Hourly News 每日新闻 2014-05-13

Donetsk and Luhansk regions declare independence
Pro-Russian activists¹ in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have declared independence.
This follows self-declared referendums in the two regions on Sunday.
The Russian government says it will respect the choice of people in the region, and is calling for political dialogue.
Authorities in Kiev have condemned² the unofficial referendum as "a farce³."
Washington and its European allies also deem the vote illegal.
The Chinese government has released a statement, calling for the situation to be solved under the framework of law and order.
 
India exit polls shows BJP takes lead
Exit polls are suggesting the main opposition⁴ BJP may have won a parliamentary majority in India.
The polling is indicating BJP and its political allies have taken anywhere from 249 to 289 seats in the lower house of parliament.
272-seats are needed to secure a majority in the 543 seat lower house.
The ruling Congress-led Alliance is believed to have only secured 110 to 115 seats.
India's election commission says the five-week long election has seen the highest voter turnout.
The previous record was 64 percent set in 1984 after the assassination⁵ of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Official results of the elections are due on Firday.
 
UN chief calls for ceasefire in South Sudan
UN chief Ban Ki-moon is calling for an immediate⁶ end to the fighting in South Sudan.
Heavy fighting has been taking place around the city of Bentiu, despite the signing of a ceasefire just hours earlier.
The South Sudanese government and rebel forces are accusing one-another of instigating⁷ the fighting.
The government also says the elections scheduled for next year are going to be postponed⁸ for two or three years in order to bring about reconciliation⁹ first.
The Chinese government has also made comment on the situation, urging to two sides to implement¹⁰ the ceasefire agreement and create favorable conditions for a proper solution to the conflict.
 
Boko Haram releases new video on abducted¹¹ schoolgirls
Islamic extremist group Boko Haram has released a new video showing a group of abducted school girls in Nigeria.
It is the first video evidence of the girls since around 300 of them were kidnapped in northeast Nigeria a month ago.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has issued a demand, calling on the Nigerian government to release the group's members currently being detained.
Nigeria's Interior Minister has already rejected the offer, saying it's unacceptable for a terrorist group to set conditions.
Nigeria's government has already accepted an offer of help from China, the United States and Britain.
 
Taliban fighters storm govt building in Afghanistan
At least 8 people have been killed amid an assault by Taliban fighters on a government building in the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan.
Three suicide bombers¹² targeted the justice department building in the city.
At the same time, nine police officers have been killed in another attack on a police checkpoint in Helmand province.
The Taliban has been stepping up its attacks ahead of the release of the final results of the country's Presidental election tomorrow.
 
One dead, dozens injured in bus blast in China
One person has been killed and dozens of other have been hospitalized following a fire on a bus in the city of Yibin in Sichuan.
The vivtim is believed to be the person who set the fire.
The motivation behind the arson¹³ is unclear.
There were around 50 passengers on the bus at the time.
Three of the victims are in critical condition.
Around 20 bystanders who assisted in the rescue have also been hospitalized.
 
60 detained in China after clash over incinerator plan
Police in Hangzhou are still holding 60 people after a violent protest broke out this weekend over plans to construct an incinerator in the city.
The protest broke on Saturday.
Around 40 people, including protestors and police officers, were injured in the unrest.
Protesters smashed and overturned police vehicles.
The local government is promising¹⁴ construction of the incinerator will not start without public support.
 
Russia's deputy minister: Gazprom gas deal with China nearly ready
Russia's Deputy Energy Minister says a long-awaited deal for Gazprom to supply China with natural gas is close to completion.
Anatoly Yanovsky has made the comment a little more than a week before President Vladimir Putin is due to visit China.
Yanovsky says the contract is 98-percent ready.
Gazprom, Russia's main state-run gas producer, has been in talks with the Chinese government for over a decade.
The deal is likely to be signed as part of Putin's visit here to Beijing later this month.
 
Alibaba registers film company in HK
Alibaba has registered a film company in Hong Kong as part of the company's expansion into the media industry.
Alibaba Pictures is expected to concentrate on film production and other cultural related business.
The company already has plans to purchase a 60-percent stake in Hong Kong-listed media company ChinaVision Media for some 800-million US dollars.
Alibaba also owns a 16.5 percent stake in Youku-Tudou.
Alibaba is in the process of completing its initial public offering in New York.
 

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 farce   

n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹

参考例句：

• They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
• The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。

4 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。

5 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

6 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。

7 instigating   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Distant but clear Longyin instigating the eardrums of every person. 遥远却清晰的龙吟鼓动着每一个人的耳膜。 来自互联网
• The leader was charged with instigating the workers to put down tools. 那位领导人被指控煽动工人罢工。 来自互联网

8 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

9 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。

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 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

12 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 arson   

n.纵火，放火

参考例句：

• He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
• He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。

14 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。