Hourly News updated 18:00 2011/10/18

 China's economy slowed in third quarter

China's economy grew 9.1 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the slowest pace since early 2009, on monetary¹ tightening² and weaker export demand. 

The data, released by the National Bureau of Statistics, drops from a 9.5 percent gain in the previous three months.

However, core domestic drivers of growth remained robust³, suggesting little chance that monetary policy can be relaxed near term.

Spokesman for the statistics agency, Sheng Laiyun, has dismissed the risk of a sharp deterioration⁴ in the Chinese economy.

"The complexity⁵ of the international economic environment and the difficulties facing economic recovery are increasing. Unstable⁶ and uncertain factors in the development of the domestic economy are also increasing. But looking at the momentum⁷ of economic growth, in the next phase, China's economy is very much likely to maintain stable and relatively⁸ fast growth."

Reacting to the slowing economy, Chinese stocks fell today with the benchmark Shanghai composite index plunging⁹ 2. 3 percent.

 

 

Captured Israeli soldier Shalit returns home

Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who has been held by the Hamas movement since 2006, has arrived back in Israel under a prisoner swap¹⁰ deal.

Shalit was first turned over to officials in Egypt, which helped broker¹¹ the deal that will see Israel release 1,027 Palestinian and Arab inmates¹² in exchange for Shalit.

The first batch¹³ of 477 people began leaving Israeli prisons early Tuesday.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the point that the prisoners left their jails "a historic moment".

"The start of moving of the buses carrying free Palestinians from Israeli prisons and heading to the Gaza Strip confirms that the deal is being implemented¹⁴ in a good manner. We consider these as historical unique moments".

The second phase of the swap is expected to take place in about two months, with a further 550 Palestinian prisoners to be freed.

 

 

CPC Central Committee plenum ends with cultural development guideline

The 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has concluded its sixth plenary session in Beijing.

The meeting, which opened on Saturday, has adopted a guideline to improve the nation's cultural soft power.

 

 

WTO head says China has delivered an A+ performance since entering WTO

The head of the World Trade Organization has given an "A+ performance" to China since the country joined the WTO 10 years ago.

Pascal Lamy told an audience at Sichuan University in southwest China that China has applied¹⁵ the rules, although not 100 percent.

He called China's entry into the WTO a win-win result for the country and the world.

 

 

Six detained over colliery gas blast that kills 9 in SW China

Six people have been detained in the wake of a coal mine gas blast that left nine people dead and four others missing in southwest China.

The accident took place at the Fufa Coal Mine in Chongqing yesterday afternoon.

Six people responsible for the mine operation, including the mine owner, are now in police custody¹⁶.

The death toll¹⁷ has climbed to nine as one more body was found earlier today.

 

 

Abducted¹⁸ Colombian mayor's daughter released

A 10-year-old Colombian girl whose kidnapping last month shocked the nation has been released. 

Nohora Valentina Munoz is the daughter of the mayor of Fortul. She was kidnapped as she walked to school on September 29.

President Juan Manuel Santos says the girl was freed after mediation¹⁹ by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

It is not yet clear who kidnapped her, and details of the negotiation²⁰ on her release have not yet been made public.

 

 

Bad weather threatens salvage²¹ of cargo²² ship grounded off New Zealand

Rough weather has halted the pumping of oil from a cargo ship grounded on a reef off the east of New Zealand.

The Liberian-flagged Rena has been grounded since October 5, setting off what officials say the country's worst maritime²³ environmental disaster. 

An estimated 350 tons of fuel have spilled into the sea near beaches on New Zealand's North Island, killing²⁴ more than a thousand sea birds.

Some 90 tonnes of the vessel's estimated 1,700 tonnes of oil have been transferred to a waiting bunker barge²⁵.

 

 

Malaria²⁶ deaths fall nearly 40% worldwide in last decade

The World Health Organization says there has been a fall of nearly 40% in the number of deaths from malaria worldwide in the past decade.

A new report says one-third of the 108 countries where malaria is endemic are on course to eradicate²⁷ the disease within 10 years.

Malaria has been eradicated²⁸ from three more countries since 2007.

The mosquito-borne disease is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, where 85% of deaths occur. In 2009, 781,000 people died from malaria.

1 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

3 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

4 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

5 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

6 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

7 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

8 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

9 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

11 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

12 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

14 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

15 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

16 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

17 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

18 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

19 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

20 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

21 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

22 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。

23 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

24 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

25 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

26 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

27 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

28 eradicated   

画着根的

参考例句：

• Polio has been virtually eradicated in Brazil. 在巴西脊髓灰质炎实际上已经根除。
• The disease has been eradicated from the world. 这种疾病已在全世界得到根除。