Hourly News updated 08:00 2011/10/05

 Russia, China veto UN draft resolution on Syria 

At the UN Security Council, an attempt to have a resolution passed on Syria has now been vetoed by both the Chinese and Russian delegations¹.

Citing an over-reaching mandate², China and Russia have used their vetoes in the security council to block the motion.

The proposal, which was put forward by the Europeans, could have potentially led to sanctions on Syria.

China has consistently called for dialogue to end the unrest in Syria, suggesting that outside interference in the country won't be constructive³.

 

 

Italy credit rating slashed⁴ by Moody's from Aa2 to A2?

Moody's has downgraded Italy's government bond rating from Aa2 to A2, with a negative outlook.

Moody's says the downgrade reflects the weight of growing risks, relative to some positive credit data.

The upside for Italy includes a lack of significant imbalances in the economy or severe pressure on private financial and non-financial sector⁵ balance sheets, as well as the actions undertaken by the government over the summer. 

Moody's also notes that the uncertain market environment, and the risk of further deterioration⁶ in investor⁷ sentiment, could constrain⁸ Italy's access to the debt market.

 

 

New measures agreed by EU finance ministers to supervise transactions

European Union finance ministers have agreed on new rules to better handle derivates trading.

The complicated over-the-counter financial tools have been blamed for being the catalyst⁹ of the global financial crisis.

If approved by the European Parliament, the new EU rules will require trades in most derivatives¹⁰ that are not done on a regulated exchange to pass through clearing houses. 

The new European agreement has been reached amid heightened concern over the plunge¹¹ of the share prices of French-Belgian bank Dexia.

France and Belgium are now fighting to prevent Dexia from going under as investors¹² grow increasingly worried over the bank's ability to survive a renewed credit crunch¹³.

 

 

Yemeni warplanes bomb al-Qaida strongholds, 12 killed

Yemen's airforce has gone on the offensive in the southern part of the country.

The Yemeni airforce has launched several strikes on suspected al-Qaeda targets in Abyan, killing¹⁴ at least a dozen suspected militants¹⁵.

The strikes have taken place in the city of Ja'ar, the second largest city in Abyan, which is currently under al-Qaeda control.

At the same time, heavy fighting is also being reported between Yemeni government ground forces and al-Qaeda fighters near Abyan's provincial¹⁶ capital of Zinjibar.

Since May, al-Qaeda has been in control of several cities in Abyan, which is just east of the strategic port city of Aden.

 

 

Afghanistan seals 'strategic partnership¹⁷' with India

In another sign of the deteriorating¹⁸ ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has now inked a strategic partnership agreement with Pakistan's main rival India.

The new agreement, signed in New Delhi, is designed to not only boost trade and cultural ties between the two countries, but security links as well. 

Hamid Karzai says Afghanistan and India share a desire to see a future free of extremism and violence.

The two sides have also signed deals to boost cooperation in mining, oil and gas.

 

 

Egyptian activists¹⁹ plan new protest against military rulers

A number of Egyptian groups are planning a new protest on Friday against the ruling military council. 

The National Coalition²⁰ for Change and the Youth Revolution Union are among those advocating for a new demonstration²¹, trying to press the military to lift the emergency law.

They are also demanding amendments²² to the electoral law and the cancellation²³ of the Shura Council, which is Egypt's upper house of parliament. 

A nation-wide state of emergency remains²⁴ in effect following the mass storming of the Israeli embassy in Cairo in September which left a number of people dead.

 

 

iPhone 4S unveiled

Apple has now unveiled the latest version the iPhone.

The iPhone 4S has around 200 new features, and is running Apple's latest mobile operating system, the iOS 5.

The iPhone 4S, which goes on sale in the US next Friday, will come in black or white and will cost 199 US dollars for a 16 gigabyte-version.

A 64-gig version is also going to be available for 399-US dollars.

Apple expects to put the iPhone 4S on sale on the international market in December.

 

 

Washington gears up for "Occupy D.C." rally

While hundreds of demonstrators continue to occupy the streets of New York, a small scale "Occupy D.C." demonstration is gradually gaining traction²⁵ in the U.S. capital.

Dozens of demonstrators have been camping out on the grass near the area where major lobbyists maintain their offices in Washington.

They're now planning a mass rally for Thursday.

The "Occupy" rallies have been springing up in large US cities over the past few weeks, with the demonstrators -- who are mostly young people -- saying they're frustrated²⁶ with the state of politics and economics in the US.

Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested earlier this week in New York after blocking traffic on one of the bridges leading to Manhattan.

1 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

2 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

3 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

4 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

7 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

8 constrain   

vt.限制，约束；克制，抑制

参考例句：

• She tried to constrain herself from a cough in class.上课时她竭力忍住不咳嗽。
• The study will examine the factors which constrain local economic growth.这项研究将考查抑制当地经济发展的因素。

9 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

10 derivatives   

n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数

参考例句：

• Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句

11 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

12 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

13 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

16 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

17 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

18 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

19 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

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

20 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

21 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

22 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

23 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

24 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

25 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

26 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》