Hourly News updated 08:00 2011/10/30

 Chinese premier¹ expresses sympathy with Thai flood victims, announces more aid 

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra to express sympathy with the flood victims of the Southeast Asian nation and provide fresh aid.

In the phone conversation, Wen Jiabao said Beijing has decided² to provide more assistance to Thailand after previous aid. 

The premier said China is closely following the developments in flood-hit Thailand. 

He urged the two nations to join hands to face the common challenges, safeguarding and promoting common interests.

 

China urges to maintain sound development of Sino-U.S. ties 

China has called for maintaining sound development of Sino-U.S. ties and promoting the development of a cooperative partnership³.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, as well as vice⁴ foreign ministers Zhang Zhijun and Cui Tiankai, have met with visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns in Beijing to exchange views on bilateral⁵ relationship, upcoming multilateral and regional summits, and major global and regional issues, including situations concerning the Korean Peninsula and Iran. 

During the meetings, the Chinese side told Burns that both sides should seriously implement⁶ the consensus⁷ reached between the two state leaders, maintain close contacts, and expand cooperation, while respecting each other's core interests and properly handling sensitive issues, so as to remove disturbances⁸ and ensure the relationship to develop in a healthy and stable way.

 

Two killed, 28 trapped in coal mine in central China's Hunan 

A gas explosion has left two workers dead and 28 others trapped in a coal mine in central China's Hunan Province .

The State Administration of Work Safety says the accident happened last night in the Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengshan County in the city of Hengyang.

At that time, 35 miners were working underground, of whom five were rescued, and two have been confirmed dead, while the rest 28 workers remained trapped. 

The search and rescue efforts are under way.

 

China's first Airbus A380 superjumbo grounded by mechanical fault 

China Southern Airlines says it was forced to suspend the operation of its first Airbus A380 superjumbo Saturday due to a mechanical fault, only 12 days after the jet was first put into use in China.

The company says the jumbo jet was scheduled to fly from Beijing to Shanghai Saturday, but its flight had to be called off due to the fault. 

It says the company needs to transport air materials from abroad to fix the problem, without specifying⁹ the nature of the mechanical failure. 

The company used an A330 jet for the flight instead.

 

13 NATO soldiers killed in Kabul suicide attack

A Pentagon spokesman has confirmed that all 13 troops killed in the latest bomb attack in the Afghan capital Kabul were American.

A car packed with explosive driven by a suicide bomber¹⁰ exploded when it ran towards a personal transport of ISAF on Saturday. 

This was the deadliest of two attacks in the day that targeted either the US-led coalition¹¹ or Afghan government offices in the country.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

Death toll¹² rises to 582 in quake-hit Turkey 

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit southeastern Turkey rose to 582 and the number of injured was over 4,100.

Nearly 187 people have been rescued, but chances of finding more alive decreased after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey six days ago. 

Search and rescue operations are underway at nine sites in Ercis, which suffered the most serious damage with scores of buildings collapsed¹³. 

The Chinese government has pledged to send one million U.S. dollars of aid to Turkey while the Chinese Red Cross has already donated 50, 000 dollars for the survivors¹⁴.

 

China to properly fine tune¹⁵ macro policy, price control continues

China says it will make proper fine tuning¹⁶ on its macro policy, keeping it "more targeted, flexible and forward-looking," and continue measures to control consumer prices.

China's State Council, or Cabinet says the government should maintain control of the intensity¹⁷, pace and focus of economic regulation and grasp the changes in economic development trend.

It says strong measures should be continued to keep consumer prices stable, and price subsidies¹⁸ should go to the needy¹⁹ timely with a moderate increase.

 

China funds tuition for college students serving in army 

Starting from the fall semester 2011, China will fund tuition for college students who suspend their studies to serve compulsory²⁰ military service, in a bid to encourage them to serve in the army.

According to an official document issued recently by finance and education ministries²¹ and General Staff Headquarters of People's Liberation Army, China will fund each college student tuition of up to 6,000 yuan (around 948 U.S. dollars) for each academic year. 

The document says the policy initiative will help improve military recruits' quality and boost the national defense²² and PLA's modernization²³ drive.

 

China's icebreaker gears up for new Antarctic expedition 

The Chinese research vessel²⁴ and icebreaker Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon," left Shanghai for Tianjin today, where it will soon set sail for a six-month Antarctic expedition

Xuelong, an A2-class icebreaker capable of breaking ice 1.2 meters thick, will leave the northern port of Tianjin on November 3 for the vessel's 28th voyage since 1984. Its crew of 220 will work on 31 scientific research assignments.

1 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 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。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

8 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

9 specifying   

v.指定( specify的现在分词 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• When we describe what the action will affect, we are specifying the noun of the sentence. 当描述动作会影响到什么时，我们指定组成句子的名词。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Procurement section only lists opportunistic infection drugs without specifying which drugs. 采购部分只说明有治疗机会性感染的药物，但并没有说明是什么药物。 来自互联网

10 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

11 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。

12 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

13 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

14 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

15 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

16 tuning   

n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

18 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》

19 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

20 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

21 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

22 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

23 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

24 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。