CRI Hourly News 2012 09 25

 China issues white paper on Diaoyu Dao, asserting indisputable sovereignty

 

The Chinese government issued a white paper on Diaoyu Islands Tuesday.

Entitled "Diaoyu Dao, an Inherent Territory of China", it was released by the State Council Information Office.

It says Diaoyu Islands are China's inherent territory in all historical, geographical¹ and legal terms, and China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over the Islands.

 

 

China's first aircraft carrier commissioned

 

China's first aircraft carrier has been commissioned to the People's Liberation Army or PLA Navy.

Overseen² by President Hu Jintao and Premier³ Wen Jiabao, the carrier was officially handed over by the navy's main contractor⁴, the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, at a ceremony held at a naval⁵ base in northeast China's city of Dalian.

The carrier, formerly⁶ known as the Soviet⁷ ship Varyag, was renamed Liaoning after years of refitting as well as a year-long sea trial.

The ceremony makes China the tenth country in the world and the last among the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to have an aircraft carrier in active service.

The People's Liberation Army says after being commissioned, the Liaoning will continue to serve for scientific research purposes, as well as military training.

China announced its aircraft carrier program in July last year, when the carrier was berthed⁸ in Dalian for refitting. Dalian is located on the south coast of Liaoning province.

 

 

Death toll⁹ climbs to 20 in NW China mine carriages crash

 

The death toll has climbed to twenty after two carriages carrying mine workers back to ground crashed earlier today in a pit in northwest China's Gansu Province.

A steel cable pulling a locomotive carrying 34-miners in two carriages snapped in the pit in Baiyin city.

The two carriages slipped and overturned, sending all the workers aboard down into the pit.

Rescuers have retrieved¹⁰ all the miners. Most of the 14 survivors¹¹ are in hospital with injuries.

Company sources said the cable that snapped was replaced recently, but an initial investigation¹² suggested the carriages were overloaded¹³.

 

 

Political dialogue only way to settle Syrian crisis: Chinese FM

 

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has met with UN-Arab League special envoy¹⁴ for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in New York.

Yang Jiechi says political dialogue is the only "correct" way to settle the Syrian crisis.

For his part, Brahimi has told the Chinese foreign minister that the situation in Syria is grave.

The former Algerian foreign minister and U.N. diplomat¹⁵ also urges the international community to help to promote political solution in Syria.

 

 

Pakistan's court adjourns¹⁶ hearing on Swiss graft¹⁷ letter till Wednesday

 

Pakistan's top court has given the government one day to redraft a letter to be sent to the Swiss authorities for reopening graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

The judges raised certain objections concerning the letter and sought clarification from the Law Minister, Farooq H Naek, who had submitted a draft of the letter before a five-member bench of the Supreme¹⁸ Court.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf last week told the court that his government had decided¹⁹ to withdraw a letter previously²⁰ sent to the Swiss authorities for closing graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

 

 

Israeli Ex-PM Receives Suspended Sentence in Corruption²¹ Case

 

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has received an unexpectedly light sentence for his role in a corruption case that forced him from office.

A Jerusalem court ordered Olmert to pay a fine of 18-thousand U.S. dollars and order him to serve a one-year suspended sentence.

He was not given any further jail time or community service.

By avoiding stiffer penalties, Olmert is now eligible²² to run for parliament, but he remains²³ barred from serving in a Cabinet post while he faces another corruption trial.

Olmert was forced out of office nearly four years ago under a cloud of scandal.

 

 

North Korea approves 12-year compulsory²⁴ education

 

The Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea has approved a 12-year compulsory education plan.

The universal 12-year compulsory education will be free of charge for all children aged²⁵ from 5 to 17.

It will consist of one year of pre-school education, five years of primary schooling²⁶, three years of junior middle schooling, and three years of senior middle schooling.

The Supreme People's Assembly is the supreme legislative²⁷ body of North Korea.

 

 

1 dead, 13 injured in stampede of North India

 

At least one person has been killed and 13 others injured in a stampede triggered by overcrowding at a temple in Kanpur, North India.

The incident occured when people gathered to celebrate the Budhwa Mangal festival at the Hanuman temple of Panki.

One eyewitness²⁸ complained of poor crowd control arrangements. The injured are being treated at hospital.

 

 

35 Mexican police officers arrested over drug cartel links

 

The Mexican Navy has announced the detention²⁹ of 35-police officers in eastern Mexico for alleged³⁰ involvement with the Zetas drug cartel.

All of the detained were police officers in the state of Veracruz.

Veracruz has long suffered drug-related violence, it also witnessed the killings³¹ of 35 people last September.

The Zetas, a gang formed in the 1990s by deserters of special military forces, is seen as one of the most powerful drug trafficking groups in Mexico.

1 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

2 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

3 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

4 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

5 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

6 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

7 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

8 berthed   

v.停泊( berth的过去式和过去分词 )；占铺位

参考例句：

• The ship is berthed at Southampton. 船停泊在南安普敦。
• We berthed our ship at dusk. 黄昏时分我们在泊位停船。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 retrieved   

v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

11 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

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 overloaded   

a.超载的，超负荷的

参考例句：

• He's overloaded with responsibilities. 他担负的责任过多。
• She has overloaded her schedule with work, study, and family responsibilities. 她的日程表上排满了工作、学习、家务等，使自己负担过重。

14 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。

15 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

16 adjourns   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Congress adjourns in 3 weeks, we can't do this alone. 距国会开会只有3个星期，我们不能单干。
• And so, at six in the morning, a victorious Convention adjourns. 这样，早上六点，胜利的国民议会休会了。

17 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

18 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

19 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

20 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

21 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

22 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

23 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

24 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

25 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

26 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

27 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

28 eyewitness   

n.目击者，见证人

参考例句：

• The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
• He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。

29 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

30 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

31 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。