Hourly News updated 18:00 2011/10/17

 North Korea and U.S. to meet in Geneva next week: report

Reports from South Korea say North Korea and the United States will hold a second round of talks in Geneva next week to discuss ways to restart regional talks on the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue.

Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source in Seoul as saying that the two sides would possibly meet on Wednesday.

In July, U.S. envoy¹ Stephen Bosworth held two days of talks with North Korean Vice² Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan in New York, their first such interaction since 2009.

The so-called six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program has been suspended for nearly three years.

 

 

89 dead as torrential rains hit Central America

Nearly 90 people have been killed as a week of devastating³ torrential rain continued in Mexico and Central America.

Days of non-stop rains provoked a wave of mudslides in the region. Presidents from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala have called states of emergency. 

Guatemala has reported 28 deaths while 24 died in El Salvador.

Official figures show at least 350,000 people have been affected⁴ across the region.

 

 

Thailand floods stop from reaching Bangkok

In Thailand, the government says it's "confident" the floods currently ravaging⁵ a huge swathe of the country have been stopped from reaching Bangkok. 

Officials also say floodwaters just north of the capital have begun receding⁶ for the first time.

The authorities have put a huge effort into diverting the waters into the Chao Phraya River, which runs through the city.

Heavy rains showered the capital for much of the day Sunday, but life was otherwise normal with shopping malls open and elevated trains crossing the city.

 

 

U.S. president to visit Cambodia for first time next year

For the first time in history, Cambodia is expected to welcome the visit of the incumbent⁷ President of the United States next year when the country chairs the regional group ASEAN. 

A spokesman for Cambodia's foreign ministry⁸ says the ASEAN-U.S. Summit will be held in late November, 2012 in Phnom Penh.

US Ambassador to ASEAN David Carden, who is on a four-day visit to Cambodia, says the U.S. is ready to assist Cambodia to chair the ASEAN successfully.

 

 

Stranded⁹ Chinese sailors escorted home from Thailand after deadly attack

Some of the stranded Chinese shipping¹⁰ crews have returned home after being stranded in northern Thailand following the deadly attack on two Chinese merchant ships on the Mekong River earlier this month.

A total of 11 cargo¹¹ boats with 78 sailors have returned to Yunnan province in the southwest.

164 sailors aboard 26 ships became stranded on the Mekong in Thailand after shipping was halted following the attacks on the two Chinese ships.

15 other ships stranded on the Mekong following the halt to shipping are expected to arrive back in Yunnan over the coming days.

Meanwhile, a working team from China is now in Chiang Rai in Thailand to help with the investigation¹² into the deadly attack that killed 12 Chinese sailors.

 

 

China's first A380 takes virgin¹³ flight 

China's first A380 superjumbo has taken its maiden¹⁴ flight from Beijing to Guangzhou. 

China Southern Airlines is the first airline operating the Airbus A380 in China, and the 7th in the world.

The double decker plane will fly between Beijing and Guangzhou until October 26th, and then between Shanghai and Beijing from October 27th to 29th.

The jet's international routes have yet to be announced.

 

 

Tourist bus overturns in China, 10 dead, 33 hurt

A tourist bus carrying many elderly passengers has overturned on a winding¹⁵ highway in southern China, leaving 10 people dead and 33 injured.

Reports say the bus carrying 49 people may have blown a tire, causing the vehicle to flip¹⁶ over into a ditch outside Zhangjiajie city in Hunan Province yesterday afternoon.

The accident follows another earlier this month when 35 people died after a bus and car collided near the northern port city of Tianjin.

 

 

Wal-Mart replaces top China executive after pork scandal

Wal-Mart has replaced its top executive of China operations after the U.S. retailing¹⁷ giant stumbled in a scandal and was forced to temporarily shut down stores in southwest China.

The company says Ed Chan, who served as president and CEO of Wal-Mart's Chinese business for almost five years, is leaving the company for what it calls "personal reasons."

Scott Price, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Asia, will serve as interim¹⁸ leader for Wal-Mart China.

Last week, 13 Mal-Mart stores in the city of Chongqing were ordered to temporarily close for 15 days for overhaul¹⁹ after the company was accused of fraudulently selling ordinary pork as organic pork. 

Wal-Mart opened its first Chinese store in 1996 and now has over 350 outlets²⁰ across the country.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 ravaging   

毁坏( ravage的现在分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• It is believed that in fatigue there is a repeated process of ravaging the material. 据认为，在疲劳中，有一个使材料毁坏的重复过程。
• I was able to capture the lion that was ravaging through town. 我能逮住正在城里肆虐的那头狮子。

6 receding   

v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
• Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

7 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

10 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

11 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

14 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

15 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

16 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

17 retailing   

n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词)

参考例句：

• career opportunities in retailing 零售业的职业机会
• He is fond of retailing the news. 他喜欢传播消息。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

19 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

20 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》