Hundreds of African Migrants Seeking Entry Into Europe Clash with Police in Northern Africa
At least 800 sub-Saharan African migrants stormed a border fence
Sunday between Morocco and Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city on the
northern coast of Africa, according to Spanish and Moroccan officials.
Five Spanish and 50 Moroccan police were injured, ten seriously, as
they clashed with migrants who tried to break through the fence using
rocks and metal bars.
The Spanish government said two of the migrants were allowed to enter
Ceuta for treatment at a local hospital. The rest were returned to
Morocco.
Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish city in northern Africa, are
frequently used as entry points into Europe for African migrants, who
are in search of a better life. Most who try to cross the border are
apprehended and returned to Morocco.
Human rights groups have criticized Spain for returning migrants to
Morocco. They have argued that bypassing the longer deportation
procedures, migrants are deprived the chance to claim asylum.
The International Organization for Migration said there were nearly
5,000 deaths in the Mediterranean in 2016, making it the deadliest year
ever for migrants.
autonomous: independent and having the power to make your own decisions
apprehend: to catch and arrest someone who has not obeyed the law:
Israel to Refuse to Return Bodies of Hamas Terrorists
Israel's security cabinet decided Sunday not to return the bodies of
Hamas terrorists killed by Israeli forces to their families, but that
the state of Israel itself would bury the remains.
The cabinet made its decision after Hamas posted a video mocking
Israeli soldier Oron Shaul who was killed in Gaza in 2014. Hamas took
custody of his body and that of a second soldier, Hadar Goldin. Hamas
has refused to surrender the bodies.
The video shows a mock birthday party for Shaul, complete with a
cake, a baby's lullaby, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's face
superimposed on a clown.
There has been no reaction so far from Hamas.
Israel's security cabinet met to talk about how to retrieve the
bodies of the two soldiers and two other Israelis who are being held
captive after crossing into Hamas-controlled Gaza on their own last
year.
Netanyahu's office says the cabinet came up with a plan to bring back the Israelis, but gave no details.
retrieve: `to find and bring back something:
2017年1月13日星期五
2016年12月31日星期六
Violence Disrupts Syrian Cease-fire
Violence Disrupts Syrian Cease-fire
Reports from Syria say violent clashes broke out less than two hours after the start of a nationwide cease-fire that began at midnight Friday, local time.
The deal includes the Syrian government and several rebel groups, but not certain Islamist groups. The monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, said Friday that rebels violated the cease-fire by taking over territory in the province of Hama.
But a spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr rebel group, told Reuters news service that government forces violated the deal by shelling areas in Idlib province, which borders Hama.
Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, which supports rebel groups, have said they would guarantee the truce, which came after Turkey, Syria and Russia last week said they were ready to broker a peace deal in the six-year war.
There are dozens of groups fighting in Syria, and it was not immediately clear which of them have agreed to halt hostilities.
There have been three previous attempts to secure a nationwide cease-fire in Syria. The most recent was in September, but it lasted only a little over a week.
clash: to fight or argue:
shell vt.: to fire shells at something:
broker vt.: to arrange something such as a deal, agreement, etc. between two or more groups or countries:
hostility: an occasion when someone is unfriendly or shows that they do not like something:
19 US States to Increase Minimum Wage in 2017
Even though partisan infighting made Congress virtually ineffective in 2016, a spate of new laws were still approved and will go into effect next year.
Nineteen states, including New York and California, will ring in the year with an increase in the minimum wage.
The increase in pay will mean most for workers in Massachusetts and Washington state, where the minimum wage will go up to $11 per hour.
California will raise its wage to $10.50 for businesses with 26 or more employees. New York state is taking a regional approach, with the wage rising to $11 in New York City, to $10.50 for small businesses in the city, $10 in its suburbs and $9.70 elsewhere.
Voters in Arizona, Maine, Colorado and Washington approved increases in this year's election. Seven other states, Alaska, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio and South Dakota, are automatically raising the wage based on indexing. The other states seeing increases are Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Michigan and Vermont.
virtually: almost:
spate: a larger number of events than usual, especially unpleasant ones, happening at about the same time:
index: 1 an alphabetical list, such as one printed at the back of a book showing which page a subject, name, etc. is on: 2 a collection of information stored on a computer or on a set of cards, in alphabetical order: 3 a system of numbers used for comparing values of things that change according to each other or a fixed standard:
Reports from Syria say violent clashes broke out less than two hours after the start of a nationwide cease-fire that began at midnight Friday, local time.
The deal includes the Syrian government and several rebel groups, but not certain Islamist groups. The monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, said Friday that rebels violated the cease-fire by taking over territory in the province of Hama.
But a spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr rebel group, told Reuters news service that government forces violated the deal by shelling areas in Idlib province, which borders Hama.
Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, which supports rebel groups, have said they would guarantee the truce, which came after Turkey, Syria and Russia last week said they were ready to broker a peace deal in the six-year war.
There are dozens of groups fighting in Syria, and it was not immediately clear which of them have agreed to halt hostilities.
There have been three previous attempts to secure a nationwide cease-fire in Syria. The most recent was in September, but it lasted only a little over a week.
clash: to fight or argue:
shell vt.: to fire shells at something:
broker vt.: to arrange something such as a deal, agreement, etc. between two or more groups or countries:
hostility: an occasion when someone is unfriendly or shows that they do not like something:
19 US States to Increase Minimum Wage in 2017
Even though partisan infighting made Congress virtually ineffective in 2016, a spate of new laws were still approved and will go into effect next year.
Nineteen states, including New York and California, will ring in the year with an increase in the minimum wage.
The increase in pay will mean most for workers in Massachusetts and Washington state, where the minimum wage will go up to $11 per hour.
California will raise its wage to $10.50 for businesses with 26 or more employees. New York state is taking a regional approach, with the wage rising to $11 in New York City, to $10.50 for small businesses in the city, $10 in its suburbs and $9.70 elsewhere.
Voters in Arizona, Maine, Colorado and Washington approved increases in this year's election. Seven other states, Alaska, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio and South Dakota, are automatically raising the wage based on indexing. The other states seeing increases are Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Michigan and Vermont.
virtually: almost:
spate: a larger number of events than usual, especially unpleasant ones, happening at about the same time:
index: 1 an alphabetical list, such as one printed at the back of a book showing which page a subject, name, etc. is on: 2 a collection of information stored on a computer or on a set of cards, in alphabetical order: 3 a system of numbers used for comparing values of things that change according to each other or a fixed standard:
2016年12月29日星期四
China Calls on Vatican to Act on Improving Relations
China Calls on Vatican to Act on Improving Relations
China has called on the Roman Catholic Church to attempt to improve relations with the East Asian country by adapting Catholicism to Chinese society.
China's head of religious affairs, Wang Zou'an, expressed hope Tuesday that the Vatican will "take actual steps to create beneficial conditions for improving relations" between the church and China, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
Wang's remarks were made at a meeting of China's official Catholic Church in Beijing.
China severed relations with the Holy See -- the Catholic Church's supreme body of government -- in 1951, two years after the Communists assumed power in China. The Vatican has maintained official ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
Since the split, China has maintained that the party-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association has the authority to appoint Chinese bishops. The Holy See insists that right belongs only to the pope. The dispute is one of the primary reasons Sino-Vatican relations have not been re-established.
Wang said the Chinese government hoped the Vatican would adopt a more flexible and pragmatic approach and take action to improve relations. He did not specify what actions the Chinese government would like the Vatican to take.
Prospects of an agreement between the two sides suffered a setback last week when a Chinese government-supported bishop who was excommunicated by the Vatican participated in the ordination of new bishops.
The Vatican said last week it was convinced Catholics in China are "waiting with trepidation for positive signals that would help them have trust" in discussions between the two sides "and hope for a future of unity and harmony."
The ruling Communist Party in China has long been concerned that opposition to the party could be spread by religious and other civic organizations outside its control.
split: A tear, crack, or fissure in something, especially down the middle or along the grain
setback :A reversal or check in progress:挫折; 退步; 阻碍; 逆流
ordination: the act or ceremony of making someone a priest or other religious leader
trepidation: fear or worry about what is going to happen:
trepid-=trembling 颤抖的
Defector: North Korea has Big Nuclear Plans
Next year will be the most opportune time for North Korea to bolster its nuclear program because of upcoming leadership changes in the United States and South Korea, according to a senior North Korean official who defected recently to the South.
"With South Korea holding presidential elections and the U.S. undergoing an administration transition, the North sees 2017 as the prime time for nuclear development," said Thae Yong-ho, who was North Korea's second highest ranking diplomat in London.
Thae defected to South Korea in August, becoming the most senior North Korean official to defect in almost 20 years.
At a news conference Tuesday with South Korean reporters, Thae made clear he was not aware of the status of North Korea's nuclear program but expressed confidence that China would not severely discipline North Korea for its nuclear program because the North's disintegration could produce a combined U.S.-friendly Korea.
Thae said North Korean leader Kim Jung Un has no plans to relinquish his country's nuclear weapons even if he is offered large sums of money. The exiled diplomat said Kim is expediting the country's nuclear development program with the intent of possessing nuclear weapons by the end of next year.
North Korea conducted two nuclear tests this year and fired over 20 ballistic missiles. And it publicly promised to develop the ability to strike the United States with a nuclear weapon.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he favors the manufacture of nuclear weapons by Japan and South Korea as a deterrent to North Korea.
Donald Trump will assume control of the executive branch of the U.S. government on January 20 and South Korea will hold a presidential election next year. Thae predicted North Korea will attempt to open dialog with the two new administrations in an attempt to obtain nuclear power status.
defector: a person who leaves his or her own country or group to join an opposing one
fect-= make, do
bolster: to support or improve something or make it stronger:
disintegration: a situation in which a company is divided into smaller companies, or an industry changes so that it contains more small companies and fewer large ones
integr-=whole
relinquish: to give up something such as a responsibility or claim:
linqu-=leave
expedite: to make something happen more quickly:
deterrent: something that deters people from doing something:
dialogue: formal talks between opposing countries, political groups, etc.:
China has called on the Roman Catholic Church to attempt to improve relations with the East Asian country by adapting Catholicism to Chinese society.
China's head of religious affairs, Wang Zou'an, expressed hope Tuesday that the Vatican will "take actual steps to create beneficial conditions for improving relations" between the church and China, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
Wang's remarks were made at a meeting of China's official Catholic Church in Beijing.
China severed relations with the Holy See -- the Catholic Church's supreme body of government -- in 1951, two years after the Communists assumed power in China. The Vatican has maintained official ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
Since the split, China has maintained that the party-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association has the authority to appoint Chinese bishops. The Holy See insists that right belongs only to the pope. The dispute is one of the primary reasons Sino-Vatican relations have not been re-established.
Wang said the Chinese government hoped the Vatican would adopt a more flexible and pragmatic approach and take action to improve relations. He did not specify what actions the Chinese government would like the Vatican to take.
Prospects of an agreement between the two sides suffered a setback last week when a Chinese government-supported bishop who was excommunicated by the Vatican participated in the ordination of new bishops.
The Vatican said last week it was convinced Catholics in China are "waiting with trepidation for positive signals that would help them have trust" in discussions between the two sides "and hope for a future of unity and harmony."
The ruling Communist Party in China has long been concerned that opposition to the party could be spread by religious and other civic organizations outside its control.
split: A tear, crack, or fissure in something, especially down the middle or along the grain
setback :A reversal or check in progress:挫折; 退步; 阻碍; 逆流
ordination: the act or ceremony of making someone a priest or other religious leader
trepidation: fear or worry about what is going to happen:
trepid-=trembling 颤抖的
Defector: North Korea has Big Nuclear Plans
Next year will be the most opportune time for North Korea to bolster its nuclear program because of upcoming leadership changes in the United States and South Korea, according to a senior North Korean official who defected recently to the South.
"With South Korea holding presidential elections and the U.S. undergoing an administration transition, the North sees 2017 as the prime time for nuclear development," said Thae Yong-ho, who was North Korea's second highest ranking diplomat in London.
Thae defected to South Korea in August, becoming the most senior North Korean official to defect in almost 20 years.
At a news conference Tuesday with South Korean reporters, Thae made clear he was not aware of the status of North Korea's nuclear program but expressed confidence that China would not severely discipline North Korea for its nuclear program because the North's disintegration could produce a combined U.S.-friendly Korea.
Thae said North Korean leader Kim Jung Un has no plans to relinquish his country's nuclear weapons even if he is offered large sums of money. The exiled diplomat said Kim is expediting the country's nuclear development program with the intent of possessing nuclear weapons by the end of next year.
North Korea conducted two nuclear tests this year and fired over 20 ballistic missiles. And it publicly promised to develop the ability to strike the United States with a nuclear weapon.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he favors the manufacture of nuclear weapons by Japan and South Korea as a deterrent to North Korea.
Donald Trump will assume control of the executive branch of the U.S. government on January 20 and South Korea will hold a presidential election next year. Thae predicted North Korea will attempt to open dialog with the two new administrations in an attempt to obtain nuclear power status.
defector: a person who leaves his or her own country or group to join an opposing one
fect-= make, do
bolster: to support or improve something or make it stronger:
disintegration: a situation in which a company is divided into smaller companies, or an industry changes so that it contains more small companies and fewer large ones
integr-=whole
relinquish: to give up something such as a responsibility or claim:
linqu-=leave
expedite: to make something happen more quickly:
deterrent: something that deters people from doing something:
dialogue: formal talks between opposing countries, political groups, etc.:
2016年12月26日星期一
Israeli PM Summons US Ambassador
Israeli PM Summons US Ambassador
An angry Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro Sunday to talk about the U.S. abstention in a U.N. Security Council resolution opposing Jewish settlements.
Neither the State Department nor Netanyahu's office commented on Sunday's meeting. The foreign ministry summoned ambassadors from the 14 nations that voted for the resolution Friday, but reports say several of the diplomats did not answer the call.
Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet Sunday that the resolution was "reckless and destructive." He pointed out that the U.S. and Israel have always agreed that the Security Council is no place to resolve the settlement issue.
He called the U.S. abstention instead of a veto "shameful."
Friday's resolution calls on Israel to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem." It says settlements there have "no legal validity."
summon: to order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially arrange a meeting of people:
Pop Star George Michael Dies at 53
George Michael, the English singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame as a member of the group Wham!, has died. He was 53.
"It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period," his publicist said in a statement.
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, he once played music on the London underground train system before forming Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981.
Michael enjoyed immense popularity early in his career as a teenybopper idol, delivering a series of hits such as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,'' `"Young Guns (Go For It)'' and `"Freedom.''
No cause of death was revealed, but police reported that he did not die under suspicious circumstances.
Michael disclosed he was gay in 1998 after being arrested in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California for engaging in a lewd act.
teenybopper: a teenager, especially a girl, who eagerly follows the most recent fashion, music, and other interests of her age group
An angry Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro Sunday to talk about the U.S. abstention in a U.N. Security Council resolution opposing Jewish settlements.
Neither the State Department nor Netanyahu's office commented on Sunday's meeting. The foreign ministry summoned ambassadors from the 14 nations that voted for the resolution Friday, but reports say several of the diplomats did not answer the call.
Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet Sunday that the resolution was "reckless and destructive." He pointed out that the U.S. and Israel have always agreed that the Security Council is no place to resolve the settlement issue.
He called the U.S. abstention instead of a veto "shameful."
Friday's resolution calls on Israel to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem." It says settlements there have "no legal validity."
summon: to order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially arrange a meeting of people:
Pop Star George Michael Dies at 53
George Michael, the English singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame as a member of the group Wham!, has died. He was 53.
"It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period," his publicist said in a statement.
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, he once played music on the London underground train system before forming Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981.
Michael enjoyed immense popularity early in his career as a teenybopper idol, delivering a series of hits such as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,'' `"Young Guns (Go For It)'' and `"Freedom.''
No cause of death was revealed, but police reported that he did not die under suspicious circumstances.
Michael disclosed he was gay in 1998 after being arrested in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California for engaging in a lewd act.
teenybopper: a teenager, especially a girl, who eagerly follows the most recent fashion, music, and other interests of her age group
2016年12月20日星期二
Obama: 'We Will' Take Action on Foreign Government that Meddled in US Election
Obama: 'We Will' Take Action on Foreign Government that Meddled in US Election
President Barack Obama says the United States will take action against Russia or any other foreign government that tries to meddle in U.S. elections.
"I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections...we need to take action. And we will," the president told National Public Radio in an interview.
The CIA has concluded that Russian hackers broke into the Democratic Party computers to leak potentially embarrassing emails about the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign with the apparent aim of helping Republican Donald Trump win last month's election.
Top White House officials say such a thing could not have happened without Russian President Vladimir Putin's involvement or direct knowledge.
Obama told NPR that there is still a "whole range of assessments" going on among U.S. intelligence agencies, and he is waiting for a final report on exactly who was involved and why they did it.
integrity: approving the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change:
Anti-Trump Electoral College Revolt Faces Steep Odds
It's been over a month since Donald Trump pulled off an upset victory over Hillary Clinton, bringing an end to one of the most contentious presidential campaigns in U.S. history.
The result won't be official until Monday, when the 538 members of the Electoral College meet at statehouses across the country to cast their votes -- the ones that will actually decide the next president.
The Electoral College serves as a formality and usually receives little attention. But this year, there is a last-ditch effort to use the Electoral College to deny Trump the presidency.
It's a long shot, but the electoral revolt is injecting one last bit of uncertainty into an election that has been one of the most unpredictable ever.
The drive is being encouraged by a group called the Hamilton Electors, named after Alexander Hamilton, a U.S. founding father who was one of the Electoral College's main architects. Hamilton and the other founding fathers devised the Electoral College as a compromise between those who wanted a direct presidential election and those who wanted Congress to choose the president.
The system was also meant to serve as a safeguard against those unfit for the presidency, a point emphasized by the Hamilton Electors.
If Trump gets all the electoral votes from the states where he won the popular vote, he will have 306 electoral votes, well over the 270 needed for a simple majority. That means for the electoral revolt to succeed, 37 Republicans who are scheduled to vote for Trump would have to abandon him. So far, only one Republican elector has publicly pledged to do so.
pull off something: to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected:
contentious: causing or likely to cause disagreement:
last-ditch: an effort or attempt that is made at the end of a series of failures to solve a problem, and is not expected to succeed:
revolt: If a large number of people revolt, they refuse to be controlled or ruled, and take action against authority, often violent action:
devise: to invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually using your intelligence or imagination:
President Barack Obama says the United States will take action against Russia or any other foreign government that tries to meddle in U.S. elections.
"I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections...we need to take action. And we will," the president told National Public Radio in an interview.
The CIA has concluded that Russian hackers broke into the Democratic Party computers to leak potentially embarrassing emails about the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign with the apparent aim of helping Republican Donald Trump win last month's election.
Top White House officials say such a thing could not have happened without Russian President Vladimir Putin's involvement or direct knowledge.
Obama told NPR that there is still a "whole range of assessments" going on among U.S. intelligence agencies, and he is waiting for a final report on exactly who was involved and why they did it.
integrity: approving the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change:
Anti-Trump Electoral College Revolt Faces Steep Odds
It's been over a month since Donald Trump pulled off an upset victory over Hillary Clinton, bringing an end to one of the most contentious presidential campaigns in U.S. history.
The result won't be official until Monday, when the 538 members of the Electoral College meet at statehouses across the country to cast their votes -- the ones that will actually decide the next president.
The Electoral College serves as a formality and usually receives little attention. But this year, there is a last-ditch effort to use the Electoral College to deny Trump the presidency.
It's a long shot, but the electoral revolt is injecting one last bit of uncertainty into an election that has been one of the most unpredictable ever.
The drive is being encouraged by a group called the Hamilton Electors, named after Alexander Hamilton, a U.S. founding father who was one of the Electoral College's main architects. Hamilton and the other founding fathers devised the Electoral College as a compromise between those who wanted a direct presidential election and those who wanted Congress to choose the president.
The system was also meant to serve as a safeguard against those unfit for the presidency, a point emphasized by the Hamilton Electors.
If Trump gets all the electoral votes from the states where he won the popular vote, he will have 306 electoral votes, well over the 270 needed for a simple majority. That means for the electoral revolt to succeed, 37 Republicans who are scheduled to vote for Trump would have to abandon him. So far, only one Republican elector has publicly pledged to do so.
pull off something: to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected:
contentious: causing or likely to cause disagreement:
last-ditch: an effort or attempt that is made at the end of a series of failures to solve a problem, and is not expected to succeed:
revolt: If a large number of people revolt, they refuse to be controlled or ruled, and take action against authority, often violent action:
devise: to invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually using your intelligence or imagination:
2016年12月18日星期日
Trump and Top High-Tech Executives in 'Conciliatory' Meeting
Trump and Top High-Tech Executives in 'Conciliatory' Meeting
President-elect Donald Trump met Wednesday with top executives from the biggest U.S. technology companies, many of whom were among his fiercest critics during this year's election campaign, but there were no signs of lingering animosity during their discussions.
Trump's office said he wants to begin a "conversation and partnership" to spark innovation and create more jobs.
The meeting at Trump's New York City headquarters included the leaders of companies known worldwide - Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors.
Trump struck a cordial and conciliatory tone at the start of the meeting.
"There's nobody like the people in this room. ... We want you to keep going with the incredible innovation," Trump said. "Anything we can do to help this go along, we're going to be there for you."
Trump invited the CEOs to telephone him directly if they want to talk, and suggested they meet again, as often as every three months.
None of the CEOs spoke afterwards to reporters.
Many of the high-tech leaders had strong misgivings about a Trump presidency before the election because of his strong criticism of China, his threats to tear up trade deals and plans to curb immigration, which would limit the number of highly qualified workers available to technology companies.
Trump promised the tech executives he would put together "fair-trade deals" that would "make it a lot easier for you to trade across borders."
conciliatory: intended to show that you care about the feelings or opinions of someone who is angry or upset with you:
strike: to reach or make an agreement:
misgiving: a feeling of doubt or worry about a future event:
More Than 1 Billion Yahoo! Accounts Hacked
A data breach in August 2013 exposed information held in more than 1 billion Yahoo user accounts, the company said Wednesday.
The hacking incident is separate from an intrusion Yahoo reported in September, when the company disclosed 500 million user accounts were exposed in 2014.
"Yahoo believes an unauthorized third party, in August 2013, stole data associated with more than one billion user accounts," Yahoo said in a statement. "Yahoo believes this incident is likely distinct from the incident the company disclosed on September 22, 2016."
The information stolen may include names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and security questions and answers. Payment card and bank account data were not believed to have been affected, the company said.
Yahoo, based in Sunnyvale, California, is in the process of being acquired by Verizon in a $4.8 billion deal. The company did not identify the "unauthorized third party" involved in the 2013 hacking.
breach: 1 to break a law, promise, agreement, or relationship: 2 to make an opening in a wall or fence, especially in order to attack someone or something behind it:
disclose: to make something known publicly, or to show something that was hidden:
President-elect Donald Trump met Wednesday with top executives from the biggest U.S. technology companies, many of whom were among his fiercest critics during this year's election campaign, but there were no signs of lingering animosity during their discussions.
Trump's office said he wants to begin a "conversation and partnership" to spark innovation and create more jobs.
The meeting at Trump's New York City headquarters included the leaders of companies known worldwide - Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors.
Trump struck a cordial and conciliatory tone at the start of the meeting.
"There's nobody like the people in this room. ... We want you to keep going with the incredible innovation," Trump said. "Anything we can do to help this go along, we're going to be there for you."
Trump invited the CEOs to telephone him directly if they want to talk, and suggested they meet again, as often as every three months.
None of the CEOs spoke afterwards to reporters.
Many of the high-tech leaders had strong misgivings about a Trump presidency before the election because of his strong criticism of China, his threats to tear up trade deals and plans to curb immigration, which would limit the number of highly qualified workers available to technology companies.
Trump promised the tech executives he would put together "fair-trade deals" that would "make it a lot easier for you to trade across borders."
conciliatory: intended to show that you care about the feelings or opinions of someone who is angry or upset with you:
strike: to reach or make an agreement:
misgiving: a feeling of doubt or worry about a future event:
More Than 1 Billion Yahoo! Accounts Hacked
A data breach in August 2013 exposed information held in more than 1 billion Yahoo user accounts, the company said Wednesday.
The hacking incident is separate from an intrusion Yahoo reported in September, when the company disclosed 500 million user accounts were exposed in 2014.
"Yahoo believes an unauthorized third party, in August 2013, stole data associated with more than one billion user accounts," Yahoo said in a statement. "Yahoo believes this incident is likely distinct from the incident the company disclosed on September 22, 2016."
The information stolen may include names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and security questions and answers. Payment card and bank account data were not believed to have been affected, the company said.
Yahoo, based in Sunnyvale, California, is in the process of being acquired by Verizon in a $4.8 billion deal. The company did not identify the "unauthorized third party" involved in the 2013 hacking.
breach: 1 to break a law, promise, agreement, or relationship: 2 to make an opening in a wall or fence, especially in order to attack someone or something behind it:
disclose: to make something known publicly, or to show something that was hidden:
2016年12月17日星期六
US Halts Sale of Some Arms to Saudi Arabia
US Halts Sale of Some Arms to Saudi Arabia
The United States will halt the planned sale of precision-guided weapons to Saudi Arabia, a U.S. official said, in response to concerns over Saudi military practices in the Yemeni civil war, which has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians.
The official said President Barack Obama's administration canceled the sale of air-dropped precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally. "That's obviously a direct reflection of the concerns that we have about Saudi strikes that have resulted in civilian casualties," the official said.
In addition to canceling the sale of the precision-guided weapons, the U.S. will alter the way it trains Saudi air force personnel to improve their accuracy, a persistent source of concern in the Obama administration.
The decisions could further strain ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia at a time when the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume control of the executive branch of the U.S. government.
The United Nations human rights office said in August that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen was responsible for about 60 percent of the 3,800 civilians killed since March 2015. Some rights groups have criticized the U.S. for supporting the Saudi war effort with weapons sales and refueling Saudi-led coalition jets. Some rights groups also say attacks by the Saudi-led coalition on clinics, factories, markets and schools amount to war crimes.
Saudi Arabia has either denied the attacks or said the presence of fighters in the targeted areas justified the strikes. Saudi Arabia has not yet responded to the latest decisions by the Obama administration.
halt: to (cause to) stop moving or doing something or happening:
munitions: `military weapons such as guns and bombs:
refuel: to put more fuel into an aircraft, ship, etc. so that it can continue its journey
Trump Picks Former Texas Governor Perry for Energy Chief Position
Perry, a staunch conservative, could shift the Department of Energy away from its recent focus on renewable energy, which President Barack Obama has championed, and back toward oil and fossil fuels, which Perry promoted in oil-rich Texas. Perry has been a vocal skeptic of man-made climate change, but during his tenure as governor turned Texas into a major producer of wind-powered energy.
In 2011, during his first unsuccessful bid for the presidency, Perry committed a political gaffe that diminished his chances in his race against Trump.
During a debate, Perry called for elimination of three federal government agencies - the Departments of Commerce and Education, and then couldn't remember the third, finally saying, "Oops." He later said Energy was the third agency he wanted to abolish.
For most of Tuesday, Trump continued to work in New York to fill his Cabinet before his inauguration on January 20, when Obama leaves office.
Media reports late Tuesday said Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke of Montana, a former Navy SEAL, was believed to be the president-elect's choice for Secretary of the Interior.
staunch: always loyal in supporting a person, organization, or set of beliefs or opinions:
gaffe:a remark or action that is a social mistake and not considered polite:
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