Hourly News 每日新闻 08:00 2011/09/24

 Palestine formally applies for full UN membership 

Despite mounting pressures, including the repeated U.S. veto threats, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has formally presented the application letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a bid to seek the UN recognition of Palestine as a full member state. 

The meeting between Ban and Abbas took place on the sidelines of the general debate of the 66th General Assembly session. 

The United Nations Security Council will have consultations¹ Monday afternoon on the application of Palestine for UN membership.

 

China, Russia pledge to further military cooperation

High-ranking military officials from China and Russia have held talks in Moscow, pledging to further step up bilateral² military cooperation between the two countries. 

During an official visit to Moscow, Guo Boxiong, Vice³ Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, met with Russian Defense⁴ Minister Anatoly Serdyukov on bilateral military relations. 

Guo Boxiong said Under the current complicated and changeable international situation, the strengthening of pragmatic military exchanges and cooperation between the two sides is of great significance.

He added that China has been always seeing military relations with Russia a priority in its foreign military contacts and is willing to endeavor with the Russian side to push the relations between the two armies to a new high.

 

China's top legislator starts Kazakhstan visit 

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo is in Almaty to start a five-day official goodwill⁵ visit to Kazakhstan, the first visit to the Central Asian country by a top Chinese lawmaker.

Wu Bangguo arrived in Almaty, the country's biggest city, after concluding his visit to Russia, Belarus and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan is the last leg of his four-nation Eurasian tour.

 

Yemeni president calls for ceasefire, talks

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh called for a ceasefire between loyalist troops battling forces backing a mass protest movement after his return from Saudi Arabia, where he was recovering for three months from a June assassination⁶ attempt.

The president has faced protests against his three-decade rule since January and so far nearly 450 people have been killed in the revolt.

 

Syrian troops shoot at protesters urging unity⁷

Activists⁸ say Syrian security forces have opened fire on thousands of protesters calling for the opposition⁹ to unite against President Bashar Assad's regime.

The latest protests came as the European Union agreed on an investment ban in the Syrian oil sector¹⁰ to put more pressure on Assad to end his deadly crackdown on the 6-month-old uprising.

The U.N. estimates 2,600 people have been killed since the revolt began in March.

 

Euro-Asia Economic Forum¹¹ opens, senior Chinese leader calls for new era of Europe-Asia cooperation 

A senior Chinese leader has called for a "new era of cooperation" between Europe and Asia amid uncertainty¹² surrounding global economic recovery. 

While addressing the opening ceremony of the 2011 Euro-Asia Economic Forum in northwest China's city of Xi'an, Li Changchun said cooperation between Euro-Asia nations must "keep pace with the times" and be comprehensive in nature. 

He said In order to confront the challenges created by an increasingly complex global economic situation, nations in the region should bolster¹³ their cooperation and tackle difficulties together. 

Li Changchun said the stable economic growth of China will bring new opportunities for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between Euro-Asia countries.

 

Chinese vice president calls for coordinated¹⁴ urban, rural development 

Vice President Xi Jinping has asked government authorities at multiple levels to push for coordinated development in rural and urban areas during a tour of north China's coastal¹⁵ city of Tianjin.

He urged local authorities to make improvements in their urbanization plans and to optimize¹⁶ rural areas to allow for industrial development and increasing numbers of residents.

 

China finds over 170,000 violations¹⁷ in campaign to regulate use of government cars 

Over 170,000 cars purchased and used by government officials have been deemed to be unnecessary or "too luxurious¹⁸" for official use under a campaign to regulate the use of government cars.

He Guoqiang, the top anti-graft official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has told an anti-corruption¹⁹ conference in Beijing that the next stage of the campaign will consist of correcting the violations and intensifying²⁰ daily supervision²¹.

China launched a campaign in May to regulate the use of public funds for government vehicles in order to reduce unnecessary public spending. 

Another campaign targeted at corruption in the construction industry resulted in 38,000 reports of violations and over 19,000 investigations²².

 

Pension insurance to cover all Chinese senior citizens by 2015

China's State Council, the country's Cabinet, says all of China's senior citizens living in rural and urban areas will be covered by pension insurance by 2015, according to a plan for senior citizens' development in the 12th Five-Year Plan period.

The plan says China's population aged²³ sixty and over will increase to 221 million by 2015, which will raise their proportion of the entire population to 16 percent.

Besides pension insurance, the government will also improve elderly care services across the country.

Community medical centers will create health records for those aged 65 and older in the next five years.

1 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 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。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 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。

11 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

12 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

13 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

14 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

15 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

16 optimize   

v.使优化 [=optimise]

参考例句：

• We should optimize the composition of the Standing Committees.优化人大常委会组成人员的结构。
• We should optimize our import mix and focus on bringing in advanced technology and key equipment.优化进口结构，着重引进先进技术和关键设备。

17 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

18 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

19 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。

20 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

21 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

22 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

23 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。