CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-01-02

Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-01-02

Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.

In This Edition

Officials from China and ASEAN countries say the newly established Free Trade Area will hugely benefit both sides.

The US is working with Yemen intelligence sources to combat the growing presence of al-Qaidi in Yemen.

And online bookstores are overtaking traditional ones in China.

Hot Issue Reports

Officials: China-ASEAN FTA Will Benefit Both Sides

China-ASEAN Free Trade Area will be officially established on January 1st. In a joint¹ statement, a senior official from China's Ministry² of Commerce and diplomat³ from Thailand said the Free Trade Area will hugely benefit both sides by promoting economic and trade development.

Zhang Kening, an official with the Ministry's Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs and Warawudh Chuwiruch, from the Thai Embassy to China made the comment in a news conference in Beijing days before the launch.

US to Work with Yemen Tackling Terrorist Threats

US General David Petraeus says the United States is working in close association with Yemen intelligence sources to combat the growing presence of al-Qaidi in Yemen.

The remarks came just days after the failed terrorist attack by a Nigerian man, who tried to blow up a US jetliner en route from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.

Speaking in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Friday, Petraeus said Yemen may have become a source of terrorist plots, including one which resulted in the failed attack on an airliner⁴.

Petraeus said the US is working with Yemen and other countries in the region to address the threat.

"So very important indeed that Yemen has taken the actions that it has and indeed, not just the United States, but countries in the region, its neighbours and so forth⁵, they in particular have provided significant assistance over the course of this past year in particular. And all want to join to help Yemen as it deals with this emerging al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula challenge in particular."

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old passenger, was arrested after he allegedly tried to bring down the Northwest Airlines flight, carrying 289 people.

US investigators⁶ have said the botched bomb suspect told them he received training from al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen.

Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, an offshoot of Osama bin⁷ Laden's group, claimed it was behind the attempt to bomb the Detroit-bound airliner.

Suicide Bomber⁸ Kills over 70 in NW Pakistan

A suicide car bomber set off a blast in northwest Pakistan, killing⁹ at least 75 and wounding 60 others.

The bomber on Friday rammed¹⁰ his explosive-packed car into a volleyball ground in Lakki Marwat district in a North West Frontier Province.

An eye witness described what he has seen.

"Volleyball matches take place everyday. Today, everyone was gathered together watching when suddenly a Pajero came in the middle of the field and blew up."

Police sources said that about 300 kg of explosives were used in the blast.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

But police suspected that Taliban militants¹¹ may be behind the attack as people of the area cooperated with government security forces in recent operations.
Light News

Shanghai Welcomes First Visitors in Expo Year

Shanghai has welcomed its first round of visitors in the World Expo year. Sixty South Korean tourists got Expo 2010 souvenirs in a welcoming ceremony held by the Chinese National Tourism Administration on the New Years' day.

One visitor says he will come to visit the city again with his family this year.

"It was pretty cold when I left Seoul, but now I am feeling so warm in Shanghai. I never thought there would be such a good ceremony. I definitely will come back this year with my family."

Shao Qiwei, the tourism minister, says Expo 2010 offers a platform for boosting the tourism industry.

Expo 2010 will be held in Shanghai between May 1st and October 31st, and is expected to attract up to 35 million overseas visitors and 70 million in total.

Online Bookstores Overtake Traditional Ones

Online shopping is growing rapidly in China, and more and more Chinese are buying books on the net. At the same time, traditional book stores are facing new challenges.

Russia Set Minimum Price for Vodka to Tackle Alcoholism

Russia has set a minimum price for vodka in an effort to tackle alcoholism.

The minimum price is about 3 US dollars for a half litre of vodka, doubling the cost of the cheapest vodka on the market.

The government aims to reduce the extraordinary number of deaths caused by drinking in Russia, but locals seem to be skeptical¹².

"Those people who drunk good vodka before will continue to drink good vodka, and those who have been poisoning themselves will continue to do it. It won't help. "

"People have been drinking and will continue to do it, and it doesn't matter how much it costs."

The price came into effect on Friday, the start of the 12-day New Year's and Orthodox Christmas holiday, when alcohol consumption is at its highest in the country.

A study published last year in The Lancet medical journal said drinking has caused more than half of deaths among Russians aged¹³ 15 to 54 since the 1991.
 

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 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。

3 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。

4 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 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》

7 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

8 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。

9 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。

10 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

13 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。