Hourly News updated 17:00 2011/10/09

 Socialism with Chinese characteristics only path to rejuvenation¹ of Chinese nation: Hu Jintao 

Chinese President Hu Jintao says the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation must be achieved by adhering to socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

Hu Jintao made the remarks at a ceremony to commemorate² the 100th anniversary of China's 1911 Revolution, or the Xinhai Revolution in Beijing. 

He said, the history of the 100 years since the Revolution of 1911 shows that a correct path and a core force leading the Chinese people forward are key to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 

He added the correct path is the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the core force is the Communist Party of China.

The president also called for the peaceful reunification of China, which he said best serves the fundamental interests of all Chinese, including Taiwan compatriots.

 

China announces first cuts in gasoline, diesel³ prices in 16 months 

China reduced retail⁴ prices for gasoline and diesel by 300 yuan (47 U.S. dollars) per tonne starting today. 

As a result, the benchmark retail price of gasoline will be cut by 0.22 yuan per liter, while diesel's price will decline 0.26 yuan per liter. 

The decrease marks the first fuel-price reduction over the past 16 months.

 

China's cabinet offers more support to 2 economic zones in Xinjiang 

The State Council, or China's Cabinet, has unveiled guidelines giving more support to the construction of two economic development zones in the western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous⁵ Region.

According to guidelines released on the central government's website, the State Council will adopt measures such as fiscal⁶ subsidies⁷ and tax preferences to facilitate the construction of the Kashgar and Korgas economic development zones located in western and southern Xinjiang.

The central government will work to develop the two zones into new sources of economic growth in Xinjiang and grow the cities of Kashgar and Yining as regional hubs for China's opening up to central, southern and western Asian countries as well as eastern Europe.

 

169 arrested over telephone fraud in cross-border crackdown 

Police on the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Thailand have arrested 169 suspects in a joint⁸ operation to crack down on telephone fraud perpetrated by a gang.

Police in south China's Guangdong Province said more than 200 cases of telecommunications fraud were solved and 17 footholds of the suspected have been shut down since May.

The total value involved in the cases reached 120 million yuan (18.8 million U.S. dollars).

 

NW China pilgrims leave for Mecca 

More than 330 Chinese Muslims boarded a charter flight from northwest Gansu Province yesterday, starting their pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

It was the first of the 14 charter flights that will carry over 4,600 Muslims in Gansu and its neighboring Qinghai province to Mecca for their annual hajj pilgrimage.

 

China offers emergency humanitarian⁹ aid to Thailand's flood victims 

China will provide emergency humanitarian aid to Thailand for relief efforts in flood-ravaged Thai regions.

The Ministry¹⁰ of Commerce says the Chinese emergency humanitarian aid to the Thailand government includes 1 million U.S. dollars in cash remittance¹¹ and 10 million yuan (1.57 million U.S. dollars) worth of relief materials.

 

Yemeni president says to leave power in coming days: TV 

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says he will leave power in the coming days, in a speech aired by the state television. 

In his speech, Saleh did not refer to the Gulf¹² Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative for power transition, which was mediated¹³ in April and was signed by the opposition¹⁴ in May. 

Meanwhile, an official of the ruling party, told Xinhua that President Saleh will leave power only through elections.

 

Protestors gather in London to mark 10 years of Afghan war 

Protestors gathered in the Trafalgar Square to mark 10 years of the war in Afghanistan, while calling on the British government to withdraw troops from the country immediately.

The Stop The War Coalition¹⁵ says up to 5,000 people, including musicians, actors, film-makers and lawmakers at the Anti-war Mass Assembly joined the anti-war activities, and headed along Whitehall towards the Downing Street. 

Opinion polls suggest the majority of Britons want a speedy withdrawal¹⁶ of British troops.

 

Polish general elections kicks off 

The Polish parliamentary elections kicked off Sunday morning as voters began to cast their ballots¹⁷.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk¹⁸, from the centrist Civic¹⁹ Platform (PO), is seeking for a second term against the conservative opposition. 

The final official results would be announced Tuesday afternoon.

 

Cold front lingers in north China 

China's meteorological authorities predicts a cold front will linger in the country's northern regions over the next two days.

The National Meteorological Center says temperatures in the central and eastern regions of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and other areas in north China will drop as much as 10 degrees Celsius²⁰, with some regions seeing strong winds, 

It says the central and eastern parts of south China's Hainan province will experience rainstorms over the next three days, with some regions expected to receive up to 200 mm of precipitation.

1 rejuvenation   

n. 复原，再生, 更新, 嫩化, 恢复

参考例句：

• Prolonged starvation and aging might lead to rejuvenation of embryogenic potential. 长期的饥饿和衰老可以导致胚胎发生能力的复壮。
• All this signs rejuvenation of agriculture. 所有这些都预示着农业将复苏。

2 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

3 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

4 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

5 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

6 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

7 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 remittance   

n.汇款，寄款，汇兑

参考例句：

• Your last month's salary will be paid by remittance.最后一个月的薪水将通过汇寄的方式付给你。
• A prompt remittance would be appreciated.速寄汇款不胜感激。

12 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

13 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

15 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。

16 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

17 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 tusk   

n.獠牙，长牙，象牙

参考例句：

• The wild boar had its tusk sunk deeply into a tree and howled desperately.野猪的獠牙陷在了树里，绝望地嗥叫着。
• A huge tusk decorated the wall of his study.他书房的墙上装饰着一支巨大的象牙。

19 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

20 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。