Hourly News 每日新闻 2013-11-15

 Typhoon relief work update

Typhoon survivors¹ in the eastern Philippine city of Tacloban have been flocking to the local airport, hoping to find relief in other cities.

Foreign aid teams are working to provide assistance in the country, with villagers in the rural parts of northern Cebu receiving their first aid delivery more than six days after the disaster.

The UN estimates more than 500-thousand people have been displaced by Typhoon Haiyan.

So far the official death toll² sits at around 24-hundred.

 

China, Vietnam agree on framework on joint³ maritime⁴ development

Officials from China and Vietnam have come to an agreement as to how to move forward with consultations⁵ on joint maritime development. 

The agreement on the mechanisms⁶ behind the talks comes following meetings among border affairs officials with both country's foreign ministries⁷ in Hanoi.

The two sides are set to hold a high-level round of border negotiations⁸ in the coming weeks.

 

U.S. envoy⁹ for North Korea to visit China, South Korea, Japan

The United States' special envoy for North Korea, Glyn Davies, is set to visit China, South Korea and Japan next week.

US State Department says Davies will discuss policy coordination¹⁰ with his East Asian counterparts.

However, the US side is warning this does not mean a resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks.

The US, Japan and South Korea earlier this week agreed not to restart the talks.

 

Obama offers solution for canceled insurance plans due to Obamacare

US President Barack Obama has announced a new plan to deal with another major problem which has been cropping up with Obamacare.

The Obama administration is allowing insurance companies to extend their policies for existing policy holders¹¹ for an additional year if the current policies were to be neutralized¹³ by Obamacare.

The stop-gap solution comes amid word many Americans who have their own health insurance have been informed their policies will be terminated because their plans don't meet the current requirements of the Affordable¹⁴ Care Act.

Obama has insisted that people who like their health care plan would be allowed to keep it.

However, many insurance companies have been scaling back their existing policies because of provisions in the Obamacare act which make them illegal.

At the same time, Obama admits he's not happy with new stats which show that only 106-thousand people have signed up for health insurance through the government's problem-plagued website.

This is far below the government's original target of 500-thousand sign-ups through October.

 

Egypt, Russia vow¹⁵ closer military ties amid US withdrawal¹⁶ of military aid

Russia's Foreign and Defense¹⁷ Ministers have met with top Egyptian officials in Cairo.

The meetings come as Egypt's traditional ally, the United States, has moved to withhold¹⁸ delivery of its annual military aid to Egypt.

Despite the meetings, Russian officials have been quick to dismiss suggestions of a return to Cold-War policies.

The head of the Egyptian army, General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, says the talks with the Russian side have signaled the beginning of a new era when it comes to the military co-operation between the two sides.

 

Iran "significantly" slows down expansion of nuclear facilities: IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency has issued a new report, saying it believes Iran has "significantly slowed down" the expansion of its nuclear programs.

The IAEA report comes following a statement made by US Secretary of State John Kerry this week, urging US senators not to impose new sanctions on Iran.

Kerry has told the Senate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not fully¹⁹ aware of what's been going on in the talks between Iran and world powers.

Kerry has suggested an agreement between Iran and the so-called P5+1 could be reached in the near future.

 

Hamas marks anniversary of Israel's war against Gaza

The armed wing of Hamas has held a large-scale celebration in Gaza City, marking the one-year anniversary of an Israeli military operation against Hamas.

Hundreds of masked militants²⁰ carrying various weapons have taken to the streets to mark the start of Operation Cloud Pillar.

Addressing the crowds, leadingi Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar has told the crowds Hamas remains²¹ determined²² to continue its armed resistance against Israel.

Operation Cloud Pillar was an 8-day military operation launched by Israel to try to neutralize¹² Hamas fighters.

The operation left 180 Palestinians and 6 Israelis dead.

Israeli forces eventually withdrew from Gaza, which Hamas has touted²³ as a victory.

 

Kyrgyzstan informs U.S. of closure of transit²⁴ center for Afghanistan

The government of Kyrgyzstan has officially informed the US of its intensions to shut down a US military transit zone at its Manas airfield²⁵ next year.

Kyrgyz authorities have delivered the official notice to the US embassy in Bishkek.

The transit zone at the Manas base has been used by the US military to launch operations in nearby Afghanistan since 2001.

Kyrgyz authorities had threatened to shut down the transit zone in 2009 before the US finally agreed to pay more rent.

However, President Almazbek Atambayev has maintained a determination to shut down the US base following his re-election in 2011.

His administration has faced a lot of domestic pressure from its predominantly Muslim population about using Kyrgyzstan as a launching-point for raids against Muslim fighters in Afghanistan.

The shuttering of the transit zone in July is largely symbolic²⁶, as US and NATO forces are due to withdraw from Afghanistan at the end of next year.

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

2 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。

3 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。

4 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

5 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

8 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。

9 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。

10 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

11 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

12 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

13 neutralized   

v.使失效( neutralize的过去式和过去分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化

参考例句：

• Acidity in soil can be neutralized by spreading lime on it. 土壤的酸性可以通过在它上面撒石灰来中和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This strategy effectively neutralized what the Conservatives had hoped would be a vote-winner. 这一策略有效地冲淡了保守党希望在选举中获胜的心态。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

15 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

16 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

17 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

18 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

19 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

20 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

21 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。

22 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

23 touted   

v.兜售( tout的过去式和过去分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• She's being touted as the next leader of the party. 她被吹捧为该党的下一任领导人。
• People said that he touted for his mother and sister. 据说，他给母亲和姐姐拉生意。 来自辞典例句

24 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

25 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

26 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。