Hourly News updated14:00 2011/11/16

 China issues white paper on poverty reduction in rural areas

The Chinese government has released a white paper on its poverty reduction efforts in the past decade, highlighting achievements and challenge for China to bring common prosperity to its more than 1.3 billion people. 

It's the Chinese government's second white paper on poverty reduction after it issued the first edition in 2001. 

According to the white paper, China's poverty-stricken rural population fell from 94.2 million at the end of 2000 to about 27 million at the end of 2010, an equivalent to lifting the entire population of France out of poverty in the past decade. 

China defines those who earn less than 200 U.S. dollars a year as "poor people" after the nation raised the national poverty line for rural residents from 865 yuan in 2000 to about 1,300 yuan in 2010.

 

 

U.S. firms have not retreated from Chinese investment: MOC

China's Ministry¹ of Commerce has denied reports that U.S. firms have "massively retreated" from investing in China.

A ministry spokesman says China remains² one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world and the general outlook for the U.S. future investment in China will remain fine.

However, he admits that the economic woes³ in the United States, as well as the country's policies to boost domestic manufacturing and inward investment, have had an effect on the willingness of foreign investors⁴ to invest in China's high-value industries.

 

 

Expressway pile-up kills four, injures nine in NW China's Xinjiang

Four people have been killed and nine others injured in an expressway pile-up that involved 13 automobiles⁵ in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous⁶ Region.

The accident happened last night on an expressway that links Turfan with Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang.

The four dead people were from a sedan that was stuck between two other vehicles.

Heavy fog, as well as rain and snow during the daytime were thought to blame for the tragedy.

 

 

Obama arrives Canberra of Australia

U.S. President Barack Obama has arrived in Canberra for his first visit to Australia since becoming president.

Security and humanitarian⁷ relief in the Asia Pacific region will top the agenda for his visit, which also marks the 60th anniversary of the military alliance between the two countries.

Obama's tour includes a stop in Darwin of Northern Territory, where he is expected to announce plans to expand positioning U.S. military equipment in Australia, increasing access to bases and conducting more joint⁸ exercises and training. 

Analysts⁹ say the visit comes at a time when the U.S. is under pressure to assert its primary role in the Asia Pacific region.

 

 

Syria releases 1,180 prisoners detained during months-long unrest

The Syrian government has released nearly 12-hundred prisoners arrested during the 9-month unrest in the country.

This follows the release of over 550 others after the Eid al-Adha holiday by the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria is coming under increased pressure in the Arab world to commit to an Arab League plan to end the violence in the country.

 

 

Borrowing cost hit 7 percent again as Mario Monti works to form a new government

Italy's Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti says he is ready to unveil his new government later today.

Monti says he just needs to put the final touches on his Cabinet and economic programme before outlining the results to Italy's President.

Monti has been meeting with political, business and union leaders to get everyone on board.

However, the markets are still showing signs of continuing nervousness about Italy's high debt level.

Italy's cost of borrowing has risen again above the 7 percent red line, putting Mario Monti under increased pressure.

 

 

Greek civil servants protest against new government's continuing austerity measures

Hundreds of Greek civil servants have walked off the job to protest the new administration's austerity plans.

New Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has been tasked with continuing to implement¹⁰ the unpopular austerity measures in the country to try to get the debt crisis under control.

Those measures include slashing¹¹ around 30-thousand civil servant jobs.

The final vote on the austerity measures are expected to take place in a couple of weeks.

 

 

Kazakh president calls early parliamentary elections

The president of Kazakhstan has dissolved the lower chamber¹² of parliament and called early parliamentary elections in January.

Last week, the lower chamber, dominated by Nursultan Nazarbayev's ruling party, asked the president to dissolve the chamber in a tentative move to change the one-party situation and admit opposition¹³ presence.

Reports say amendments¹⁴ to the electoral law will allow the entry of another party into parliament. 

The next parliamentary elections had been scheduled for August 2012. However, early elections were widely expected after Nazarbayev won another five-year term in April.

1 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。

2 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。

3 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

4 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

5 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

7 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。

8 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。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

10 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

11 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

12 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

13 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。

14 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。