Hourly News updated 14:00 2011/11/10

 At least 43 trapped in coal mine gas leak in SW China

A coal mine gas leak has left at least 43 people trapped underground in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The accident occurred early this morning at the Sizhuang Coal Mine in in the city if Qujing.

A rescue operation is underway.

The local government earlier said a "gas explosion" had ripped through the mine. 

The exact number of miners working underground at the time is still unclear.

 

 

Rescuers search for survivors¹ after Turkey earthquake

 

Rescue teams are searching for dozens of people trapped in rubble² after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake rattled³ eastern Turkey, killing⁴ at least seven people.

About 20 buildings have collapsed⁵ in the city of Van, including a six-storey hotel where dozens of aid workers and journalists were staying.

Emergency workers say 23 people have been rescued alive but that many more remain unaccounted for.

Last month, a 7.2-magnitude quake in the same area killed more than 600 people.

 

 

China repeats its call to resolve Iranian nuclear issue through talks

 

China is repeating its call to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through talks. 

Foreign Ministry⁶ spokesperson Hong Lei made the call following a report of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which says it has obtained "credible⁷" information that Iran may be developing nuclear weapons.

"China opposes the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and disapproves⁸ of any Middle Eastern country developing nuclear weapons. China has consistently advocated using dialogue and cooperation to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue."

Hong Lei also says China is in no rush to take the matter back to the UN Security Council.

 

 

Italy's president says Berlusconi will step down in days

 

Italy's president says Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will resign within days.

Giorgio Napolitano also says a new government will be formed shortly afterward⁹.

Berlusconi made the decision to step down this week after he lost his majority in a parliament vote.

 

 

Asian stocks open sharply lower on new eurozone fears

 

Asian stock markets opened sharply lower today after Italy's record-high cost of borrowing renewed fears over the eurozone crisis.

Japan's Nikkei index fell 2.3%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled more than 4 percent, and South Korea's Kospi opened 2.6% lower.

The falls in Asian markets follow losses in US markets.

The cost of borrowing on Italian government bonds jumped to 7% on Wednesday, a level considered unsustainable by economists¹⁰.

 

 

Greek coalition¹¹ government bid extends to Thursday

 

The political wrangling¹² to finally create a change in government in Greece is going to be extended into this Thursday.

This comes after Greek politicians failed to resolve who is going replace outgoing Prime Minister George Papandreou.

It was widely expected an announcement on the new Greek leadership was going to be made on Wednesday, after Papandreou went on television to announce that his choice for Prime Minister was an "institutional figure."

That has prompted many to suspect that Papandreou's choice would be the current parliamentary speaker Philippos Petsalnikos.

However, it appears the negotiations¹³ remain unresolved.

 

 

Blast hits gas pipeline¹⁴ between Egypt, Jordan, Israel

 

An explosion has hit the gas pipeline between Egypt, Israel and Jordan in Northern Sinai for the sixth time this year.

It's also the first blast since pumping was resumed on late last month.

The pipeline has been shut down.

 

 

Rescue work ends in mudslide-hit Colombia, 48 dead

 

Rescue work for victims of the massive mudslide in Colombia's central city Manizales has ended, with 48 people dead and 12 rescued.

Colombia has suffered one of its worst rainy seasons in decades, with some 70 people killed and tens of thousands forced to leave their homes.

 

 

China expresses concern over U.S. solar panel dumping probe

 

China has expressed concern over the United States' anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probe into Chinese exports of solar panels. 

The Ministry of Commerce says the Chinese side is strongly displeased¹⁵ with the U.S.'s attempts to blame Chinese exports for its own sluggish¹⁶ development.

A ministry spokesman warns that the probe could damage energy cooperation between the two countries and impede¹⁷ the progress of global efforts to deal with climate change.

 

 

China to form national office for IPR infringement¹⁸, fake products crackdown

 

China's State Council has established a national office to clampdown on infringement of intellectual property rights and counterfeit¹⁹ products.

Police have been urging the creation of a cross-regional law enforcement system to help them investigate cases of IPR infringement and fake products. 

The State Council is also pressing for better regulation of Internet-based trade.

 

 

China's October foreign trade drops; surplus continues to fall

 

China's imports and exports in October both dropped from September as uncertainties²⁰ in the United States and Europe cut external demands.

The customs bureau says foreign trade in October fell 8.3 percent from September to nearly 298 billion U.S. dollars.

Trade surplus amounted to 17 billion U.S. dollars, down 36.5 percent year-on-year.

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

2 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

3 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

4 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。

5 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

6 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。

7 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

8 disapproves   

v.不赞成( disapprove的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She disapproves of unmarried couples living together. 她反对未婚男女同居。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her mother disapproves of her wearing transparent underwear. 她母亲不赞成她穿透明的内衣。 来自辞典例句

9 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

10 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

12 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

15 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

16 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

17 impede   

v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止

参考例句：

• One shouldn't impede other's progress.一个人不应该妨碍他人进步。
• The muddy roads impede our journey.我们的旅游被泥泞的道路阻挠了。

18 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯

19 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

20 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告