markets, with stocks tumbling in morning trade and the Turkish lira plummeting in value against the U.S. dollar.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has dominated Turkish politics for the last 13 years but came up well short of a majority of seats in Sunday's legislative elections due to a breakthrough showing by the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP).
A coalition government and early elections are both now possibilities, in a situation unprecedented since the Islamic-rooted AKP swept to power.
The results wrecked the ambition of Erdogan — prime minister from 2003 to 2014 and now president — of agreeing a new constitution to switch Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system.
Such a change would have required a two-thirds majority in parliament. Just months before the election, Erdogan had been targeting 400 seats for the AKP.
However Erdogan's statement remained strictly presidential, in contrast to his hugely partisan behaviour on behalf of the AKP in the campaign.
In his first reaction to the result, Erdogan acknowledged that the AKP would not be able to govern alone and urged Turkey's political forces to show responsibility in “a new process.”
“According to the available results, no party will be able to govern alone,” he said in a statement released by the presidency that hailed the conduct of the elections.
“Political forces (should) show responsible behavior and the necessary sensitivity to preserve the atmosphere of stability and confidence in our country and our democratic achievements,” he said.
- Mers South Korea: WHO says more cases anticipated
BBC 2015.06.13
South Korea's outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is "large and complex" and more cases are expected, World Health Organization experts say.
But while it was premature to declare the outbreak over, the WHO said it had "found no evidence" of the Mers virus spreading wider in the community.
About 140 people have been infected since the start of the outbreak last month. Fourteen are known to have died.
Experts also urged the South Korean government to stay vigilant.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers)
- Mers is caused by a new type of coronavirus, a type of virus which includes the common cold and Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
- First cases emerged in the Middle East in 2012, and the first death in Saudi Arabia in June that year.
- It is not known for certain how it is transmitted. It is possible the virus is spread in droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- Patients have a fever, cough and breathing difficulties, but Mers can also cause pneumonia and kidney failure.
- Approximately 36% of reported patients with Mers have died - there is no vaccine or specific treatment.
Speaking in Seoul after a week-long investigation, the WHO's Keiji Fukuda said: "Because the outbreak has been large and is complex, more cases should be anticipated."
He added: "At present the mission has found no evidence that there is ongoing transmission within the community."
All of South Korea's cases have been linked to health facilities, but the WHO urged the government to continue to maintain strong control measures, thoroughly tracing infected people's contacts and preventing suspected patients from travelling.
A number of factors may have contributed to the spread of the disease in South Korea so far, the WHO said, including:
- Overcrowded emergency rooms and hospital wards
- The habit of "doctor shopping" - visiting several facilities for the same complaint
- Doctors unfamiliar with the disease
About 2,900 schools were closed and 3,680 people were isolated as of Friday after possible contacts with those infected.
Earlier this week, South Korea's central bank cut interest rates to a record low in a move seen as an attempt to stem the economic fallout from the outbreak in Asia's fourth largest economy, which was first reported last last month.
The outbreak is the largest outside Saudi Arabia, where the disease was first identified in humans in 2012.
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