Hourly News 每日新闻 14:00 2013/06/25

Hourly News

 

 

Snowden "healthy and safe", whereabouts undisclosed

 

The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is continuing to grow.

Disappointed journalists in Russia were left empty handed, after Snowden failed to appear on a flight from Moscow to Cuba.

Wikileaks founder¹ Julian Assange says Snowden and his council, who is accompanying him, are 'safe and healthy.'

It's widely expected Snowden is going to try to make it to Ecuador.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama says that Washington is following legal channels to try to bring Edward Snowden back to the country.

 

 

South Korean presidential office website under cyber attack

 

South Korean government has issued a cyber alert after these websites were found to have been hacked².

This comes after the presidential office, some government agencies and news media websites were reportedly under attack.

It is unclear who launched the attack, which came on the 63rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War between 1950-and-53.

The home page of presidential office says it's been temporarily shut down for repair now.

Right after the hacking³ attack began though, the website is said to have displayed a message honouring the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

 

 

Explosions, ensuing firing near presidential palace in Kabul

 

Several blasts and firing have taken place near the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul.

There have been no immediate⁴ casualties known yet, but heavy gunfire has been reported.

Local media is reporting that more than twelve explosions hit the area, with the attackers trying to assault the eastern gate of the palace.

The incident comes just hours before a media event in the palace where Afghan President Hamid Karzai was expected to deliver a speech.

Government troops have cordoned⁵ off the area shortly after the blast.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet.

 

 

Syrian foreign minister says syrian govn't to attend international peace conference

 

The Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem says the government is on track to attend a peace conference in Geneva and wants to build a "real partnership⁶", but it won't handover power to other parties during the meeting.

Moallem adds the US decision to arm the rebels will further draw out the violence.

The shift in US policy came after evidence that the Syrian army had used chemical weapons.

Violence meanwhile has continued, with an overnight artillery⁷ shell striking a village in central Syria killing 11 people.

 

 

Military threaten to intervene in Egypt before Sunday's protests.

 

A new opinion poll is showing a 28 percent drop in Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi's approval rating amid increasing protests.

Military chiefs are warning they will step in if there is no agreement made between protesters and the government before a planned demonstration⁸ this Sunday.

The poll also shows that 70 per cent of Egyptians are worried about the Muslim Brotherhood⁹'s growing influence on society.

Morsi was elected in 2012 representing the Freedom and Justice Party - or FJP set up by the religious Muslim Brotherhood.

 

 

Brazilian President Suggests a Referendum on Political Reform

 

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff says she will push forward for a referendum on political reform.

This comes amid the pressure from over a week of anti-government protests nationwide against corruption¹⁰, as well as demanding increased public spending.

Rousseff says the referendum will make the political reforms the country needs and fight against corruption.

She is also promising¹¹ to boost spending on public transport and increase the focus on health and education.

 

 

FARC leaders sentenced

 

A local Colombian court has sentenced two top rebel leaders to 40 years in prison for crimes of terrorism, rebellion and murder.

Rodrigo Londono, also known as "Timoshenko", and Luciano Marin, who also goes by "Ivan Marquez" belong to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - or FARC.

Both are currently in Havana, Cuba.

20 other FARC members have also received sentences and fines for a bombing that left four dead and 30 others injured.

The FARC is Colombia's largest guerrilla group founded by landless peasant farmers fighting for land reform.

Rodrigo Londono says that the rebel group will not surrender its weapons nor will the members go to jail, even in a possible post-conflict situation.

 

 

Former Italy PM sentenced to seven years in sex-for-hire trial

 

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to 7-years in jail for having sex with a minor¹².

Berlusconi has also been hit with a lifetime political ban in connection with the case.

The case involves Berlusconi's relationship with a then-underaged Moroccan dancer known as "Ruby¹³ Heatstealer."

Both he and the girl deny ever having sex.

Berlusconi has two levels of appeals to exhaust in this particular case.

 

 

Uranium enrichment plant opens to media

 

A uranium enrichment plant in Gansu's capital Lanzhou has opened up its manufacturing base to the media for the first time.

China National Nuclear Corporation says all the equipment in the facility has been developed independently in China.

The key equipment of uranium enrichment – centrifuge manufacturing technology – is classified as top secret, and was unavailable for the journalists present.

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 hacked   

生气

参考例句：

• I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
• I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

3 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 cordoned   

v.封锁，用警戒线围住( cordon的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the area until the bomb was defused. 警方封锁了这个地区直到炸弹被拆除为止。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

8 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

9 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。

10 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。

11 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

12 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

13 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。