BBC News with Marion Marshall
Reports are emerging of large protests in Libya's second city Benghazi following calls for "day of rage" demonstrations. According to eyewitnesses, thousands of people are on the streets, chanting "the people want totopplethe colonel", areferenceto Colonel Gaddafi, who's ruled Libya for more than four decades. There are also reports of protests in Zenten and in al-Bayda, where protests broke out on Wednesday. Jon Leyne reports.
The so-called "day of rage" appears to have spread to four Libyan cities. The most violent clashes were in the eastern city of Benghazi. Opposition websites said as many as six people were killed there with more deaths in the city of al-Bayda, but none of the figures could be confirmed. Other reports suggested a police station was set on fire in the city of Zenten. State television ignored the protests, instead airing patriotic songs and showing pictures of pro-government rallies, the largest of which appears to be in Tripoli.
The security forces in Bahrain havesealed offa square in the capital Manama after breaking up an anti-government protest. The Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said action against the demonstrators had been necessary to pull Bahrain back from the brink of a sectarianabyss, an apparent reference to divisions between the ruling Sunni minority and Bahrain's majority Shia population. At least three people were killed overnight when police opened fire on the protesters. Ian Pannell is in Manama.
Without warning, the police came, launching aferociousattack - tear gas, rubber bullets and even live rounds. They moved through the crowd, spreading fear and panic. By the time they finished, hundreds were injured and at least three people were dead. There were chaotic and angry scenes at the city's main hospital. Hundreds of friends and relatives of those injured gathered outside, the only place left for them to meet. Ambulance crew said they were prevented from treating the injured and someparamedics were even attacked by the police.
The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the United States strongly opposes the use of violence.
"I called my counterpart in Bahrain this morning and directly conveyed our deep concerns about the actions of the security forces. And I emphasised how important it was that given there will be both funerals and prayers tomorrow, that that not be marred by violence."
At least two people were killed and more than 40 others wounded when police opened fire on protesters in northern Iraq. An adviser to the Kurdish regional government told the BBC that hundreds had gathered in the city of Sulaimaniya, chanting "the corrupt must face justice", to protest against corruption and high unemployment rates. They have been marching towards the offices of the two main Iraqi Kurdish political parties.
World News from the BBC
The governor of Helmand province in Afghanistan, Gulab Mangal, says a programme of American-funded civilian militia is to be expanded. In an interview with the BBC's Pashto service, he described the local armed groups as an important weapon in the struggle against the Taliban. Eight hundred armed men are now being directly funded by the United States in Helmand, but they've faced criticism for being heavy-handed. Governor Mangal said right measures were in place to ensure the right people were selected.
"If there isn't proper control of the recruitment process, there's a danger that they mightturn tocrime or illegal activities, and they could harass local people and they might steal. That is a possibility, but so far we've adopted very serious control measures."
A European court hasupheldthe right of television viewers in the European Union to watch important sporting events, such as the World Cup, without having to pay. Football's world governing body Fifa and the European body Uefa want to broadcast World Cup and European championship matches on pay TV.But the court ruled that these games are of national importance.It said wide public access to events,deemed tobe of majorsignificanceto society, should be ensured.
An opposition activist in Belarus has been sentenced to four years in prison for taking part in a large protest in December against the disputed re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. Vasily Parfenkov, who campaigned for an opposition candidate, had been charged with participating in mass disorder. He's the first of 30 opposition figures to be tried.
Kyrgyzstan's parliament has voted to name one of its mountains after the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The parliament said it wouldimmortalisethe Russian leader's name. Putin Peak stands at 4,500 metres, higher than Yeltsin Peak, named after the former Russian leader. However, both aredwarfed by the 7000-metre Lenin Peak, named over 80 years ago.
BBC News
有报道称,经过“愤怒之日”示威活动的呼吁之后,利比亚第二大城市班加西爆发了大规模抗议活动。据目击者称,数千人走向街头,高呼“人民希望推翻上校”。他们指的是统治利比亚长达40多年的独裁者卡扎菲。也有报道称,周三,Zenten和al-Bayda两个城镇也爆发了抗议活动。Jon Leyne报道。
所谓的“愤怒之日”示威活动似乎已经蔓延到四个利比亚城市。其中最严重的暴力冲突发生在东部城市班加西。反对派网站表示,6人在班加西的抗议活动中遇难,而al-Bayda的死亡人数更多,但是这些数字都难以证实。其他报道称,Zenten一个警察局被焚烧。国家电视台忽略了这些抗议活动,而是播放爱国歌曲,播放支持政府者集会的画面。最大规模的支持政府派集会发生在首都的黎波里。
巴林安全力量驱散了反政府抗议活动之后封锁了首都麦纳麦一个广场。外交大臣哈立德·本·艾哈迈德·阿勒哈利法(Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa)表示,必须采取措施来驱散示威者,从而将巴林岛从宗派混乱的边缘拉回。很明显,他指的是执政的逊尼派穆斯林少数派和巴林多数派什叶派穆斯林之间的分裂。警方向抗议者开枪,一夜之间,至少3人遇难。Ian Pannell在麦纳麦报道。
在没有任何预警的情况下,警察来到现场,发动了残忍的袭击,他们使用了催泪弹,橡胶弹,甚至实弹。他们在人群中活动,散播恐惧和慌乱。袭击结束的时候,数百人受伤,至少3人死亡。该市主要的医院到处是混乱和愤怒的场景。伤者的数百名亲友聚集在医院外,这里已经是他们能够聚集的唯一的地方。救护人员表示,他们被阻止对伤者进行治疗,一些护理人员甚至被警方袭击。
美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿表示,美国强烈反对使用暴力。
“我今天早上与巴林岛同僚通电话,直接表达了我们对安全力量行为的深切担忧。我向他们强调,明天将同时举行葬礼和祈祷,一定要避免暴力的发生,这是非常重要的。”
警方向伊拉克北部的抗议者开枪,造成至少2人死亡,40多人受伤。库德地区政府一名顾问告诉BBC,数百人聚集在苏莱曼尼亚,高呼“腐败者必须面临惩罚”,抗议腐败现象和高失业率。他们游行经过了伊拉克两个主要的库德派政党的办公室。
BBC世界新闻。
阿富汗赫尔曼得省省长Gulab Mangal表示,由美国提供资金的平民义勇军项目将得到拓展。在BBC普什图语的采访中,他表示,当地武装力量是打击塔利班分子的重要武器。赫尔曼得省现在有800名由美国直接提供资金的武装人员,但是他们却由于笨手笨脚而受到批评。省长Mangal表示已经采取了正确的措施来确保选择合适的人员。
“如果不能有效地控制招募过程,该项目有转变为犯罪或非法活动的危险,他们可能会危害当地民众,可能会偷盗。这种可能性是存在的,但是目前为止,我们采取了非常严格的控制措施。”
欧洲一个法庭决定维护欧盟电视观众免费观看世界杯等重要的体育赛事的权利。国际足联和欧洲足联希望在收费电视台播放世界杯和欧锦赛的比赛。但是该法庭裁决,这些比赛拥有全民性的重要性。法庭表示,广大的民众能收看这些比赛对社会来说是非常重要的,必须确保民众能够收看到这些比赛。
白俄罗斯一名反对派积极分子因12月份参加反对有争议的总统亚历山大·卢卡申科(Alexander Lukashenko)再次当选的抗议活动而被判处四年有期徒刑。支持反对派候选人的Vasily Parfenkov被控参与扰乱治安的活动。他是30多名反对派人物中第一个被审判的人。
吉尔吉斯斯坦议会举行投票,以俄罗斯总理普京的名字为一座山峰命名。议会表示,他们希望这位俄罗斯领导人的名字永垂不朽。普京山峰海拔4,500米,比用俄罗斯前领导人叶利钦的名字命名的山峰还要高。然而,两座山与高达7000米的列宁山峰相比都相形见绌。列宁山峰在80多年前已经命名。
1.topple vt.将…推翻, 打倒
例句:That strike finally toppled the government.
那次罢工终于推翻了政府。
2.reference n.说到(或写到)的事;提到;谈及;涉及
例句:The play is full of references to the political events of those days.
剧本涉及当时的许多政治事件。
3.abyss n.深渊
例句:He is plunging into an abyss of despair.
他陷入了绝望的深渊。
4.ferocious adj.凶猛的, 残忍的, 凶暴的,凶恶的,猛烈的
例句:The house is guarded by a ferocious dog.
这栋房子由一条恶犬看守。
5.paramedic n.<美>护理人员,医务辅助人员
例句:Paramedics are to have extra training in administering on-the-spot treatment.
急救员要接受现场护理的额外培训。
6.uphold vt.支持, 维护(正义等)
例句:They upheld our opinions.
他们支持我们的意见。
back,uphold,support,sustain,advocateback通常指对论点、行动、事业等的强有力支持。
这些动词均有“支持,支援,拥护”之意。
uphold既可指积极努力对陷入困境者的支持,也可指给某人在行动、道义或信仰上的支持。
support含义广泛,多指在道义上或物质上支持某人,也可指对某项事业的支持。
sustain侧重指连续不断的支持。
advocate多指通过写文章或发表演说等来支持或拥护,往往暗示提倡某事或为某事辩护。
7.significance n.重大意义, 重要性
例句:They failed to appreciate significance of the precautions.
他们没有意识到这些预防措施的重要性。
8.immortalise v.使不灭,使不朽
9.dwarf vt.(使)显得矮小, 使相形见绌
例句:Shakespeare dwarfs other dramatists.
莎士比亚使其他剧作家相形见绌。
1.The security forces in Bahrain have sealed off a square in the capital Manama after breaking up an anti-government protest.
seal off把...封锁起来
例句:The enemy made a desperate attempt to seal off the gap through which we had burst.
敌人拼命想堵住我们已经冲开的那个突破口。
2.And I emphasised how important it was that given there will be both funerals and prayers tomorrow, that that not be marred by violence.
given(表示原因)考虑到
例句:Given the present conditions, I think she's done rather well.
考虑到目前的条件, 我认为她已做得相当出色。
3.If there isn't proper control of the recruitment process, there's a danger that they might turn to crime or illegal activities, and they could harass local people and they might steal.
turn to(使)变成
例句:Water turns to ice at 0℃.
水在零摄氏度时变成冰。
She turned love to hate.
她由爱生恨。
4.It said wide public access to events, deemed to be of major significance to society, should be ensured.
deemed to被视为
例句:Any purported resignation or vacation of office contrary to Section 145 shall be deemed to be invalid.
任何违反145节规定的辞职,都视为无效。
1.But the court ruled that these games are of national importance. It said wide public access to events, deemed to be of major significance to society, should be ensured.
be of 抽象名词
be of 结构用法很灵活,在句中可作表语、后置定语或宾补。
一、“be of 表示年龄( age )、大小( size )、颜色( color )、重量( weight )、高度( height )、价格( price )、意见( opinion )、形状( shape )、种类( kind )和方法( way )等的名词”,表示“具有……”,说明主语的特征。例如:
When I was of your age, I entered the war.
当我是你这个年龄的时候,我就去打仗了。
These flowers are of different colors.
这些花的颜色都不同。
注意:在此结构中,如果后面的名词前有不定冠词 a / an ,则这个冠词相当于 the same .例如:
The two boys are of an / the same age.
这两个男孩同龄。
二、“be of 物质名词”,表示主语是由某种材料制成或由某种成分构成,相当于 be made of,be built of,be made up of 等。例如:
The necklace is (made) of glass.
这条项链是由玻璃制成的。
Our class is (made up) of over 50 students.
我们班有 50 多个学生。
三、 be of 还可以表示所属关系,相当于 belong to.例如:
China and India are of the third world.
中国与印度同属于第三世界。
Workers and peasants are of one family.
工人和农民是一家。
四、“be of 形容词最高级”,相当于 be one of… .例如:
His temper is of the quickest.
他的脾气是最急躁的。
Mr Liu is of the best teachers in our school.
刘老师是我们学校最好的老师之一。
五、“be of 抽象名词( value, importance, use, help, interest 等)”相当于“be 该抽象名词相对应的形容词”。其中 of 表示“具备;具有”, of 不可以省略。例如:
They are of great help / very helpful to learners of English.
他们对英语学习者来说是很有帮助的。
The press conference seems of great importance / very important.
这个新闻发布会看来很重要。