Reports Say Pro-Syrian Forces Killed 82 Civilians in Aleppo

Reports Say Pro-Syrian Forces Killed 82 Civilians in Aleppo
The United Nations said Tuesday it has received reports of pro-government forces in Syria killing at least 82 civilians in four different neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, where the recapture of the last areas held by rebels is "imminent."
U.N. rights spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva it is difficult to verify reports, and that it was not clear when exactly the killings were to have taken place.
"We hope profoundly that these reports are wrong or exaggerated," he said.
Colville called for the U.N. or another organization such as the International Committee of the Red Cross to be allowed to monitor the situation in Aleppo in order to alleviate concerns about potential rights abuses.
The ICRC also warned Tuesday that thousands of civilians in eastern Aleppo "have literally nowhere safe to run" and urged those involved in fighting there to protect them.
The group said in a statement that time is running out to find a humanitarian solution, and that it is ready to help put in place any agreement that puts civilians first.

recapture: to take something into your possession again, especially by force: 
 alleviate: to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe: 

Google Signs Internet Deal With Cuba
Google signed an agreement with the Cuban government on Monday granting internet users on the Communist-run island quicker access to its branded content.
Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google's parent company, signed the deal with the president of state telecommunications monopoly ETECSA. It grants Cubans speedy access to the Google Global Cache network, which stores content from sites such as Gmail and YouTube on servers located closer to end users.
In a country where public internet access is limited to slow and expensive Wi-Fi hot spots, it was not clear how the deal would affect service in the short term.
The Google deal comes as officials in Havana and Washington are working to wrap up pending commercial accords before President Barack Obama leaves office next month.

grant: to give or allow someone something, usually in an official way: 授予
branded adj.: made by a particular company and sold under a particular name: 商标的
wrap sth up: 1 to cover or surround something in paper, cloth, or other material:  2 informal to complete something successfully: 
pending adj.: about to happen or waiting to happen: 
accord noun: (a formal) agreement:    

 

20 Killed in Blast Near Mogadishu

20 Killed in Blast Near Mogadishu
A massive truck bomb exploded outside Mogadishu's new seaport Sunday morning, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens of others.
The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast that occurred in a parking lot near the entrance of Mogadishu’s port, causing huge damage to the surrounding areas.
Mogadishu residents said the blast could be heard across the city, and pictures of black smoke from the scene were circulated on social media.
A Mogadishu’s regional administration spokesman told VOA's Somali service that most of the victims were civilians.
Mogadishu's seaport is run by Al-Bayrak, a Turkish company that has a 20-year agreement with the Somali government to upgrade and manage the operations of the port. It is unclear if any of the Turkish nationals were hurt. 

blast: to explode or destroy something or someone with explosives, or to break through or hit something with a similar, very strong force:

Roof Collapse at Nigerian Church Kills More Than 100
Rescue workers continue to look for survivors in the debris following the collapse of a church roof in southern Nigeria, killing at least 100 people. Some reports put the death toll as high as 160.

Hundreds of people were in the church, which was still under construction when the roof collapsed Saturday in the city of Uyo.

Local officials played down the number of victims. State police spokeswoman said 27 had been killed and 30 injured.

Several local officials were in attendance when the roof fell, including Udom Emmanuel, the governor of Akwa Ibom state, who escaped without injury.

Governor Emmanuel tweeted that he personally supervised rescue operations at the scene. He has declared December 11 and 12 as days of mourning.

A spokesman for the governor said the state will conduct an investigation into the collapse.

South Korean Parliament Votes to Impeach President

South Korean Parliament Votes to Impeach President
South Korean lawmakers have voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye, the country's first female leader, who has been embroiled in a political scandal.
With Park's powers now suspended, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is the interim head of government following Friday's vote.
The timeline for impeachment could take six to nine months. First, the Constitutional Court must review the impeachment motion; a process that could take up to 180 days. If approved, lawmakers would then have 60 days to schedule a new election.
This is the first time in South Korean history prosecutors had named the sitting president as a subject in a criminal investigation.

interim:  temporary and intended to be used or accepted until something permanent exists:


Strained US-Philippine Ties Show Signs of Improvement
Relations between the United States and one of its oldest allies, the Philippines, show signs of returning to normal after a crisis in September when the president in Manila demanded Washington withdraw military support and talked of a deeper break in ties with the Western superpower.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump congratulated Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a call this month on his deadly campaign to squelch the drug trade. The government of U.S. President Barack Obama had angered Duterte, who took office in June, by criticizing the effort due to suspected extrajudicial killings.
Trump also invited Duterte to visit the White House, part of a chain of overtures to traditional U.S. allies in Asia, including Japan.
In September, Duterte called Obama a dirty name, suggested scaling back economic ties and demanded that U.S. military personnel leave the country.
Manila has been one of Washington’s chief Asian allies since the two sides signed a mutual defense treaty in 1951.

campaign: 运动，战役，竞选运动
squelch: 1 to make a sucking sound like the one produced when you are walking on soft, wet ground:  2 US to quickly end something that is causing you problems: 
overture:  a piece of music that is an introduction to a longer piece, especially an opera: 
scale sth back: Reduce something in size, number, or extent, especially by a constant proportion across the board:

Trump Announces More Controversial Picks for His Cabinet

Trump Announces More Controversial Picks for His Cabinet
With a little more than six weeks until his inauguration, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has accelerated his cabinet selection process. This week, Trump or his transition officials announced his choices to head defense, environment, homeland security and housing, as well as the U.S. ambassador to China. Some of his latest picks have sparked renewed controversy as did his earlier ones.
Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma state attorney general, known as a supporter of the fossil fuel industry, is expected to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has been criticized for expressing skepticism about global warming, despite scientific evidence that human activity is contributing to climate change. He has led a legal battle against President Barack Obama’s climate change policies.
Many consider his selection as controversial as the selection of neurosurgeon Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. But Trump thinks differently, "I believe we are in the process of putting together one of the all-time great cabinets that has ever been assembled in our nation's history."
Retired Marine General John Kelly, a veteran of the Iraq War, is to become new Homeland Security chief. He will be in charge of combating terrorism and implementing Trump's promised crackdown on illegal immigration.
Later Wednesday the president-elect held talks with wrestling executive Linda McMahon, who is expected to be offered the leadership of the Small Business Administration.
Trump is meeting Iowa Governor Terry Branstad on Thursday to offer him the post of next U.S. ambassador to China. The long-serving Republican governor has extensive ties to China and friendship with its president, Xi Jinping. His selection has wider approval than some of Trump's other picks.
The transition team says more cabinet members will be selected next week. Trump has said he has narrowed down the list of candidates for the most important cabinet post - secretary of state - and that a former critic, one-time Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, remains on it.

neurosurgeon: a doctor who performs operations involving the brain or nerves
神经科医生

Rescuers Search for Indonesia Earthquake Survivors
Rescue workers in Indonesia searched Thursday for people who might still be trapped a day after an earthquake struck Aceh province, while local officials appealed for medical supplies and other aid to help those left injured or without a home.
The magnitude 6.5 earthquake has killed about 100 people and injured more than 600 others. It hit the northern end of Sumatra island early Wednesday.
Thousands of people spent the night in mosques and other temporary shelters, while others slept outside. The government has declared a two-week state of emergency in Aceh.
The Indonesian Red Cross distributed blanket, hygiene kits and tarps to those affected by the earthquake and called for people to donate blood to help the injured.
Volunteers also made their way to earthquake-hit areas to rush people to hospitals, which are now overloaded with patients.
Indonesia's Climate, Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the quake did not generate a tsunami.
Indonesia is located in an area of the world prone to earthquakes. A 2004 quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 in Indonesia and other countries.

hygiene kid: 洗漱用品
tarp: a large piece of waterproof cloth or plastic that is used as a cover:防水布

Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll Rises

Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll Rises
The death toll continues to rise from a strong earthquake that struck Indonesia early Wednesday.
Local officials said at least 97 people were dead and hundreds more injured in Pidie Jaya, the district closest to the quake's epicenter, on the northern end of Indonesia's Sumatra island. The town of Meureudu was among the hardest hit areas.
The shaking brought down dozens of buildings, including mosques, stores and homes. Rescue crews were searching through rubble for people who may be trapped underneath.
"The earthquake was felt strongly and many people panicked and rushed outdoors as houses collapsed," Sutopo Nugroho of the country's national disaster management agency said in a statement.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.5 quake was centered near the town of Reuleut. Indonesia's Climate, Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the earthquake did not generate a tsunami.
Indonesia is located in an area of the world prone to earthquakes. A 2004 quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 in Indonesia and other countries.
The threat of a repeat of that disaster was on the minds of some of those who felt Wednesday's earthquake.

toll: suffering, deaths, or damage: 
rubble: the piles of broken stone and bricks, etc. that are left when a building falls down or is destroyed: 
be prone to sth: likely to suffer from an illness or show a particular negative characteristic:  

Trump: Japanese Firm to Invest $50 Billion, Add 50,000 Jobs in US
Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank Group plans to invest $50 billion in the U.S. economy and add 50,000 jobs, President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday.
Trump appeared in the lobby of the Trump Tower with Masayoshi Son, the chief executive of SoftBank, to announce the news, and later put it out on Twitter.
Later Tuesday at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump formally announced that he has chosen retired Marine General James "Mad Dog" Mattis for secretary of defense.
Mattis has served as the head of U.S. Central Command, which carries out U.S. operations in the Middle East, and the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces. He briefly addressed the crowd, thanking Trump for the nomination.
The retired general will need a congressional waiver in order to be confirmed as secretary of defense. Mattis would otherwise be ineligible to serve because of a law that requires a seven-year wait for former members of the military to serve in the post. He has been retired for less than four years.

lobby: the (large) room into which the main entrance door opens in a hotel or other large building
rally: a public meeting of a large group of people, especially supporters of a particular opinion: 
waiver: an agreement that you do not have to pay or obey something:  

 

Social Media Companies to Cooperate on Removing Terrorist Propaganda

Social Media Companies to Cooperate on Removing Terrorist Propaganda
The top social media networks in the United States say they are working together to quickly identify and take down photos and video that are used to recruit people into terrorism.
Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and YouTube announced Monday that they will create a shared database that identifies flagged images and video using unique "fingerprints," making it easier for the companies to review and potentially remove the content.
They said each company will then determine whether the material violates their business' terms of service.
"We hope this collaboration will lead to greater efficiency as we continue to enforce our policies to help curb the pressing global issue of terrorist content online," the companies said in a statement. "There is no place for content that promotes terrorism on our hosted consumer services."
The internet giants have come under increasing pressure from governments around the world to do more to remove extremist material.
In the United States, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require social media companies to report to police any online terrorist activities they learn about.
Most social media services have terms of agreement that prohibit content that supports violent or illegal activities. The companies typically rely on users to flag inappropriate content, which is then reviewed by editors.
The new database will be up and running by early 2017 and more companies could be brought into the partnership.

propaganda: ` information, ideas, opinions, or images, often only giving one part of an argument, that are broadcast, published, or in some other way spread with the intention of influencing people's opinions: 
take down sth: to remove something that was previously put up or put in place: 
flag verb: to put a mark on something so it can be found easily among other similar things: 
review: to think or talk about something again, in order to make changes to it or to make a decision about it:    

`
New Islamic State Spokesman Takes Aim at West, Turkey and Iran
A new chief spokesman for the Islamic State is urging supporters to target the terror group’s enemies wherever they find them and “burn the ground under their feet.”
IS, through its media division, released an audio recording of Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, naming him as the replacement for Abu Muhammad al-Adnani. Adnani was killed in a U.S. drone(无人机) strike near al-Bab, Syria August 30.
“Attack them in their markets, roads, clubs and any unexpected location,” Muhajir said, “Your operations make a difference…change the situation.”
Muhajir also promises new attacks on the U.S., Russia, Europe and Iran, but he reserves considerable venom for Turkey. He tells IS supporters to attack "the secular, apostate(叛教者） Turkish government in every security, military, economic and media place even every embassy and consulate(领事馆） that represents it in all the world's countries."

division: ` a separate part of an army or large organization:
venon noun: literary the expression of feelings of hate or extreme anger: 
apostate: `someone who has given up their religion or left a political party 
consulate noun: the office where a consul works:  
 

Far Right's Hofer Defeated in Austria Election

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: