UN Humanitarian Chief Warns That Yemen Is 'One Step Way From Famine'
The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Monday that war-torn Yemen is “one step away from famine.”
Stephen O’Brien told the U.N. Security Council that more than 21
million Yemenis – 80 percent of the population – are in need of some
form of humanitarian assistance.
O’Brien gave the briefing by telephone from Bahrain, where he has
arrived for a 10-day visit that also will include Kuwait, Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates. He traveled to Yemen earlier this month.
“Over 2 million people are malnourished(营养不良） nationwide, including 370,000
children who are severely malnourished,” O’Brien said. That is an
increase of 65 percent compared to the year before the conflict began.
Food prices have surged 20 percent since fighting began last year,
and a Saudi-imposed blockade has impaired food deliveries to a country
that pre-conflict imported 90 percent of its food stocks.
Worryingly, cholera is starting to appear, with 61 confirmed cases
and 1,700 suspected cases. O’Brien said the United Nations and its
humanitarian partners are establishing 21 cholera treatment centers, but
that they would be insufficient to stop the escalating spread of the
disease. Additionally, the humanitarian chief said more than 10,000
children under the age of five have died from preventable diseases.
The U.N. has classified Yemen as a level three emergency – Syria and
Iraq are the only other two humanitarian crises rated this severe.
U.N. Security Council: a part of the United Nations whose purpose is to prevent war and keep peace
briefing noun: information that is given to someone just before they do something, or a meeting where this happens:
blockade noun: the situation in which a country or place is surrounded by soldiers or ships to stop people or goods from going in or out:
impair verb: to spoil something or make it weaker so that it is less effective:
escalating adj: increasing in price, amount, rate, etc.:
Italian PM Unveils Plans to Rebuild Central Region Hit by Earthquake
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi unveiled plans Monday to rebuild
large swaths of the mountainous central Italy, ravaged by the region's
worst earthquake since 1980. Among the key provisions is the promise to
provide shipping containers for people to live in while permanent
housing is constructed.
Renzi spoke in Rome, as the scope of Sunday's 6.6 magnitude quake
became evident, and as emergency workers scrambled to provide immediate
aid to thousands of residents already traumatized by smaller temblors
last week. The same region was hit 10 weeks ago by a deadly quake that
killed hundreds in the small town of Amatrice.
"We will rebuild everything," Renzi vowed, describing the culturally
significant areas northeast of Rome as "territories of beauty."
No deaths or serious injuries have been reported, largely,
authorities say, because so many residents of the region were relocated
after the August 24 earthquake that rocked Amatrice. However, an
estimated 15,000 were left homeless.
The epicenter of Sunday's quake was 70 kilometers southwest of the
central city of Perugia and close to the town of Norcia, where already
skittish residents saw churches and the 14th century Basilica of St.
Benedict heavily damaged on Sunday. An estimated 4,000 people in and
around Norcia have been relocated to hotels on the Adriatic coast, where
they joined more than 1,000 others still displaced by the Amatrice
quake in August.
Renzi said the shipping containers will be in place by December, and
he said residents can expect to have new wooden house construction
completed by mid-2017.
swath: a strip or belt, or a long area of something:
evident adj: easily seen or understood:
scramble: to compete with other people for something there is very little of:
ravage: to cause great damage to something:
provisions: supplies of food and other necessary things:
scope: the range of a subject covered by a book, programme, discussion, class, etc.:
temblor: an earthquake
epicenter: the point on the earth's surface directly above the origin of an earthquake:
skittish adj: 1 (of people and animals) nervous or easily frightened:
2 (of a person) not serious and likely to change their beliefs or opinions often:
2016年11月24日星期四
Cambodian Tribunal Upholds Life Terms for Khmer Rouge Leaders
Cambodian Tribunal Upholds Life Terms for Khmer Rouge Leaders
A U.N.-backed tribunal in Cambodia has upheld life sentences given to two former leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime for crimes against humanity.
Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea were originally sentenced in 2014. The Supreme Court Chamber's top judge Kong Srim said Wednesday the life sentences were appropriate, and that the two men showed a "complete lack of consideration for the ultimate fate of the Cambodian population."
Chea and Samphan are the most senior Khmer Rouge officials still living. They are also on trial in a second case involving genocide charges. Their lawyers argued the 2014 conviction was tainted by errors and biased judges, and while Wednesday's decision noted some problems, the overall verdict(裁决） remained the same.
tribunal noun: a special court or group of people who are officially chosen, especially by the government, to examine (legal) problems of a particular type:
trial noun: the hearing of statements and showing of objects, etc. in a law court to judge if a person is guilty of a crime or to decide a case or a legal matter:
gonocide: the murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race, or religious group:
taint: to spoil something, especially food or blood, by adding a harmful substance, or to spoil people's opinion of someone:
verdict noun: an opinion or decision made after judging the facts that are given, especially one made at the end of a trial:
Colombia, FARC Set to Sign Renegotiated Peace Deal
The Colombian government and the country's largest rebel group, FARC, are set to sign a renegotiated peace deal Thursday.
The revised document will be signed in Bogota between FARC leader Rodrigo Londono and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his efforts to end the conflict with the insurgent group.
The government and representatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have been negotiating in Cuba for more than four years to bring an end to the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions in the Andean country.
Last month, voters taking part in that referendum surprisingly rejected the first accord. After it is signed, the new deal will be submitted to Congress for approval, rather than put to another referendum.
Ever since the original deal's defeat at the polls, the FARC and government negotiators have worked around the clock, introducing some 50-plus changes to make it more acceptable to conservative Colombians who overwhelmingly despise the FARC.
insurgent noun: formal someone who is fighting against the government in their own country:
displace: to force something or someone out of its usual or original position:
referendum: a vote in which all the people in a country or an area are asked to give their opinion about or decide an important political or social question:
around the clock: happening or done all day and all night:
despise: to feel a strong dislike for someone or something because you think that that person or thing is bad or has no value:
A U.N.-backed tribunal in Cambodia has upheld life sentences given to two former leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime for crimes against humanity.
Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea were originally sentenced in 2014. The Supreme Court Chamber's top judge Kong Srim said Wednesday the life sentences were appropriate, and that the two men showed a "complete lack of consideration for the ultimate fate of the Cambodian population."
Chea and Samphan are the most senior Khmer Rouge officials still living. They are also on trial in a second case involving genocide charges. Their lawyers argued the 2014 conviction was tainted by errors and biased judges, and while Wednesday's decision noted some problems, the overall verdict(裁决） remained the same.
tribunal noun: a special court or group of people who are officially chosen, especially by the government, to examine (legal) problems of a particular type:
trial noun: the hearing of statements and showing of objects, etc. in a law court to judge if a person is guilty of a crime or to decide a case or a legal matter:
gonocide: the murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race, or religious group:
taint: to spoil something, especially food or blood, by adding a harmful substance, or to spoil people's opinion of someone:
verdict noun: an opinion or decision made after judging the facts that are given, especially one made at the end of a trial:
Colombia, FARC Set to Sign Renegotiated Peace Deal
The Colombian government and the country's largest rebel group, FARC, are set to sign a renegotiated peace deal Thursday.
The revised document will be signed in Bogota between FARC leader Rodrigo Londono and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his efforts to end the conflict with the insurgent group.
The government and representatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have been negotiating in Cuba for more than four years to bring an end to the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions in the Andean country.
Last month, voters taking part in that referendum surprisingly rejected the first accord. After it is signed, the new deal will be submitted to Congress for approval, rather than put to another referendum.
Ever since the original deal's defeat at the polls, the FARC and government negotiators have worked around the clock, introducing some 50-plus changes to make it more acceptable to conservative Colombians who overwhelmingly despise the FARC.
insurgent noun: formal someone who is fighting against the government in their own country:
displace: to force something or someone out of its usual or original position:
referendum: a vote in which all the people in a country or an area are asked to give their opinion about or decide an important political or social question:
around the clock: happening or done all day and all night:
despise: to feel a strong dislike for someone or something because you think that that person or thing is bad or has no value:
2016年11月23日星期三
Former PM Francois Fillon on Track to Win French Conservative Presidential Primary
Former PM Francois Fillon on Track to Win French Conservative Presidential Primary
Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon appears to be on his way to winning Sunday's conservative party presidential primary.
Early returns give Fillon 44 percent of the vote, followed by ex-Prime Minister Alain Juppe with 28 percent and former President Nicolas Sarkozy with 21 percent. If those results hold up, Fillon and Juppe will meet in a runoff next Sunday and the winner will be the conservative candidate for president next year.
Sarkozy has already conceded(承认） defeat and says he will throw his support behind Fillon.
This is the first time conservative voters directly chose a presidential candidate. Until now, party leaders picked the contender. The campaign was marked by concerns about the influx of migrants into Europe and the devastating series of jihadist attacks in France.
After Britain's shock "Brexit" vote and Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential contest, the French presidential vote is taking shape to be another test between mainstream parties and rising populist forces.
returns: the results of voting in an election (= a political competition):
runoff: a second or final election held when no one got enough votes to win an earlier election
contender: someone who competes with other people to try to win something:
influx: the fact of a large number of people or things arriving at the same time:
take shape: to start to develop a more clear or certain form:
populist: representing or relating to the ideas and opinions of ordinary people:
Haitians vote in hopes of restoring constitutional order
Vote counting has begun in Haiti's repeatedly derailed presidential election. No official results were expected to be issued for at least eight days.
Six million Haitians were eligible to vote for one of 27 presidential candidates, as well as for members of both houses of parliament.
Haitians are hoping the new national leader will end a year of uncertainty and struggles, while uniting the nation and creating jobs. Many Haitians still suffer from a 2010 earthquake and its most recent serious storm, Hurricane Matthew.
There is no clear-cut leader among the 27 candidates for president.
A presidential election was held in October 2015, but the results were scrapped because of fraud.
More than 13,000 police officers and United Nations peacekeeper troops are on the streets to safeguard voting centers.
But with so many candidates for president, no one is likely to gain an absolute majority of the vote. The top two finishers Sunday will face off January 29.
derail: to prevent a plan or process from succeeding:
eligible: having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary conditions:
clear-cut: clear or obvious without needing any proof:
scrap: to not continue with a system or plan:
Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon appears to be on his way to winning Sunday's conservative party presidential primary.
Early returns give Fillon 44 percent of the vote, followed by ex-Prime Minister Alain Juppe with 28 percent and former President Nicolas Sarkozy with 21 percent. If those results hold up, Fillon and Juppe will meet in a runoff next Sunday and the winner will be the conservative candidate for president next year.
Sarkozy has already conceded(承认） defeat and says he will throw his support behind Fillon.
This is the first time conservative voters directly chose a presidential candidate. Until now, party leaders picked the contender. The campaign was marked by concerns about the influx of migrants into Europe and the devastating series of jihadist attacks in France.
After Britain's shock "Brexit" vote and Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential contest, the French presidential vote is taking shape to be another test between mainstream parties and rising populist forces.
returns: the results of voting in an election (= a political competition):
runoff: a second or final election held when no one got enough votes to win an earlier election
contender: someone who competes with other people to try to win something:
influx: the fact of a large number of people or things arriving at the same time:
take shape: to start to develop a more clear or certain form:
populist: representing or relating to the ideas and opinions of ordinary people:
Haitians vote in hopes of restoring constitutional order
Vote counting has begun in Haiti's repeatedly derailed presidential election. No official results were expected to be issued for at least eight days.
Six million Haitians were eligible to vote for one of 27 presidential candidates, as well as for members of both houses of parliament.
Haitians are hoping the new national leader will end a year of uncertainty and struggles, while uniting the nation and creating jobs. Many Haitians still suffer from a 2010 earthquake and its most recent serious storm, Hurricane Matthew.
There is no clear-cut leader among the 27 candidates for president.
A presidential election was held in October 2015, but the results were scrapped because of fraud.
More than 13,000 police officers and United Nations peacekeeper troops are on the streets to safeguard voting centers.
But with so many candidates for president, no one is likely to gain an absolute majority of the vote. The top two finishers Sunday will face off January 29.
derail: to prevent a plan or process from succeeding:
eligible: having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary conditions:
clear-cut: clear or obvious without needing any proof:
scrap: to not continue with a system or plan:
Trump Pledges to Kill TPP Trade Deal on 1st Day in Office
Trump Pledges to Kill TPP Trade Deal on 1st Day in Office
President-elect Donald Trump says his first day in office will include issuing formal notification the United States is withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, part of a series of moves based on his focus on "putting America first."
In a video message posted to YouTube Monday, Trump called the TPP a "potential disaster" for the U.S. "Instead, we will negotiate, fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores," he said.
Throughout his campaign for president Trump opposed the TPP, which involves 12 Asia-Pacific nations, as well as the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. He touted his negotiating ability and said he would get new agreements that benefit the U.S.
Ministers(部长） from TPP countries signed the agreement in February 2016, saying their goal was to "enhance shared prosperity, create jobs, and promote sustainable economic development for all of our nations." President Barack Obama supported the pact, but Congress never gave the necessary approval for the U.S. to formally join.
Without the U.S., the TPP cannot go into effect. That is because of a provision(规定/条款/供应） that says it either needs to be approved by all 12 signatories, or by at least six of them if they together account for 85 percent of the combined gross domestic product of the entire group. The United States represents 60 percent of the combined GDP, so there is no way to meet that 85 percent threshold without U.S participation.
The Obama administration touted the TPP as a benefit for workers in the U.S. and the other 11 countries because of new standards for wages, hours, working conditions and prohibitions against child labor. Officials also said U.S. companies, particularly small businesses, would be able to vastly expand their exports through the elimination of tariffs（贸易壁垒的消除）, and that the deal would bring stronger standards for transparency, anti-corruption, and environmental protection.
The promises Trump spelled out Monday did not include anything about his much-touted wall at the U.S.-Mexican border.
He said he would tell the Department of Labor to investigate "abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker" and ask the Defense Department to come up with a plan to protect the country's vital infrastructure from "cyberattacks and all other form of attacks."
Trump wants to do away with regulations targeting the energy industry which he says will create "many millions of high paying jobs." And as part of his plan to reform government, Trump wants any new regulation to come in only with the elimination of two existing ones.
He said his transition team is working "very smoothly, efficiently and effectively," and continued meeting with a parade of people being considered for jobs in the incoming administration.
Trump planned to leave New York on Tuesday or Wednesday to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at his Florida resort.
pledge: to make a serious or formal promise to give or do something:
tout verb: to advertise, talk about, or praise something or someone repeatedly, especially as a way of encouraging people to like, accept, or buy something:
signatory: a person, organization, or country that has signed an agreement:
threshold: the floor of an entrance to a building or room
tariff: a charge or list of charges either for services or on goods entering a country
undercut:1 to charge less than a competitor: 2 to damage something or to make it fail:
parade: 2 a series of people or things that appear one after the other:
Police in Texas Arrest Suspect Who Killed Cop
Texas police have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Texas policeman, one of four officers shot in the line of duty(在工作中） Sunday in multiple states.
Police say the 31-year-old suspect, Otis McKane, was arrested without incident Monday evening following an extensive manhunt. They say they do not yet know the motive for the shooting.
The San Antonio detective was killed as he sat in his police car during a routine traffic stop outside the city's police headquarters(总部）.
Officials say the gunman pulled his car behind the policeman, walked up to the squad car, and shot the officer in the head through the car window.
Also Sunday, there were shootings of police officers in Missouri and Florida, resulting in injuries.
Attorney General（司法部长） Loretta Lynch said Monday that the shootings are "reprehensible acts" that "cannot be tolerated." She said recent statistics show that 2016 has been an especially dangerous year for police officers, with a significant increase in the number of officers killed in the line of duty.
incident: an event that is either unpleasant or unusual:
without incident: with nothing unpleasant or unusual happening:
extensive adj: covering a large area; having a great range:
squad noun: a small group of people trained to work together as a unit:
reprehensible: If someone's behaviour is reprehensible, it is extremely bad or unacceptable:
President-elect Donald Trump says his first day in office will include issuing formal notification the United States is withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, part of a series of moves based on his focus on "putting America first."
In a video message posted to YouTube Monday, Trump called the TPP a "potential disaster" for the U.S. "Instead, we will negotiate, fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores," he said.
Throughout his campaign for president Trump opposed the TPP, which involves 12 Asia-Pacific nations, as well as the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. He touted his negotiating ability and said he would get new agreements that benefit the U.S.
Ministers(部长） from TPP countries signed the agreement in February 2016, saying their goal was to "enhance shared prosperity, create jobs, and promote sustainable economic development for all of our nations." President Barack Obama supported the pact, but Congress never gave the necessary approval for the U.S. to formally join.
Without the U.S., the TPP cannot go into effect. That is because of a provision(规定/条款/供应） that says it either needs to be approved by all 12 signatories, or by at least six of them if they together account for 85 percent of the combined gross domestic product of the entire group. The United States represents 60 percent of the combined GDP, so there is no way to meet that 85 percent threshold without U.S participation.
The Obama administration touted the TPP as a benefit for workers in the U.S. and the other 11 countries because of new standards for wages, hours, working conditions and prohibitions against child labor. Officials also said U.S. companies, particularly small businesses, would be able to vastly expand their exports through the elimination of tariffs（贸易壁垒的消除）, and that the deal would bring stronger standards for transparency, anti-corruption, and environmental protection.
The promises Trump spelled out Monday did not include anything about his much-touted wall at the U.S.-Mexican border.
He said he would tell the Department of Labor to investigate "abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker" and ask the Defense Department to come up with a plan to protect the country's vital infrastructure from "cyberattacks and all other form of attacks."
Trump wants to do away with regulations targeting the energy industry which he says will create "many millions of high paying jobs." And as part of his plan to reform government, Trump wants any new regulation to come in only with the elimination of two existing ones.
He said his transition team is working "very smoothly, efficiently and effectively," and continued meeting with a parade of people being considered for jobs in the incoming administration.
Trump planned to leave New York on Tuesday or Wednesday to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at his Florida resort.
pledge: to make a serious or formal promise to give or do something:
tout verb: to advertise, talk about, or praise something or someone repeatedly, especially as a way of encouraging people to like, accept, or buy something:
signatory: a person, organization, or country that has signed an agreement:
threshold: the floor of an entrance to a building or room
tariff: a charge or list of charges either for services or on goods entering a country
undercut:1 to charge less than a competitor: 2 to damage something or to make it fail:
parade: 2 a series of people or things that appear one after the other:
Police in Texas Arrest Suspect Who Killed Cop
Texas police have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Texas policeman, one of four officers shot in the line of duty(在工作中） Sunday in multiple states.
Police say the 31-year-old suspect, Otis McKane, was arrested without incident Monday evening following an extensive manhunt. They say they do not yet know the motive for the shooting.
The San Antonio detective was killed as he sat in his police car during a routine traffic stop outside the city's police headquarters(总部）.
Officials say the gunman pulled his car behind the policeman, walked up to the squad car, and shot the officer in the head through the car window.
Also Sunday, there were shootings of police officers in Missouri and Florida, resulting in injuries.
Attorney General（司法部长） Loretta Lynch said Monday that the shootings are "reprehensible acts" that "cannot be tolerated." She said recent statistics show that 2016 has been an especially dangerous year for police officers, with a significant increase in the number of officers killed in the line of duty.
incident: an event that is either unpleasant or unusual:
without incident: with nothing unpleasant or unusual happening:
extensive adj: covering a large area; having a great range:
squad noun: a small group of people trained to work together as a unit:
reprehensible: If someone's behaviour is reprehensible, it is extremely bad or unacceptable:
2016年11月21日星期一
Aid Group: Over 1 Million in Mosul Face 'Grave Danger'
Aid Group: Over 1 Million in Mosul Face 'Grave Danger'
On Wednesday, as poor weather bogged down forces advancing on the Islamic State-held city of Mosul, an aid agency warned that civilians there are in great danger as the battle for the city intensifies.
"We are now bracing(支撑） ourselves for the worst," said the Norwegian Refugee Council's Wolfgang Gressmann. "The lives of 1.2 million civilians are in grave danger, and the future of all of Iraq is now in the balance."
The group said thousands of civilians have already fled the city, and many have already been killed by snipers(阻击手） and explosives. Those still in the city are in need of food, water and medical supplies, and those shortages will intensify as the fighting makes it more difficult for supplies and other humanitarian aid to get through.
Iraqi special forces reached the outskirts of the city Tuesday, two weeks after the offensive to retake Iraq's second largest city began, and more than two years after Mosul was captured by the Islamic State group.
An Iraqi general said troops captured a television station Tuesday before a sandstorm blew in and ended combat operations for the day.
On Wednesday, troops were holding their positions on the city's eastern border as high humidity and clouds limited visibility for drones(无人机，嗡嗡声） and other aircraft.
Iraqi Brig. General Haider Fadhil says no advances are planned for Wednesday due to the weather, the Associated Press reported.
bog down sth/someone: to prevent someone or something from moving on or progressing:
brace yourself: to prepare yourself physically or mentally for something unpleasant:
in the balance: If a situation is in the balance, it has reached a stage where it will soon be decided one way or another:
the outskirts: the areas that form the edge of a town or city:
offensive noun: a planned military attack:
Report: No One at Controls When MH370 Crashed
An analysis of satellite data suggests no one was flying Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 when it plunged into the Indian Ocean in March 2014.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released the report Wednesday as experts gathered in Sydney to assess possible future searches for the plane, which vanished with 239 people aboard.
Satellite communications from the aircraft are consistent with(与一致） the aircraft being in a "high and increasing rate of descent" before it disappeared, the report said. The Australian investigators believe the plane likely flew on autopilot for a time before running out of fuel and crashing into the ocean. The flight was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it went missing.
While a few pieces from the plane washed up on shores around the Indian Ocean in the two and a half years since it disappeared, the crash site of the Boeing 777 has not been located.
One of those pieces – a wing flap found on a shore in Tanzania – seemed to confirm the theory that no one was at the controls of the plane in its final moments.
Investigators say the flap does not appear to have been deployed when it broke off the plane's wing. Had a pilot been trying to bring the plane in for a controlled ditching, the flaps would typically have been extended.
Crews continue to scour a 120,000-square kilometer search area, however, that effort is expected to be completed in early 2017. Unless there is new evidence indicating a specific location for the crash, officials say they will end the hunt for MH370.
plunge: to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down, or into something:
flap noun: specialized engineering part of the back of an aircraft wing that can be moved up or down to help the aircraft go up or down
deploy: o use something or someone, especially in an effective way:
ditch verb; to land an aircraft in water in an emergency
scour: 1 (also scour out)to remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough:
2 to search a place or thing very carefully in order to try to find something:
On Wednesday, as poor weather bogged down forces advancing on the Islamic State-held city of Mosul, an aid agency warned that civilians there are in great danger as the battle for the city intensifies.
"We are now bracing(支撑） ourselves for the worst," said the Norwegian Refugee Council's Wolfgang Gressmann. "The lives of 1.2 million civilians are in grave danger, and the future of all of Iraq is now in the balance."
The group said thousands of civilians have already fled the city, and many have already been killed by snipers(阻击手） and explosives. Those still in the city are in need of food, water and medical supplies, and those shortages will intensify as the fighting makes it more difficult for supplies and other humanitarian aid to get through.
Iraqi special forces reached the outskirts of the city Tuesday, two weeks after the offensive to retake Iraq's second largest city began, and more than two years after Mosul was captured by the Islamic State group.
An Iraqi general said troops captured a television station Tuesday before a sandstorm blew in and ended combat operations for the day.
On Wednesday, troops were holding their positions on the city's eastern border as high humidity and clouds limited visibility for drones(无人机，嗡嗡声） and other aircraft.
Iraqi Brig. General Haider Fadhil says no advances are planned for Wednesday due to the weather, the Associated Press reported.
bog down sth/someone: to prevent someone or something from moving on or progressing:
brace yourself: to prepare yourself physically or mentally for something unpleasant:
in the balance: If a situation is in the balance, it has reached a stage where it will soon be decided one way or another:
the outskirts: the areas that form the edge of a town or city:
offensive noun: a planned military attack:
Report: No One at Controls When MH370 Crashed
An analysis of satellite data suggests no one was flying Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 when it plunged into the Indian Ocean in March 2014.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released the report Wednesday as experts gathered in Sydney to assess possible future searches for the plane, which vanished with 239 people aboard.
Satellite communications from the aircraft are consistent with(与一致） the aircraft being in a "high and increasing rate of descent" before it disappeared, the report said. The Australian investigators believe the plane likely flew on autopilot for a time before running out of fuel and crashing into the ocean. The flight was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it went missing.
While a few pieces from the plane washed up on shores around the Indian Ocean in the two and a half years since it disappeared, the crash site of the Boeing 777 has not been located.
One of those pieces – a wing flap found on a shore in Tanzania – seemed to confirm the theory that no one was at the controls of the plane in its final moments.
Investigators say the flap does not appear to have been deployed when it broke off the plane's wing. Had a pilot been trying to bring the plane in for a controlled ditching, the flaps would typically have been extended.
Crews continue to scour a 120,000-square kilometer search area, however, that effort is expected to be completed in early 2017. Unless there is new evidence indicating a specific location for the crash, officials say they will end the hunt for MH370.
plunge: to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down, or into something:
flap noun: specialized engineering part of the back of an aircraft wing that can be moved up or down to help the aircraft go up or down
deploy: o use something or someone, especially in an effective way:
ditch verb; to land an aircraft in water in an emergency
scour: 1 (also scour out)to remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough:
2 to search a place or thing very carefully in order to try to find something:
2016年11月20日星期日
Japanese PM Abe Says He Has 'Great Confidence' in Donald Trump
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Says He Has 'Great Confidence' in Donald Trump
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls U.S. President-elect Donald Trump a leader in whom he can have "great confidence."
Abe is the first world leader to meet with Trump after he won the U.S. presidential election. The two met at the Trump Tower in New York. "I do believe that without confidence between the two nations, the alliance would never function in the future and as the outcome of today's discussion, I am convinced Mr. Trump is a leader in whom(him) I can have great confidence," the Japanese official said.
Abe said he and Trump talked about basic issues, but gave no details. Trump did not comment on the meeting.
During his campaign, Trump questioned several bedrocks of the U.S.-Japanese relationship, suggesting that the U.S. was doing too much to provide defense to Japan. He floated the idea of allowing Japan and others in the region nuclear weapons and forcing higher payments to support the deployment of U.S. forces in those countries.
The U.S. has about 53,000 military personnel based in Japan along with 43,000 dependent family members and 5,000 Defense Department civilian employees.
Supporters of the defense alliance argue that beyond the benefits to Japan, there are strategic gains for the U.S. by having its forces deployed in that part of the world.
Trump also opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement -- a deal that Japan supports.
Trump spent most of Thursday with his transition team（过渡团队）, making plans for his new administration, as well as listening to advice from such veteran diplomats（资深外交官） as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Trump says he has tremendous respect for Kissinger and said they talked about such major issues as China, Russia and Iran. He also met with South Carolina Governor(州长） Nikki Haley, a possible choice for secretary of state.
The transition team also announced that Trump would meet Saturday with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor was a vocal critic of Trump and held a press conference(新闻发布会） earlier this year, where he said "dishonesty is Trump's hallmark." The two were to discuss the transition operations as well as the possibility that Romney was being considered as a candidate for secretary of state.
alliance: 1` a group of countries, political parties, or people who have agreed to work together because of shared interests or aims: 2 an agreement to work with someone else to try to achieve the same thing:
deployment: the movement of soldiers or equipment to a place where they can be used when they are needed:
vocal(adj): often expressing opinions and complaints in speech:
hallmark: `a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing:
`
Ex-Philippine Dictator Marcos Buried With Military Honors
Ex-Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was buried with military honors Friday, 30 years after he was ousted in a People Power revolution. The ceremony began with a 21-gun salute as soldiers in parade dress and ceremonial rifles stood to attention at the "Cemetery(墓园） of Heroes" in Manila.
Despite growing opposition from a coalition composed of Philippine human rights victims of the Marcos dictatorship, the Philippine’s Supreme Court ruled last week that Marcos could be buried at the cemetery.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the burial of the former dictator, disregarding the opposition‘s rejection. Marcos body was flown secretly to Manila in an apparent effort to avoid protests. Thousands of riot police(防暴警察） and soldiers guarded the perimeter of the cemetery and there were no protesters.
Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989 and his body was returned to his northern Philippine hometown of Batac in 1993. Since then, it has been displayed in a glass coffin and became a tourist attraction.
oust(verb.): `to force someone to leave a position of power, job, place, or competition:
riot police: a special part of a police force trained to deal with noisy, violent groups
perimeter: the outer edge of an area of land or the border around it:
exile noun: the condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons:
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls U.S. President-elect Donald Trump a leader in whom he can have "great confidence."
Abe is the first world leader to meet with Trump after he won the U.S. presidential election. The two met at the Trump Tower in New York. "I do believe that without confidence between the two nations, the alliance would never function in the future and as the outcome of today's discussion, I am convinced Mr. Trump is a leader in whom(him) I can have great confidence," the Japanese official said.
Abe said he and Trump talked about basic issues, but gave no details. Trump did not comment on the meeting.
During his campaign, Trump questioned several bedrocks of the U.S.-Japanese relationship, suggesting that the U.S. was doing too much to provide defense to Japan. He floated the idea of allowing Japan and others in the region nuclear weapons and forcing higher payments to support the deployment of U.S. forces in those countries.
The U.S. has about 53,000 military personnel based in Japan along with 43,000 dependent family members and 5,000 Defense Department civilian employees.
Supporters of the defense alliance argue that beyond the benefits to Japan, there are strategic gains for the U.S. by having its forces deployed in that part of the world.
Trump also opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement -- a deal that Japan supports.
Trump spent most of Thursday with his transition team（过渡团队）, making plans for his new administration, as well as listening to advice from such veteran diplomats（资深外交官） as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Trump says he has tremendous respect for Kissinger and said they talked about such major issues as China, Russia and Iran. He also met with South Carolina Governor(州长） Nikki Haley, a possible choice for secretary of state.
The transition team also announced that Trump would meet Saturday with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor was a vocal critic of Trump and held a press conference(新闻发布会） earlier this year, where he said "dishonesty is Trump's hallmark." The two were to discuss the transition operations as well as the possibility that Romney was being considered as a candidate for secretary of state.
alliance: 1` a group of countries, political parties, or people who have agreed to work together because of shared interests or aims: 2 an agreement to work with someone else to try to achieve the same thing:
deployment: the movement of soldiers or equipment to a place where they can be used when they are needed:
vocal(adj): often expressing opinions and complaints in speech:
hallmark: `a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing:
`
Ex-Philippine Dictator Marcos Buried With Military Honors
Ex-Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was buried with military honors Friday, 30 years after he was ousted in a People Power revolution. The ceremony began with a 21-gun salute as soldiers in parade dress and ceremonial rifles stood to attention at the "Cemetery(墓园） of Heroes" in Manila.
Despite growing opposition from a coalition composed of Philippine human rights victims of the Marcos dictatorship, the Philippine’s Supreme Court ruled last week that Marcos could be buried at the cemetery.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the burial of the former dictator, disregarding the opposition‘s rejection. Marcos body was flown secretly to Manila in an apparent effort to avoid protests. Thousands of riot police(防暴警察） and soldiers guarded the perimeter of the cemetery and there were no protesters.
Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989 and his body was returned to his northern Philippine hometown of Batac in 1993. Since then, it has been displayed in a glass coffin and became a tourist attraction.
oust(verb.): `to force someone to leave a position of power, job, place, or competition:
riot police: a special part of a police force trained to deal with noisy, violent groups
perimeter: the outer edge of an area of land or the border around it:
exile noun: the condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons:
2016年11月19日星期六
`UN Committee Condemns Russian Occupation of Crimea
UN Committee Condemns Russian Occupation of Crimea
A United Nations committee approved a draft resolution Tuesday condemning Russia's occupation of Crimea and reiterating that it does not accept Russian annexation from Ukraine.
The measure passed by a vote of 73-23 with 76 abstentions(弃权). It is expected to pass in the full U.N. General Assembly next month.
The text calls on Russia to uphold its international obligations as an occupying power, to take all steps necessary to immediately end abuses against residents in Crimea, to immediately release all those who were unlawfully detained, and ensure unimpeded access for human rights monitoring missions and workers.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official(外交部官员） rejected the draft as one-sided and politically motivated.
"It completely ignores the negative impact that the actions of Ukrainian authorities have had on the residents of Crimea," he said.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after protesters overthrew Kiev's pro-Moscow president. The conflict in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and government troops has claimed the lives of more than 9,500 people.
resolution:`an official decision that is made after a group or organization has voted:
reiterate:to say something again, once or several times:
annex:to take possession of an area of land or a country, usually by force or without permission:
uphold:to defend or keep a principle or law, or to say that a decision that has already been made, especially a legal one, is correct:
unimpeded(adj.):`not stopped, blocked, or prevented by anything:
Trump, Pence Weigh Key Appointments to Their Administration
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence met Tuesday in New York to discuss key appointments in their new government.
The two have more than 4,000 jobs to fill in the U.S. government as they prepare to assume power January 20, but their immediate focus is on filling the top diplomatic post and that of defense secretary, attorney general and Homeland Security chief. All are positions that present the government's face to the world and help lead the country's fight against terrorism.
Trump aides are signaling(暗示) that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani could be named secretary of state. The 72-year-old Giuliani has no previous foreign policy experience. He was a loyal supporter of Trump during his campaign, often appearing on television news shows to promote the Trump candidacy.
But Trump aides also say the president-elect is considering other names, including that of John Bolton, a hawkish(鹰派) former diplomat(外交官） who was the country's United Nations ambassador（美国驻联合国大使） under President George W. Bush. Bolton has been a regular television critic of the foreign policies of President Barack Obama.
One conflict Trump is facing is between his vow during the campaign to "drain the swamp" in official Washington and now his need to find qualified officials with experience to handle the government's most challenging positions.
assume: ` to accept something to be true without question or proof:
present(verb): `to give, provide, or make something known:
critic: someone who says that they do not approve of someone or something:
drain: If you drain something, you remove the liquid from it, usually by pouring it away or allowing it to flow away, and if something drains, liquid flows away or out of it:
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