Hourly News updated 08:00 2011/10/22

 Mahmoud Jibril: Gaddafi 'killed in crossfire¹' 1

Libya's National Transitional Council has revealed that Muammar Gaddafi has been killed in crossfire after being captured in his hometown of Sirte.

NTC chair Mahmoud Jibril says Gaddafi had been shot in the head after being captured and driven away.

Gaddafi's body is reportedly to be buried in Mistrata on Saturday.

Jibril has also confirmed one of Gadhafi's sons, former national security adviser² Muatassim, has also been killed in Sirte.

Gadhafi's second son, Saif al-Islam, has reportedly been captured in the Libyan city of Zeltin, 160 km east of the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

 

China calls for early establishment of inclusive political transition process in Libya

China is calling for Libya to launch an inclusive political transition process as early as possible.

Foreign Ministry³ spokeswoman Jiang Yu says Libya has turned a new page on its history.

She says China always respects the Libyan people's choice and China-Libya relations will continue to develop steadily⁴ on a new basis.

 

NATO chief sets preliminary end of Libya mission on Oct. 31 

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the military alliance's Libya mission is very close to completion, and that it has taken a preliminary decision to end it on October 31.

He's told reporters that Nato will take a formal decision next week. 

Rasmussen said NATO would continue to monitor the situation in Libya and retain capability⁵ to respond to threats against Libyan civilians⁶ if needed, during the phasing out period of its mission.

 

Obama announces U.S. to pull out all troops from Iraq by end of year

U.S. President Barack Obama has announced all U.S. troops stationed in Iraq will pull out of that country by the end of this year, and the Iraq War will be over. 

Obama made the statement after speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki via video conference, and he reaffirmed U. S. commitment of drawdown to the Iraqi leader. He said both leaders agreed to the decision.

 

UN demands all Yemeni sides "immediately reject use of violence"

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution to voice "grave concern at the situation in Yemen", demanding "all sides immediately reject the use of violence to achieve political goals." 

The resolution says the Security Council "expresses profound regret at the hundreds of deaths, mainly of civilians, including women and children," 

The Council calls upon all concerned parties to ensure the protection of women and children to improve women's participation⁷ in conflict resolution and encourages all parties to facilitate the equal and full participation of women at decision-making levels.

 

The eighth China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on in Nanning

Chinese Premier⁸ Wen Jiabao says China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations can rise above their differences to deepen cooperation.

He made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the eighth China-ASEAN Summit being held in the southwestern city of Nanning.

He says China will continue to expand imports from ASEAN nations.

 

China urges EU to recognize full-market economy status 

China has urged the European Union (EU) to recognize its full-market economy status at an early date and properly settle trade disputes amid the tumbling world economy.

Vice⁹ premer Wang Qishan told visiting Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium in Bejing that China hopes Belgium will exert its influence to push for an early recognizing of China's full-market economy status and remind the EU to be cautious on and restrain from using trade remedy measures.

He urged the 27-member bloc¹⁰, also China's largest trade partner, to properly settle trade disputes with China during the talks in Beijing.

 

Chinese vice premier urges improved welfare for elderly 

Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has called on different levels of government to focus on increasing the material and cultural needs of the country's huge elderly population.

He's told a national conference on aging that government policies should be adjusted and improved to cope with various problems of the aging population such as regional imbalance and high proportion of elderly people in rural areas.

He said the country will expand the pension program to cover more senior citizens and improve welfare services for elderly people who cannot take care of themselves.

 

China's coal market to remain stable despite increasing demand 

The China National Coal Association says coal supply and demand will keep growing at moderate pace in China, and the market will remain generally balanced in the upcoming winter and spring.

It says some regions will, however, periodically see tight supply.

An official with the association says domestic coal demand will keep rising at a moderate pace amid steady economic growth, but uncertainty¹¹ in the macro economy will decelerate demand growth.

 

China to increase natural gas supply this winter 

China's top energy official says the country will increase natural gas supply by 20 percent this winter to meet rising demand.

Liu Tienan, head of the National Energy Administration, said that natural gas supply would meet demand this winter even though demand was expected to rise.

1 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

2 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

3 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。

4 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

5 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

6 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。

7 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

8 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。

9 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。

10 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

11 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。