BBC News with David Legge
The government of Yemen says two boats crammed with African migrants have capsized off its coast, killing more than 80 people. Rescue teams have found only three survivors. Magdi Abdelhadi reports.
The Yemeni interior ministry issued a brief statement which gave few details. It said that the boats went down in strong wind and that the coast guards were looking for possible survivors. Thousands of African immigrants take the perilous journey across the Red Sea to Yemen every year. Many drown in their rickety boats. It is perhaps a measure of the hard life they are fleeing that the refugees continue to try to come to Yemen, despite the risk to the lives and the bleak life that awaits most of them in one of the poorest countries in the world.
The veteran Democratic politician Jerry Brown has been sworn in again as governor of California at a ceremony in Sacramento. Mr Brown, who last served in the job almost three decades ago, replaces the Republican former Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. From California, Rajesh Mirchandani reports.
Seventy-two-year-old Jerry Brown has already held the office of governor for eight years until 1983. His latest inauguration ceremony in Sacramento was a modest affair that began with a youthful, exuberant choir, perhaps a symbol of the California many remember. But he inherits a state in economic crisis and is expected to announce deep cuts. In his speech, the Democratic governor asserted that government pays for things many people want, but admitted difficult decisions have to be made.
Police in Israel have arrested two Palestinians working for the British consulate in East Jerusalem in connection with an alleged terror plot. The pair are accused of trying to buy weapons for an attack on a sports stadium. From Jerusalem, here's Wyre Davies.
It's thought the two men, who had maintenance jobs at the consulate and did not have sensitive security clearance, were suspected of trying to obtain weapons for an attack on the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. Over the weekend, Israeli security sources said that two other men, one a resident of East Jerusalem and another an Israeli citizen, had been arrested and charged with planning to carry out a rocket or missile attack on the stadium, although it's believed the attempt never got further than a planning stage.
A judge in Uganda has ruled in favour of a petition to stop media companies from outing homosexuals. The judge ruled that publishing the identities of gay people violated their constitutional right to privacy as it exposed them to attacks from vigilantes. The court granted an injunction against a national newspaper, Rolling Stone, and ordered it to pay compensation, but lawyers said the ruling applied to all media.
Almost four million people have signed up to vote in southern Sudan's independence referendum which is due to begin on Sunday. The Southern Sudan Referendum Commission said 95% of those who registered were in the south; others signed up in northern Sudan and abroad.
World News from the BBC
A leading supporter of President Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast has warned of serious consequences if force is used to remove him from office. Mr Gbagbo has refused to step down after November's presidential election. The Ivorian leader's spokesman in South Africa, Ohoupa Sessegnon, said the region would burn if West African states sent troops to Ivory Coast, and he accused the former colonial power France of manipulating the international community. Here's Mike Wooldridge.
Mr Sessegnon insisted that it was not Laurent Gbagbo's stay in power, as he put it, that could push the country back into civil war, but the pushing of France. The party official argued that central to the present crisis was refusal to investigate what led to the election results being disputed, and he also maintained that Mr Gbagbo was prepared to compromise and accept power-sharing if it would help to preserve peace.
Greece says it's planning to build a fence along part of its border with Turkey to keep out illegal immigrants. The Greek public order minister said more than 100,000 people had crossed into Greece illegally last year. He added that Athens had an obligation to deal with the situation.
Hungary has forcefully rejected Western criticism of its new media law which has been described as an attempt to restrict freedom of expression. The government said the criticism was ill-informed and absurd, and that many other European Union countries had stricter media controls. The law came into force at the start of the year.
The American screen actress Anne Francis has died at a retirement home in California. Anne Francis first came to prominence in the 1950s when she featured in the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet.
"Anne Francis is his alluring daughter Altaira, who has never seen a young man till she meets Commander Adams, played by talented Leslie Nielsen."
"Come on in."
"I didn't bring my bathing suit."
"What's a bathing suit?"
The actress Anne Francis, who's died at the age of 80.
BBC News
1.perilous adj.危险的;冒险的
例句:The journey through the jungle was perilous.
穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
2.inauguration n.就职;就职典礼
例句:The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.
美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
3.inherit vt.vi.继承
例句:If he dies without making a will, his closest relative will inherit.
如果他没有立下遗嘱就去世了, 他的至亲将成为其继承人。
4.consulate n.领事馆
例句:The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.
西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
5.petition n.(许多人签名的向当权者提出某种要求的)请愿书
例句:Everyone signed the petition to the County Council for a new school in our village.
大家在致县委会的请愿书上签了名, 要求在我们村里办一所新学校。
6.vigilants n.(自发组织的)治安团体的成员;义务警员
7.manipulate vt.熟练控制[操作]
例句:Primitive man quickly learned how to manipulate tools.
原始人很快就学会了使用工具。
8.obligation n.义务; 责任; 职责
例句:His social obligation compels him to make a round of visits.
他的社会职责使得他不得不进行一系列访问。
9.prominence n.声望, 杰出, 卓越, 出名
例句:The lawyer reached a position of prominence in her profession at an early age.
那律师在她年轻的时候就在业内赫赫有名了。
1.The government of Yemen says two boats crammed with African migrants have capsized off its coast, killing more than 80 people.
be crammed with挤满
例句:The classroom was crammed with students.
教室里挤满了学生。
2.It is perhaps a measure of the hard life they are fleeing that the refugees continue to try to come to Yemen, despite the risk to the lives and the bleak life that awaits most of them in one of the poorest countries in the world.
Despite用作介词时,与 in spite of同义,都表示“尽管”、“虽然”、“不顾”之意,但程度有所不同。
一般说来,in spite of的语气较强,使用范围也较广; despite的语气较弱,多用于诗歌或正式的文体中。Despite可以写作despite of,也
可以写作 in despite of;in spite of则可以写作 spite of,但这些写法已少用了。例:
Despite his advanced years,he is learning to drive.
虽然年事已高,他现在在学驾驶汽车。
Despite the drought,we expect a good crop.
尽管天旱,丰收依然在望。
In spite of the police brandishing their clubs and pistols,people showed not the slightest fear.
尽管警方挥动着短棍及手枪,但人们毫不畏惧。
We arrived at the station in spite of the storm.
虽然有暴风雨,我们依旧准点到达火车站。
应当在此指出的是,在现代英语里,despite和in spite of的差距已日渐缩小,很多人已将它们互换使用。
Despite除作介词外,尚可用作名词,表示“蔑视”、“憎恨”、“无意对待”之意。例:
The old woman died of despite.
那位老大娘饮恨而死。
He tripped me out of despite,not by accident.
他绊倒我是出于恶意,不是出于意外。
在上列两句中,despite用作名词,它亦可改写为spite。
3.A judge in Uganda has ruled in favour of a petition to stop media companies from outing homosexuals.
in favour of参加支持…的活动
例句:Are you in favour of hanging?
你赞成绞刑吗?
4.The judge ruled that publishing the identities of gay people violated their constitutional right to privacy as it exposed them to attacks from vigilantes.
expose to使易受, 使受
例句:Don't expose undeveloped film to light.
不要把未冲洗的胶卷暴露在光照下。
5.Almost four million people have signed up to vote in southern Sudan's independence referendum which is due to begin on Sunday.
sign up跟…签订合同
例句:They manage to sign up all the best performers.
他们设法跟所有最佳演员签订合同。