Hourly News 每日新闻 2014-02-02

 China dismisses ADIZ reports, optimistic about South China Sea situation

China has dismissed allegations by some Japanese reports that it is to set up an Air Defense¹ Identification Zone over the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry² spokesman Hong Lei says China has yet to feel any air security threat from the ASEAN countries and is optimistic about its relations with the neighboring countries and the general situation in the South China Sea region.

Hong Lei says the right-wing forces in Japan have repeatedly clamored about the alleged³ plan of China to set up the air defense zone over the South China Sea. 

He says the move has ulterior motives⁴ and is simply aimed at shifting international attention from and cover up the plot to change Japan's pacifist constitution and expand its military power.

 

Six new H7N9 cases reported in China

China has reported six new human cases of H7N9 bird flu and one more death.

The new cases were from the provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian and Hunan.

And an 82-year-old patient has died in Guangdong. 

So far this year the Chinese mainland has reported more than 100 human H7N9 cases, including about 20 death, with Zhejiang and Guangdong most affected⁵.

Health authorities have strengthened prevention and control measures including the closure of live poultry⁶ markets in some affected cities.

 

Several hurt in Bangkok gun battle before election

At least six people have been injured in gun battles in Bangkok between government opponents and supporters, a day before Thailand's general election.

Protesters with handguns and rifles traded fire in Bangkok's Laksi district, a stronghold of the ruling Pheu Thai party.

The demonstrators, who want Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to quit, were trying to blockade a building where ballot⁷ papers are being stored.

It's unclear whether those struck were government supporters or opponents.

 

Lebanon suicide bombing kills 5, Al Nusra Front claims responsibility

A suicide car bombing has hit a gas station in Lebanon's eastern town of Hermel, leaving five people dead and 18 others injured. 

The Al Nusra Front in Lebanon has claimed responsibility for the attack. 

The al-Qaeda affiliated⁸ group has also claimed responsibility for a number of other recent attacks targeting Shiite populated areas in Lebanon.

Hermel, which is considered the heartland of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, has recently been targeted by a wave of rocket attacks from Syria.

 

U.S. seeks to negotiate with Syrian gov't delegation⁹ in Geneva: report

Syria has reportedly rejected a US demand for direct negotiations¹⁰ with the Syrian government delegation during the Geneva II conference.

Syria's official SANA news agency quoted Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem as saying the Syrian delegation had demanded an apology from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

During the opening session of the peace talks, Kerry said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must have no role in the future transitional period of Syria, contending Syria will be not be safe "while Assad remains¹¹ in power."

The first round of Geneva II talks concluded on Friday with no concrete progress. The second round is set to begin on Feb. 10.

 

Abbas, Hamas official meet on reconciliation¹²

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a senior Hamas leader have met in Ramallah to discuss Palestinian reconciliation. 

Nasser al-Din al-Sha'er, former deputy prime minister in the Hamas-led government, says there is an overwhelming Palestinian consensus¹³ to achieve an internal reconciliation.

An official of the Fatah Party, which controls the West Bank, says President Abbas is ready to go for reconciliation as soon as Hamas accepts holding general elections in the Palestinian territories.

The internal Palestinian division started when Hamas routed Abbas' security forces and took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

 

14 killed in fresh volcano eruption¹⁴ in Indonesia

A series of fresh eruptions¹⁵ of a volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have killed at least 14 people.

Mount Sinabung spewed hot gas, ash and rocks 2 km into the air on Saturday morning.

Villages were engulfed¹⁶ in ash.

Officials fear there may have been more casualties, but they cannot get closer because of the heat from the eruption. 

Thousands were evacuated¹⁷ in September when Sinabung rumbled¹⁸ to life after being dormant¹⁹ for three years. Many were allowed back to their homes on Friday.

 

12 Indian sailors missing after ship sinks off SE Yemen

About 12 Indian sailors have gone missing after their cargo²⁰ ship sank off the coast of southeast Yemen.

A local government official says the ship was owned by a Yemeni businessman.

It's not yet known why the vessel²¹ went down.

Authorities have sent rescue boats and asked the coast guards in the area to help search for the missing sailors.

 

1 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。

2 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。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 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?

7 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

8 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

9 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

10 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。

11 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。

12 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

13 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

14 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

15 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

16 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 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。

18 rumbled   

发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋）

参考例句：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。

19 dormant   

adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的

参考例句：

• Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
• This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。

20 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

21 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。