Hourly News updated 08:00 2011/10/03

 ICRC urges for return

The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling on all sides in the Libyan conflict to allow them to return to Sirte.

The call comes after the Red Cross was able to get in a small amount of humanitarian¹ supplies into the besieged² city.

Four Red Cross aid workers were able to ferry in supplies to treat about 300 people.

However, they've since been forced to pull out of Sirte, after the hospital they were working in came under fire.

Despite a call for a truce³ on Friday, heavy rocket and mortar⁴ fire continued from both sides through the weekend.

The Red Cross says it's worried that a humanitarian disaster is unfolding in the area.

 

 

Syrian opposition⁵ groups form National Council

Syria's main opposition groups have now formed a new umbrella opposition group.

Major opposition forces, including the highly influential⁶ Muslim Brotherhood⁷, have now joined what's being called the Syrian National Council.

Burhan Ghailoun, an Executive Committee Member, has announced the formation of the SNC following a meeting Sunday in Turkey.

Ghailoun says the committee does not want to see outside intervention⁸ in Syria.

The formation of the Syrian National Council comes following half-a-year of fighting in Syria which has left hundreds, if not thousands, dead.

 

 

Son of Syria's grand mufti dies of his wounds

The son of Syria's top Muslim leader is dead.

Saryah Hassoun has died of his injuries, after being shot by terrorists in northern Syria.

Hassoun and another man -- a well known history professor -- were gunned down in Aleppo.

The killing⁹ of Ahmed Hassoun's son is the latest in a string of attacks on prominent Syrian intellectuals over the last few months.

Syrian officials, including Hassoun himself, are blaming outside forces for the attacks, which have been mounting ever since the violence in Syria broke out half a year ago.

 

 

PNA studies sacking Quartet's envoy¹⁰ Tony Blair

Reports are now circulating that the Palestinian National Authority is considering asking the so-called Middle East Quartet to fire it's chief envoy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Sources within the PNA are also suggesting that other steps against Blair are being considered, including boycotting¹¹ meetings where Blair is taking part.

However, sources close to the Palestinian presidency¹² say that while there is frustration¹³ about Blair's seemingly pro-Israeli stance, there are no current plans to ask that he be fired.

Palestinian frustration with Blair began to surface after he called for the resumption of direct negotiations¹⁴ between the Israelis and the Palestinians shortly before the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations.

 

 

Greece approves 2012 draft budget, to miss deficit¹⁵ target

Athens has now confirmed that it is going to miss it's deficit reduction targets.

The confirmation¹⁶ comes following the Greek cabinet's approval of next year's draft budget.

The interim¹⁷ budget document indicates that this year's budget deficit is expected to come it at 8.5-percent of the GDP.

The initial target was 7.6-percent.

At the same time, the Greek government's deficit reduction for next year is expected to come it at 6.8-percent of GDP, instead of the 6.5-percent goal laid out by the EU and IMF.

Greece's deficit reduction targets are critical for the country to continue receiving EU/IMF funding to avoid default.

 

 

Thousands Protest on Conservative Conference in Manchester

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Manchester, protesting amid the Conservative Party's Autumn conference.

The 35 thousand protesters consist of mainstream¹⁸ public sector¹⁹ unions and workers, including fire fighters and teachers.

Since taking power in May of last year, Britain's Conservative-Liberal Democrat²⁰ coalition²¹ has been cutting some 80 billion pounds in public spending to try to reduce its deficit.

The austerity measures include pension cuts and consumption tax hikes, which have affected²² thousands of families.

The Conservative conference lasts until Wednesday.

 

 

Chinese ministry²³ urges traffic police to stand alert against "safety loopholes" on road

The Ministry of Public Security is warning traffic police to be on the lookout²⁴ for "safety loopholes" on the roads.

The warning comes after a bus accident left at least 16 people dead over the weekend.

A sleeper²⁵ coach carrying 35 people plunged²⁶ into a river dozens of meters below a highway in the city of Yichang in Hubei this past weekend.

14 died at the scene, and two others later died in hospital.

8 of the 19 others who survived are in serious condition.

 

 

Typhoon-triggered floods kill at least 4 in south China, more rains to come

The death toll²⁷ in flooding caused by Typhoon Nesat has risen to four in Guangxi, where the reminisce of the storm continues to wreak²⁸ havoc²⁹.

So far, some two and a half million of people have been affected by the typhoon in southern China.

Economic losses have exceeded 1.6 billion yuan.

Power disruptions are still taking place in Hainan in the wake of Nesat.

1 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。

2 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

3 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

4 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

5 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。

6 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

7 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

8 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

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 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。

11 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

12 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

13 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

16 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

17 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

18 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

19 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。

20 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

21 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

22 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

23 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。

24 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

25 sleeper   

n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺

参考例句：

• I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
• But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。

26 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。

27 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。

28 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

29 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。