Hourly News 每日新闻 Hourly News 2013-12-06

 Mandela dies

South African President Jacob Zuma has just announced Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid icon¹, has died at the age of 95.

Zuma made the announcement naming Mandela, who led the country out of decades of apartheid after 27 years in prison, both the nation's greatest son and father.

He says Mandela has "departed" and is now at peace.

Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

The former president has suffered from health issues throughout the past year including recurring² lung infections which landed him in the hospital several times.

Mandela was released from hospital in early September following an 85-day stay, the lung infections a result of his longtime imprisonment³ during the apartheid times.

Mandela will receive a state funeral.

 

China, Ukraine leaders meet in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping has held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych in Beijing.

The two leaders have agreed on a five-year plan to enhance the strategic partnership⁴ between China and Ukraine following their meeting.

The two sides have particularly pledged to carry out close cooperation when it comes to infrastructure⁵ construction as well as the industrial and resources sector⁶.

On the political front, Xi Jinping and Yanukovych have promised to support each other on major issues regarding national sovereignty and the "development path of their own choice".

Meantime, Yanukovych has taken time to pay a visit to China Radio International for a ceremony marking the opening of CRI's Ukrainian language online radio.

The ceremony also marks the fifth anniversary of CRI's Ukrainian language website, the only such media in China.

 

China urges U.S. to respect ADIZ

US Vice⁷ President Joe Biden has wrapped up his two-day visit here in China.

He has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he arrived here Wednesday.

The two has pledged to enhance bilateral⁸ ties and dialogues on international issues.

He also met with Chinese Premier⁹ Li Keqiang and his Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao.

After the meetings, China's Foreign Ministry¹⁰ issued a statement, urging the United States to respect its establishment of the Air Defense¹¹ Identification Zone over the East China Sea.

The remark was made following media reports said visiting Biden conveyed Washington's "deep concerns" over the defense zone.

The Chinese side says the zone is designed to reduce the risk of misunderstandings, and stressed there has been no issues with freedom of flight for civilian¹² airlines.

 

Security Council approves increased military action in CAR

The UN Security Council has authorized¹³ increased military action by French and African troops in the Central African Republican after scores were killed in Muslim-Christian violence. 

The Council unanimously approved a French-sponsored resolution amid reports that 100 people were killed in sectarian clashes in the country's capital Bangui.

French President Francois Hollande says France will double the number of troops in the CAR, a former French colony.

France promised last week to send 1-thousand troops to the country.

Meanwhile, the resolution also authorizes¹⁴ the deployment¹⁵ of an African Union-led force for a year to protect civilians¹⁶ and restore security.

 

52 killed in Yemeni defense ministry attack

At least 52 people have been killed and 167 others injured after 12 gunmen stormed the Yemeni defense ministry in the capital Sanaa.

The massive bombings damaged three buildings in the ministry compound and set 10 military vehicles on fire.

At least six foreign medical staff members are among the dead.

The al-Qaida group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

It is the worst single attack to hit the country in 18 months as Yemeni security forces continue to fight regional rebels and al-Qaida militants¹⁷.

 

Bitcoin price dive after China warning

Chinese authorities have warned the country's financial and payment institutions should not accept Bitcoin as legal tender due to the digital currency's risks.

Within one hour following the warning, the price per Bitcoin plunged¹⁸ by as much as 35 percent at BTC China, the main Bitcoin trading platform in the country. 

The warning was issued by the People's Bank of China, China's central bank, and four ministerial departments.

The warning said Bitcoins are not issued by any monetary¹⁹ authorities and do not contain the currency function of being legal tender with a government decree. 

They do not have the same legal status as fiat²⁰ currencies, and should not be circulated in the market. 

The warning, however, admitted Chinese people can make Bitcoin transactions at their own risk on the Internet.

Toddler in stable condition after falling from high-rise building

A one-year-old boy is in temporarily stable condition after being beaten by a 10-year-old girl and allegedly falling from the 25th floor in southwest China's city of Chongqing.

Doctors say the boy has regained²¹ consciousness after medical treatment and will undergo operation soon.

Video footage taken by security cameras show a 10-year-old girl throwing the boy to the floor and kicking him several times inside an elevator. 

The boy was later found in an alley²² near the building.

The motive²³ behind the girl's actions is still unclear.

 

1 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

2 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

3 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

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 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

12 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

13 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

14 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。

15 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

16 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

17 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

18 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

19 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。

20 fiat   

n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布

参考例句：

• The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
• He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

21 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

22 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

23 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。