CRI Hourly News 2012 08 12

 250 killed in twin quakes in Iran 

The death toll¹ of Saturday's strong twin quakes in northwest Iran has risen to 250 and some two thousand others were injured.

Reports say the quakes, which jolted² East Azerbaijan province, have damaged some 110 villages. 

A government official says medical assistance is being dispatched to hospitals in the three northwestern provinces which had received the injured. 

A 6.2-magnitude temblor, with a depth of 10 km, was followed by another one magnitude 6 after 11 minutes at a similar location and depth.

Thousands of people are remaining outdoors due to house damage or fear of aftershocks. 

At least 35 aftershocks have occurred in the region.

 

China FM calls for further cooperation with Malaysia

China says it is willing to push forward cooperation with Malaysia and working together towards a peaceful and prosperous East Asia region.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said this in his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Sabah state of East Malaysia Saturday. 

Yang Jiechi told Najib that China highly values the importance to develop strategic cooperation with Malaysia, which is an important partner to China in the region. 

He said China is willing to work with Malaysia for further bilateral³ cooperation and a closer China-ASEAN strategic partnership⁴, as well as a peaceful, developed and prosperous East Asia region.

 

40 Taliban insurgents⁶ killed, 30 arrested in Afghanistan: gov't 

About 40 Taliban insurgents were killed and 30 others detained in military operations within the past 24 hour in different Afghan provinces.

The country's Interior Ministry⁷ says Afghan police, army and the NATO-led coalition⁸ forces have conducted seven cleanup operations in several provinces over the past 24 hours. 

However, the Taliban insurgent⁵ group has yet to make comments.

 

"China's First Manned Space Docking Mission" exhibition opens in HK 

A 15-day exhibition, under the theme of "China's First Manned Space Docking Mission", was opened in Hong Kong on Sunday by three Chinese astronauts of Shenzhou-9 mission.

The exhibition features the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft's re-entry capsule, emergency food packs and drinking water, and items China' s first female astronaut Liu Yang used on the mission, including her spacesuit. 

More than 100 photos relating to Shenzhou-9, and documentary of the astronauts conducting experiments are on display. There are also activities based on the weightless conditions of Tiangong-1.

 

China launches emergency response to typhoon-hit Jiangxi 

China's central authorities have initiated⁹ a level-four emergency plan in response to torrential rains and flooding caused by typhoon Haikui in east China's Jiangxi province.

The National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have dispatched teams to help with the relief work. 

Over one million people have been affected¹⁰ by the disasters, while some 145,000 have been evacuated¹¹.

Following east China's Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui, Jiangxi was the fourth provincial¹² region covered by such level-four emergency plans in response to the latest typhoon since Wednesday.

 

China's trade surplus to narrow in August 

China's trade surplus will continue to narrow in August, as export growth is likely to stay low, according to a report issued by the Financial Research Center of Bank of Communications.

The report says given the grim prospects¹³ for global economic recovery, the country's exports in August will fall from one month earlier, and year-on-year export growth will remain low.

The research center is not optimistic about the global economy, as the U.S. economy has been struggling to gain traction¹⁴ and Europe is slipping toward a recession.

 

New agreement to simplify customs procedures in NE China 

Provincial government officials have inked an agreement in Heilongjiang province to simplify customs and quarantine procedures in the northeast China region.

The agreement, signed by officials from the provinces of Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin and the Inner Mongolia autonomous¹⁵ region, is intended to allow for more efficient processing of goods and personnel in China's industrial heartland.

 

Rains forecast for most parts of China 

Rains will hit most parts of China over the next three days, while Sichuan and Chongqing are forecast to experience high temperatures.

The National Meteorological Center says moderate to heavy rains are expected to fall on parts of Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Hunan provinces as well as Inner Mongolia autonomous region, with rainfall reaching 50 mm to 80 mm in some regions.

Sweltering heat will continue to grip much of Sichuan and Hubei provinces as well as Chongqing municipality for the coming two days, with the mercury hitting as high as 39 degrees Celsius¹⁶ in some areas.

 

Zou defends Olympic gold medal in men's boxing 

Defending Olympic champion Zou Shiming of China outscored Kaeo Pongprayoon from Thailand 13-10 to defend his Olympic gold at London Olympics on Saturday.

Chinese Qiu Bo claimed the Olympic men's platform silver medal.

1 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。

2 jolted   

（使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 )

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。
• She was jolted out of her reverie as the door opened. 门一开就把她从幻想中惊醒。

3 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

6 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 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。

9 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

10 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。

11 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

12 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

13 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

14 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

15 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

16 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。