Hourly News 每日新闻 2014-02-13

 China's Cabinet Stresses Pollution Control

China's State Council has declared the reduction of PM2.5 and other pollutants¹ in smoggy cities as key in the fight against air pollution.

A statement released after an executive meeting presided over by Premier² Li Keqiang stated the main focus should be on major cities and regions with the worst smog.

The cabinet stresses consistent efforts against pollution must be undertaken to enhance quality of life and benefit the environment.

In December, 74 Chinese cities saw an increase in PM2.5 and PM10 of 56 and 30-percent respectively.

The statement calls for more efforts to promote high quality gasoline, energy conservation, and the use of greener boilers³.

10 billion yuan, or over 1 and a half billion US dollars, has been allocated⁴ this year to reward key cities and regions that make significant progress in air pollution.

 

Former Japanese PM urges Abe government to follow Murayama statement

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama is urging the current government of Shinzo Abe to honour the apology made in 1995.

The former Japanese Prime Minister made the statement while giving a speech in Seoul at the invitation of South Korea's opposition⁵ Justice Party.

When he was in office, Murayama made an official apology in for the suffering of Japan's Asian neighbors, caused by wartime aggression⁶.

Known as the Murayama statement, it says Japan caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations.

 

Two Koreas end high-level talks; DPRK calls for delay of S. Korea-U.S. military drills

North and South Koreas have concluded their first high-level talks in seven years.

The two sides hold the talks early Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjeom.

North Korea has called the South to delay its military drill with the United States to dates after ending the reunion event.

No other details about the discussion has been opened up.

Seoul and Pyongyang agreed last week to hold reunion of families separated by the Korean War from Feb. 20 to 25.

 

Russian Deputy FM meets Syrian FM to discuss latest Syrian peace talks

A trilateral meeting involving senior US and Russian officials with UN mediator⁷ Lakhdar Brahimi has been moved forward one day and will now take place on Thursday in Geneva.

Ahead of the meeting, Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov had stressed that a political solution is necessary to resolve the crisis in Syria.

Warring sides from Syria have met face to face in Geneva on Wednesday to continue the second phase of peace talks.

The two sides have been unable to agree on a common agenda for the talks, which started Monday.

On the ground, more civilians⁸ are being evacuated⁹ from the embattled city of Homs, as the ceasefire truce¹⁰ draws to a close.

 

British Man Identified in Syrian Suicide Bombing

A British man believed to have carried out a suicide bombing in Syria last week has been identified as Abdul Waheed Majeed, a man from Crawley in West Sussex, England.

The 41 year old is believed to have carried out a suicide truck bombing in the city of Aleppo last Thursday.

The attack occurred at a prison in central Aleppo and allowed inmates¹¹ to escape.

Anti-terror police are searching a house in Martyrs¹² Avenue, Langley Green, as part of their investigation¹³.

The bombing may be the first in the country to be carried out by a Briton.

The prison was the scene of heavy fighting between opposition and Syrian forces last week.

 

No casualties reported in latest Xinjiang quake

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit China's Xinjiang region. There were no casualties.

The epicenter of the quake is in a high altitude area that is sparsely¹⁴ populated. 

A 5.4 magnitude quake hit the same region yesterday afternoon.

 

Three more human H7N9 cases in China

Three more human cases of H7N9 bird flu have been reported in China.

All of the new victims are in Zhejiang, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 82.

Among the new cases of the virus, an 84 year old man is listed in critical condition.

The others, men aged¹⁵ 46 and 58, are in severe condition.

No evidence of widespread human-to-human transmission of the virus has been detected.

Authorities are warning people about the risk of keeping poultry¹⁶ at home, or visiting live poultry markets.

 

China land prices pick up pace in fourth quarter

Official data shows the average price of residential¹⁷ land in Chinese cities has increased throughout fourth quarter.

This marks a seventh consecutive¹⁸ quarter of gains as demand from developers remains¹⁹ high after a jump in home sales last year.

The average price of residential land in 105 cities surveyed 830 US dollars per square meter, up 2.6 percent from the previous quarter.

On an on-year basis, prices rose 9 percent in the fourth quarter, up from 7.6 percent in the third quarter.

 

Sri Lanka, China FTA expected to conclude this year: Foreign Minister

China and Sri Lanka are expecting to reach a Free Trade Agreement with this year.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris says the feasibility study is on the verge²⁰ of completion.

Peiris says the vast Chinese market will be much easier for Sri Lanka to access once the FTA is adopted. 

He believes the deal will open the door for a faster expansion of trade, investment and tourism with a whole range of economic activities to be facilitated.

Sri Lanka has set a 7.5 percent economic growth target for 2014. Promoting trade with China, India and Japan will be part of the policy package for realizing this goal. 

The tropical island has achieved a 7.2 percent economic growth in 2013.

1 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 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。

3 boilers   

锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。

4 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

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 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

7 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

8 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。

9 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

10 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。

11 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 martyrs   

n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）

参考例句：

• the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
• They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 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。

16 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

17 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

18 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

19 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。

20 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。