Hourly News 每日新闻 2014-01-10

 South Sudan army advance against key towns

Thousands of people have fled from Bentiu, the capital of oil-rich Unity¹ State in South Sudan as government forces launched an offensive against rebels.

The UN says clashes are reported in several locations in the city where there are reports of looting.

Eight thousand citizens fled to UN camps, while others hid in remote areas.

Meanwhile, government troops are also reported to be advancing against the key rebel-held city of Bor, the capital of Jonglei State. 

The moves come after peace talks between government forces and rebels went into a stalemate over the arrest of 11 alleged² coup³ plotters.

 

UN chief to chair Syria aid conference in Kuwait next week

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend a major donors⁴ conference in Kuwait next week for humanitarian⁵ aid in Syria.

A UN spokesman says as the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate⁶, the UN chief calls once more on member states to participate in the conference and to remain generous. 

According to the UN, well over 100-thousand people have been killed in Syria and 8 million driven from their homes since the conflict erupted in 2011.

In January 2013, countries partaking in the first Syria aid conference in Kuwait pledged to offer more than 1 billion U.S. dollars to support the Syrian people. 

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is sending its Middle East special envoy⁷ to Kuwait, for the meeting on Syria.

Foreign Ministry⁸ spokeswoman Hua Chunying says China supports increased assistance for people in Syria.

She also says more pressure needs to be applied⁹ toward achieving a political solution to the Syria crisis.

 

6 people killed in Russia's Stavropol strains North Caucasus

Several regions in Russia's restive¹⁰ North Caucasus have tightened¹¹ security, following the discovery of six dead bodies with gunshot wounds in the Stavropol territory.

The Kabardino-Balkaria republic's government suspects the murderers may come from the region.

Authorities found the bodies in 2 villages in Stavropol, 14-hundred kilometers south of Moscow, and believe all the murders are connected.

An improvised¹² bomb went off near the investigators¹³, but no one was injured. Another bomb was disposed of safely.

The North Caucasus has been on high alert following two separate suicide bombings near Sochi, where the 22nd Winter Olympic Games are to be held next month.

 

15 killed in clashes, attacks in western in Iraq

At least 15 people, including eight al-Qaida militants¹⁴, have been killed with eight others wounded after clashes in Iraq's western province of Anbar. 

Iraqi police fought a fierce battle with al-Qaida militants near the town of Khaldiyah, some 80 kilometers west of Baghdad. 

Also in Anbar, a car bomb detonated near the home of tribal¹⁵ and government leader Sheik Zamil al-Ghanimi.

Ghanimi escaped unharmed but one civilian¹⁶ was killed by the blast and two others injured.

In other clashes, 3 police officers were killed and six others wounded by a suicide bomber¹⁷ who detonated an explosive-laden car in Ramadi.

Iraq is witnessing its worst violence in recent years.

Almost 9 thousand Iraqis have been killed in 2013, including close to 8-thousand civilians¹⁸ and civilian police personnel, the highest death toll¹⁹ in years.

 

Afghanistan to free 72 inmates²⁰ seen "dangerous" by U.S.: statement

The Afghan government says it will free 72 of the 88-total Taliban suspects, which the US deems as "dangerous," from Bagram prison north of Kabul.

A meeting chaired by Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered the board in charge of reviewing each case to free 45 prisoners who have no evidence against them.

Insufficient²¹ evidence including simple intelligence tips reportedly was keeping another 27 suspects jailed.

Afghanistan has recently released 650 prisoners and says more detainees will be released in coming months, a decision opposed by the US military.

 

Arrested Indian Diplomat²² Indicted²³ by Grand Jury in US

The Indian diplomat to the United States, whose recent arrest sparked anger in India, has been formally indicted by a grand jury.

Devyani Khobragade was arrested last month over charges of visa fraud and underpaying her housekeeper²⁴.

Prosecutors²⁵ initially²⁶ said Khorbragade had been granted diplomatic immunity²⁷ and left the country, but her lawyer has confirmed she still remains²⁸ in the US.

In December, Khobragade was handcuffed and strip-searched after her maid complained of the diplomat's illegal activity.

In response Khobragade accused the maid of theft and blackmail²⁹.

India has demanded an apology from the US over the incident and in retaliation³⁰ cut certain privileges offered to US diplomats³¹ and their families in India.

The country also removed security barricades³² surrounding the US embassy.

 

Private U.S. cargo³³ ship launched to Space Station

A commercial spacecraft operated by U.S. space company Orbital Sciences has blasted off on its first cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The initial launch had been delayed three times, due to several problems including trouble with the cooling system, cold weather, and an unusually high level of space radiation.

The unmanned Cygnus craft will carry food, spare parts, and science experiments to the ISS. 

The included experiments study a wide range of topics including vaccine³⁴ effectiveness, amoeba reproduction, and calcium³⁵ loss in bones.

The craft is expected to arrive at the ISS early on Sunday.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 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

3 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

4 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

11 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

12 improvised   

a.即席而作的,即兴的

参考例句：

• He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
• We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。

13 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

16 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。

17 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

18 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。

19 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。

20 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》

21 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

22 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。

23 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

24 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

25 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

26 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

27 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

28 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。

29 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

30 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

33 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。

34 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

35 calcium   

n.钙(化学符号Ca)

参考例句：

• We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。
• Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。