Far Right's Hofer Defeated in Austria Election
Austria’s anti-immigrant candidate, Norbert Hofer, has failed in his
bid to become the country’s first far right leader since World War II,
in an election seen as a test for the strength of populist movements in
Europe.
The former aeronautical engineer, who campaigned on an
anti-establishment, anti-immigrant, anti-EU platform, conceded defeat to
his environmentalist opponent, Alexander Van Der Bellen, who ran as an
independent.
Media projections said Van der Bellen won with 53.3% of the vote,
compared to Hofer’s 46.7%, a victory that Van der Bellen said is a
“signal of hope and change” to “all the capitals of the European Union.”
Hofer had been poised to become the EU’s first far-right leader, as
unease became evident in the country in the wake of a migrant crisis
that has seen tens of thousands of Muslims seek asylum in Austria.
In Vienna on Sunday night, Hofer went before reporters at the city’s
Hofburg Palace and pledged to keep up his efforts to ensure that the
more than 46% of Austrians who voted for him were not ignored. “We are
not done,” he said.
aeronautical: relating to the designing, building, and flying of planes:
projection: a calculation or guess about the future based on information that you have:
Trump Issues New Warning to US Corporations Moving Jobs Overseas
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sternly warned American businesses
again Sunday that if they move their operations overseas they would face
a 35 percent tax if they then try to sell their products back in the
United States.
In a series of Twitter comments, Trump said he plans to
"substantially reduce" taxes and regulations on businesses. But he said
that any company that "fires its employees, builds a new factory or
plant" in another country "and then thinks it will sell its product back
into the U.S. without retribution or consequence, is wrong!"
The billionaire real estate mogul, who assumes power January 20, said
the border tax on products manufactured in other countries "will make
leaving financially difficult.... Please be forewarned prior to making a
very expensive mistake!"
The U.S. has lost 5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000, many to
automation and some to overseas locations where company owners are
paying workers substantially less than they have been in the United
States. But in his lengthy campaign for the White House, Trump vowed to
curb the corporate departures and to bring back jobs that have already
been moved overseas.
stermly: in a way that shows disapproval:
substantially: to a large degree:
curb: to control or limit something that is not wanted:
2016年12月7日星期三
2016年12月6日星期二
More Than 10,000 Iraqis Have Fled Mosul Area
More Than 10,000 Iraqis Have Fled Mosul Area
The International Organization for Migration says more than 10,000 Iraqis have been displaced since the start of an operation to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants.
The offensive, which involves Iraqi government troops, Kurdish fighters, Sunni tribesman and Shi'ite militias, began last week and has so far involved capturing town and villages surrounding Iraq's second largest city.
The United Nations warned last week that as many as 200,000 people could be displaced in the initial weeks of the fight for Mosul, and that humanitarian groups would initially be able to handle about 70,000 people in need of aid.
Iraq's displacement and migration ministry said Wednesday the number of displaced was increasing, and that on Tuesday there was a "big wave" of 3,300 people in what was considered the largest number of people fleeing since the Mosul operation began.
The United Nations said Tuesday it had preliminary reports of extrajudicial killings and summary executions by Islamic State fighters around Mosul, including the militants using civilians as human shields.
preliminary: coming before a more important action or event, especially introducing or preparing for it:
extrajudicial: done without the permission of or without using the official legal system :
summary: done suddenly, without discussion or legal arrangements:
Gambia Withdraws From International Criminal Court
Gambia accused the International Criminal Court of ignoring “war crimes” Tuesday as it withdrew from the institution Tuesday, following in the footsteps of South Africa and Burundi, which withdrew from the court earlier this month.
Gambia’s Information Minister Sheriff Bojang accused the court system of being racist and unfairly targeting Africans for prosecution.
All but one of the 10 investigations launched so-far by the ICC have taken place in African countries, leading some in Gambia to believe it was ignoring crimes in other countries.
"There are many Western countries, at least 30, that have committed heinous war crimes against independent sovereign states and their citizens since the creation of the ICC and not a single Western war criminal has been indicted," the Gambian government said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh asked the court to investigate African migrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea. In its statement, Gambia said it asked the court to bring charges against the European Union over the migrant deaths, but received no response.
prosecution: the lawyers in a court case who represent the side that accuses someone of committing a crime:
heinous: very bad and shocking:
indict: If a law court or a grand jury indicts someone, it accuses them officially of a crime:
The International Organization for Migration says more than 10,000 Iraqis have been displaced since the start of an operation to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants.
The offensive, which involves Iraqi government troops, Kurdish fighters, Sunni tribesman and Shi'ite militias, began last week and has so far involved capturing town and villages surrounding Iraq's second largest city.
The United Nations warned last week that as many as 200,000 people could be displaced in the initial weeks of the fight for Mosul, and that humanitarian groups would initially be able to handle about 70,000 people in need of aid.
Iraq's displacement and migration ministry said Wednesday the number of displaced was increasing, and that on Tuesday there was a "big wave" of 3,300 people in what was considered the largest number of people fleeing since the Mosul operation began.
The United Nations said Tuesday it had preliminary reports of extrajudicial killings and summary executions by Islamic State fighters around Mosul, including the militants using civilians as human shields.
preliminary: coming before a more important action or event, especially introducing or preparing for it:
extrajudicial: done without the permission of or without using the official legal system :
summary: done suddenly, without discussion or legal arrangements:
Gambia Withdraws From International Criminal Court
Gambia accused the International Criminal Court of ignoring “war crimes” Tuesday as it withdrew from the institution Tuesday, following in the footsteps of South Africa and Burundi, which withdrew from the court earlier this month.
Gambia’s Information Minister Sheriff Bojang accused the court system of being racist and unfairly targeting Africans for prosecution.
All but one of the 10 investigations launched so-far by the ICC have taken place in African countries, leading some in Gambia to believe it was ignoring crimes in other countries.
"There are many Western countries, at least 30, that have committed heinous war crimes against independent sovereign states and their citizens since the creation of the ICC and not a single Western war criminal has been indicted," the Gambian government said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh asked the court to investigate African migrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea. In its statement, Gambia said it asked the court to bring charges against the European Union over the migrant deaths, but received no response.
prosecution: the lawyers in a court case who represent the side that accuses someone of committing a crime:
heinous: very bad and shocking:
indict: If a law court or a grand jury indicts someone, it accuses them officially of a crime:
2016年12月4日星期日
Final Demolition Begins in Calais 'Jungle' Refugee Camp
Final Demolition Begins in Calais 'Jungle' Refugee Camp
Final demolition work began at the “jungle” refugee shelter in Calais, France, Thursday morning after authorities declared the camp empty a day earlier.
Workers used large construction equipment and machines to rip down the make-shift shelters, some of which had been badly burned by refugees setting fires Wednesday before they were forced to leave.
Firefighters put out blazes set by departing migrants who acted in keeping with a tradition of burning their tents, despite being told not to do so.
French authorities conducted the operation to clear what had become a symbol of Europe's refugee crisis and resettle migrants who had lived in dire conditions in the camp.
A spokesman for regional authorities said one migrant was hospitalized with minor injuries. About 100 migrants were evacuated Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
French authorities say about 4,000 people have been transported to reception centers across France since dismantling of the Calais camp began Monday.
dimolition: the act of destroying something, such as a building or other structure: dimolish verb.
dire: very serious or extreme:
hospitalize: to take someone to hospital and keep them there for treatment:
dismantle: to take a machine apart or to come apart into separate pieces:
Report: Wildlife Populations down Nearly 60 Percent Since 1970
Wildlife populations across the globe have dropped nearly 60 percent since 1970 and human activity is to blame, according to a report released by conservation groups.
The joint report produced by the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London warned that if the current trends continue, the decline in world populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians(两栖动物） and reptiles（爬行动物） could reach two-thirds by 2020, an annual loss of about two percent.
"Wildlife is disappearing within our lifetimes at an unprecedented rate," said Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International.
According to the report, the drastic reduction in wildlife populations can be directly attributed to human development. A growing human population, which has more than doubled since 1960 to around 7.4 billion, means less room and food for other animals and could push them out of existence if changes aren’t made.
decline noun: when something becomes less in amount, importance, quality, or strength:
unprecedented: never having happened or existed in the past:
drastic: `(especially of actions) severe and sudden or having very noticeable effects:
attribute something to someone/something: to say or think that something is the result or work of something or someone else:
push sb out: `to make someone leave a job or stop being involved in an activity by being unpleasant or unfair to them:
Final demolition work began at the “jungle” refugee shelter in Calais, France, Thursday morning after authorities declared the camp empty a day earlier.
Workers used large construction equipment and machines to rip down the make-shift shelters, some of which had been badly burned by refugees setting fires Wednesday before they were forced to leave.
Firefighters put out blazes set by departing migrants who acted in keeping with a tradition of burning their tents, despite being told not to do so.
French authorities conducted the operation to clear what had become a symbol of Europe's refugee crisis and resettle migrants who had lived in dire conditions in the camp.
A spokesman for regional authorities said one migrant was hospitalized with minor injuries. About 100 migrants were evacuated Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
French authorities say about 4,000 people have been transported to reception centers across France since dismantling of the Calais camp began Monday.
dimolition: the act of destroying something, such as a building or other structure: dimolish verb.
dire: very serious or extreme:
hospitalize: to take someone to hospital and keep them there for treatment:
dismantle: to take a machine apart or to come apart into separate pieces:
Report: Wildlife Populations down Nearly 60 Percent Since 1970
Wildlife populations across the globe have dropped nearly 60 percent since 1970 and human activity is to blame, according to a report released by conservation groups.
The joint report produced by the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London warned that if the current trends continue, the decline in world populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians(两栖动物） and reptiles（爬行动物） could reach two-thirds by 2020, an annual loss of about two percent.
"Wildlife is disappearing within our lifetimes at an unprecedented rate," said Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International.
According to the report, the drastic reduction in wildlife populations can be directly attributed to human development. A growing human population, which has more than doubled since 1960 to around 7.4 billion, means less room and food for other animals and could push them out of existence if changes aren’t made.
decline noun: when something becomes less in amount, importance, quality, or strength:
unprecedented: never having happened or existed in the past:
drastic: `(especially of actions) severe and sudden or having very noticeable effects:
attribute something to someone/something: to say or think that something is the result or work of something or someone else:
push sb out: `to make someone leave a job or stop being involved in an activity by being unpleasant or unfair to them:
South Korea, Japan Impose New Sanctions on North Korea
South Korea, Japan Impose New Sanctions on North Korea
South Korea and Japan have imposed unilateral sanctions on North Korea.
The announcement of the sanctions Friday followed Pyongyang's promise to retaliate against new U.N. sanctions imposed earlier this week.
South Korea and Japan already had sanctions in place against North Korea. The new sanctions, however, are mainly symbolic as trade and exchange between the North and its two neighbors are largely non-existent because of existing sanctions, especially those imposed by the United Nations. But North Korea's latest round of nuclear tests has prompted its neighbors to announce the new restrictions.
South Korea is banning the entry of foreign missile and nuclear experts, if their visits to North Korea are deemed to be a threat to South Korea.
Japan said Friday it will not allow ships into the country that have called at ports in North Korea. Japan said it will also freeze the assets of groups and individuals associated with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously voted to impose a new round of targeted economic sanctions against North Korea for its September 9 nuclear test.
The sanctions take aim at sectors of the defiant nation’s economy that generate cash to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and could cost Pyongyang more than $800 million a year in lost funds – the equivalent of a quarter of its total export revenues.
retaliate: to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you:
call: to visit someone, especially for a short time:
defiant: 1 proudly refusing to obey authority: 2 not willing to accept criticism or disapproval:
UN Chief Apologizes for 2010 Cholera Outbreak in Haiti
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon apologized to the people of Haiti on Thursday, more than six years after U.N. peacekeepers were blamed for causing a deadly cholera epidemic on the island nation.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I want to say very clearly: we apologize to the Haitian people,” Ban told an informal meeting of U.N. member states. “We simply did not do enough with regard to the cholera outbreak and its spread in Haiti. We are profoundly sorry for our role,” he added.
Ban’s apology, his most direct to date, fell short of admitting that U.N. peacekeepers brought the potentially fatal illness to Haiti. “This has cast a shadow upon the relationship between the United Nations and the people of Haiti,” he said. “It is a blemish on the reputation of U.N. peacekeeping and the organization worldwide.”
It is widely accepted that Nepalese peacekeepers who were sent to assist Haiti in its recovery after the devastating 2010 earthquake, contaminated a branch of the Artibonite River with cholera. The river is the country’s main water source for tens of thousands of Haitians. Subsequently more than 9,000 people died of the disease, and some 800,000 were sickened. Some of the victims sought compensation, suing the United Nations in U.S. District court, but the court ruled that the international organization is protected by diplomatic immunity.
The United Nations released a 16-page report on Thursday which details a two-track “new approach” to cholera in Haiti. It calls for $400 million in initial funding.
fall short: to not reach a desired amount or standard:
cast a shadow on/over: to spoil a good situation with something unpleasant:
call for: to need or deserve a particular action, remark, or quality:
South Korea and Japan have imposed unilateral sanctions on North Korea.
The announcement of the sanctions Friday followed Pyongyang's promise to retaliate against new U.N. sanctions imposed earlier this week.
South Korea and Japan already had sanctions in place against North Korea. The new sanctions, however, are mainly symbolic as trade and exchange between the North and its two neighbors are largely non-existent because of existing sanctions, especially those imposed by the United Nations. But North Korea's latest round of nuclear tests has prompted its neighbors to announce the new restrictions.
South Korea is banning the entry of foreign missile and nuclear experts, if their visits to North Korea are deemed to be a threat to South Korea.
Japan said Friday it will not allow ships into the country that have called at ports in North Korea. Japan said it will also freeze the assets of groups and individuals associated with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously voted to impose a new round of targeted economic sanctions against North Korea for its September 9 nuclear test.
The sanctions take aim at sectors of the defiant nation’s economy that generate cash to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and could cost Pyongyang more than $800 million a year in lost funds – the equivalent of a quarter of its total export revenues.
retaliate: to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you:
call: to visit someone, especially for a short time:
defiant: 1 proudly refusing to obey authority: 2 not willing to accept criticism or disapproval:
UN Chief Apologizes for 2010 Cholera Outbreak in Haiti
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon apologized to the people of Haiti on Thursday, more than six years after U.N. peacekeepers were blamed for causing a deadly cholera epidemic on the island nation.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I want to say very clearly: we apologize to the Haitian people,” Ban told an informal meeting of U.N. member states. “We simply did not do enough with regard to the cholera outbreak and its spread in Haiti. We are profoundly sorry for our role,” he added.
Ban’s apology, his most direct to date, fell short of admitting that U.N. peacekeepers brought the potentially fatal illness to Haiti. “This has cast a shadow upon the relationship between the United Nations and the people of Haiti,” he said. “It is a blemish on the reputation of U.N. peacekeeping and the organization worldwide.”
It is widely accepted that Nepalese peacekeepers who were sent to assist Haiti in its recovery after the devastating 2010 earthquake, contaminated a branch of the Artibonite River with cholera. The river is the country’s main water source for tens of thousands of Haitians. Subsequently more than 9,000 people died of the disease, and some 800,000 were sickened. Some of the victims sought compensation, suing the United Nations in U.S. District court, but the court ruled that the international organization is protected by diplomatic immunity.
The United Nations released a 16-page report on Thursday which details a two-track “new approach” to cholera in Haiti. It calls for $400 million in initial funding.
fall short: to not reach a desired amount or standard:
cast a shadow on/over: to spoil a good situation with something unpleasant:
call for: to need or deserve a particular action, remark, or quality:
2016年12月3日星期六
Colombia's Congress Approves FARC Peace Deal
Colombia's Congress Approves FARC Peace Deal
Colombia's Congress on Wednesday approved a peace deal between the government and the rebel group known as FARC to end more than 50 years of war.
The lower house voted 130-0 in favor of the agreement, a day after members of the Senate backed it by a margin of 75-0.
Members of former President Alvaro Uribe's party walked out in protest in both chambers. He has criticized the peace deal as being too lenient on FARC members, particularly the group's leadership, as well as the sole authority given to lawmakers to approve this version instead of putting approval to a national referendum.
A previous version failed a referendum last month, prompting more than 50 changes to the document.
Congressional approval sets off a six-month process during which the more than 7,000 FARC rebels will hand over their weapons.
"Tomorrow a new era begins," said President Juan Manuel Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his efforts to negotiate the truce. Peace negotiations have stretched on for four years in the effort to end the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions.
margin: the amount by which one thing is different from another:
lenient: not as severe or strong in punishment or judgment as would be expected:
prompt: to make something happen:
set off: to start on a trip:
truce: a short interruption in a war or argument, or an agreement to stop fighting or arguing for a period of time:
Trump Launches 'Thank You' Tour
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is embarking on what he is calling a "thank you tour" Thursday with a campaign-style rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, hours after he appears in Indiana to tout an agreement with air conditioner maker Carrier to keep about 1,000 jobs there.
Ohio was one of the key swing states that helped deliver Trump an election victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump has not detailed where else his tour will go.
Carrier said earlier this year it was relocating the Indiana operations as a cost-cutting move. The company said in a statement Wednesday that factors in its decision to stay included financial incentives from Indiana and a promise from the incoming Trump administration to "create an improved, more competitive U.S. business climate."
The deal is a win for Trump, who made frequent promises during his campaign for president that he would prevent companies from moving jobs outside the country, and bring back jobs that already have been lost.
embark on/upon sth: to start something new or important:
relocate: to (cause a person or company to) move to a new place:
incentive: something that encourages a person to do something:
incoming: 2 soon to start something such as a job because recently chosen or elected:
Colombia's Congress on Wednesday approved a peace deal between the government and the rebel group known as FARC to end more than 50 years of war.
The lower house voted 130-0 in favor of the agreement, a day after members of the Senate backed it by a margin of 75-0.
Members of former President Alvaro Uribe's party walked out in protest in both chambers. He has criticized the peace deal as being too lenient on FARC members, particularly the group's leadership, as well as the sole authority given to lawmakers to approve this version instead of putting approval to a national referendum.
A previous version failed a referendum last month, prompting more than 50 changes to the document.
Congressional approval sets off a six-month process during which the more than 7,000 FARC rebels will hand over their weapons.
"Tomorrow a new era begins," said President Juan Manuel Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his efforts to negotiate the truce. Peace negotiations have stretched on for four years in the effort to end the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions.
margin: the amount by which one thing is different from another:
lenient: not as severe or strong in punishment or judgment as would be expected:
prompt: to make something happen:
set off: to start on a trip:
truce: a short interruption in a war or argument, or an agreement to stop fighting or arguing for a period of time:
Trump Launches 'Thank You' Tour
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is embarking on what he is calling a "thank you tour" Thursday with a campaign-style rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, hours after he appears in Indiana to tout an agreement with air conditioner maker Carrier to keep about 1,000 jobs there.
Ohio was one of the key swing states that helped deliver Trump an election victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump has not detailed where else his tour will go.
Carrier said earlier this year it was relocating the Indiana operations as a cost-cutting move. The company said in a statement Wednesday that factors in its decision to stay included financial incentives from Indiana and a promise from the incoming Trump administration to "create an improved, more competitive U.S. business climate."
The deal is a win for Trump, who made frequent promises during his campaign for president that he would prevent companies from moving jobs outside the country, and bring back jobs that already have been lost.
embark on/upon sth: to start something new or important:
relocate: to (cause a person or company to) move to a new place:
incentive: something that encourages a person to do something:
incoming: 2 soon to start something such as a job because recently chosen or elected:
2016年12月2日星期五
UN Security Council to Vote on New North Korea Sanctions
UN Security Council to Vote on New North Korea Sanctions
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Wednesday on new sanctions against North Korea aimed at cutting off funding for its nuclear and ballistic missile(弹道导弹) programs.
The session is expected to include remarks from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who rarely attends council votes.
Previous Security Council resolutions have demanded North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program and not conduct any nuclear tests or launches of ballistic missiles. But North Korea has repeatedly defied the world body during the past decade, including with its latest nuclear test in September.
The new sanctions would include capping North Korea's coal exports, which a U.S. official said would amount to cutting the country's single largest source of external revenue by 60 percent, or as much as $700 million per year.
There would also be a ban on exports of certain metals such as copper, nickel, silver and zinc that bring North Korea more than $100 million a year.
Some 11 North Korean officials and 10 entities involved in the nuclear and ballistic missile programs would be added to the list of those designated for travel bans and asset freezes.
The measure also targets imported luxury goods favored by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other officials, banning carpets and tapestries(挂毯） worth more than $500 and fine china and porcelain tableware(瓷餐具） valued at more than $100.
The U.S. and South Korea joined with China, Russia, Japan and North Korea in six-party talks aimed at curbing the North Korean nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid, but those negotiations broke down in 2009.
sanction: an official order, such as the stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to make it obey international law:
cap verb: `to put a limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent in connection with a particular activity:
revenue: `the income that a government or company receives regularly:
entity: `something that exists apart from other things, having its own independent existence:
designated: to choose someone officially to do a particular job:
curb: ` to control or limit something that is not wanted:
Dormitory Fire Kills 12 in Turkey
A fire at a school in southern Turkey has killed 12, including 11 teenage girls, and injured 22 others.
The fire broke out in a girls dormitory late Tuesday in the southern province of Adana. The cause of the fire was unknown, and it was not clear how many of the injured were children.
Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtas told the state-run Anadolu agency some of the injured students were affected by the smoke and some of them had been hurt trying to escape from the burning building.
Turkish television showed flames rising from a multiple-story building and firefighters battling the blaze.
Turkish government officials said Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, National Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz and others were headed to Adana.
headed adj: going in a particular direction:
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Wednesday on new sanctions against North Korea aimed at cutting off funding for its nuclear and ballistic missile(弹道导弹) programs.
The session is expected to include remarks from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who rarely attends council votes.
Previous Security Council resolutions have demanded North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program and not conduct any nuclear tests or launches of ballistic missiles. But North Korea has repeatedly defied the world body during the past decade, including with its latest nuclear test in September.
The new sanctions would include capping North Korea's coal exports, which a U.S. official said would amount to cutting the country's single largest source of external revenue by 60 percent, or as much as $700 million per year.
There would also be a ban on exports of certain metals such as copper, nickel, silver and zinc that bring North Korea more than $100 million a year.
Some 11 North Korean officials and 10 entities involved in the nuclear and ballistic missile programs would be added to the list of those designated for travel bans and asset freezes.
The measure also targets imported luxury goods favored by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other officials, banning carpets and tapestries(挂毯） worth more than $500 and fine china and porcelain tableware(瓷餐具） valued at more than $100.
The U.S. and South Korea joined with China, Russia, Japan and North Korea in six-party talks aimed at curbing the North Korean nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid, but those negotiations broke down in 2009.
sanction: an official order, such as the stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to make it obey international law:
cap verb: `to put a limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent in connection with a particular activity:
revenue: `the income that a government or company receives regularly:
entity: `something that exists apart from other things, having its own independent existence:
designated: to choose someone officially to do a particular job:
curb: ` to control or limit something that is not wanted:
Dormitory Fire Kills 12 in Turkey
A fire at a school in southern Turkey has killed 12, including 11 teenage girls, and injured 22 others.
The fire broke out in a girls dormitory late Tuesday in the southern province of Adana. The cause of the fire was unknown, and it was not clear how many of the injured were children.
Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtas told the state-run Anadolu agency some of the injured students were affected by the smoke and some of them had been hurt trying to escape from the burning building.
Turkish television showed flames rising from a multiple-story building and firefighters battling the blaze.
Turkish government officials said Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, National Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz and others were headed to Adana.
headed adj: going in a particular direction:
Italian PM Promises Rebuild After Quake
Italian PM Promises Rebuild After Quake
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is promising to rebuild parts of central Italy after Sunday's 6.6 magnitude earthquake, Italy's most powerful quake in 36 years.
"We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses. Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done," Renzi said.
No one was killed Sunday, but at least 20 minor injuries were reported.
Many people had already fled that area after an August quake killed about 300 people, followed by two strong aftershocks last Wednesday.
Large boulders and rockslides blocked several highways, completely cutting off some villages from the outside. A nearly non-stop series of small aftershocks were making conditions difficult for emergency workers.
The U.S. National Geological Survey says Sunday's quake was centered near Norcia and was relatively shallow, at a depth of 10 kilometers, making it felt over a widespread area, and as far south as Rome, 90 kilometers to the south.
Schools will be closed in Rome Monday so buildings can be inspected for structural damage, according to the Rome municipality website.
boulder: a very large rock
`
1 in 7 of World's Children Exposed to Toxic Air Pollution
One in seven of the world's children is exposed to pollution levels six or more times higher than international standards set by the World Health Organization, according to a new report by UNICEF. The report was released a week ahead of the United Nations Climate Change conference in Marrakech.
"Air pollution is a major contributing factor in the deaths of around 600,000 children under five every year," says UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, "and it threatens the lives and futures of millions more every day."
Some two billion children live in regions where outdoor air pollution exceeds WHO's minimum air quality guidelines, with 620 million of those children living in South Asia, followed by 520 million children in Africa, and 450 million children in the East Asia and Pacific region.
UNICEF says young children are particularly susceptible to indoor and outdoor air pollution because their lungs, brains and immune systems are still developing and their respiratory tracts(呼吸道) are more permeable.
UNICEF says it will ask the countries attending the climate change conference to take "four urgent steps" to protect children from air pollution. Those steps are:
1. adopt measures to reduce pollution;
2. increase children's access to healthcare;
3. minimize children's exposure to pollution; and
4. establish better monitoring of air pollution.
Lake said "We protect our children when we protect the quality of our air. Both are central to our future."
guildeline: information intended to advise people on how something should be done or what something should be:
susceptible: easily influenced or harmed by something:
respiratory: relating to breathing:
permeable: If a substance is permeable, it allows liquids or gases to go through it:
adopt: 1 to legally take another person's child into your own family and take care of him or her as your own child: 2 to accept or start to use something new:
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is promising to rebuild parts of central Italy after Sunday's 6.6 magnitude earthquake, Italy's most powerful quake in 36 years.
"We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses. Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done," Renzi said.
No one was killed Sunday, but at least 20 minor injuries were reported.
Many people had already fled that area after an August quake killed about 300 people, followed by two strong aftershocks last Wednesday.
Large boulders and rockslides blocked several highways, completely cutting off some villages from the outside. A nearly non-stop series of small aftershocks were making conditions difficult for emergency workers.
The U.S. National Geological Survey says Sunday's quake was centered near Norcia and was relatively shallow, at a depth of 10 kilometers, making it felt over a widespread area, and as far south as Rome, 90 kilometers to the south.
Schools will be closed in Rome Monday so buildings can be inspected for structural damage, according to the Rome municipality website.
boulder: a very large rock
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1 in 7 of World's Children Exposed to Toxic Air Pollution
One in seven of the world's children is exposed to pollution levels six or more times higher than international standards set by the World Health Organization, according to a new report by UNICEF. The report was released a week ahead of the United Nations Climate Change conference in Marrakech.
"Air pollution is a major contributing factor in the deaths of around 600,000 children under five every year," says UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, "and it threatens the lives and futures of millions more every day."
Some two billion children live in regions where outdoor air pollution exceeds WHO's minimum air quality guidelines, with 620 million of those children living in South Asia, followed by 520 million children in Africa, and 450 million children in the East Asia and Pacific region.
UNICEF says young children are particularly susceptible to indoor and outdoor air pollution because their lungs, brains and immune systems are still developing and their respiratory tracts(呼吸道) are more permeable.
UNICEF says it will ask the countries attending the climate change conference to take "four urgent steps" to protect children from air pollution. Those steps are:
1. adopt measures to reduce pollution;
2. increase children's access to healthcare;
3. minimize children's exposure to pollution; and
4. establish better monitoring of air pollution.
Lake said "We protect our children when we protect the quality of our air. Both are central to our future."
guildeline: information intended to advise people on how something should be done or what something should be:
susceptible: easily influenced or harmed by something:
respiratory: relating to breathing:
permeable: If a substance is permeable, it allows liquids or gases to go through it:
adopt: 1 to legally take another person's child into your own family and take care of him or her as your own child: 2 to accept or start to use something new:
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