BBC news 20110816

BBC news 20110816 BBC news 2011-08-16 BBC News with Marion Marshall Thousands of Palestinian refugees have been forced to flee from their camp in Syria, which has been hit by heavy fire from government forces bombarding the port city of Latakia. Reports said dozens of others have been injured. A United Nations spokesman, Christopher Gunness, told the BBC that at least four Palestinians have been killed. He said his staff in the camp needed urgent humanitarian assistance for those remaining. "We have reports that more than half of the camp - the camp is home to 10,000 Palestinian refugees - more than half of them have fled. Some were told to leave by the Syrians; others simply fled. We have no idea where these people are. We have no idea what kind of medical attention they need, which is why we are calling on the Syrian authorities to give us expeditious access. We need to get in there to assess the need to see what people are suffering, and we need thereafter to take in urgently needed humanitarian supplies." Turkey has warned Syria to end immediately and unconditionally the use of force against anti-government demonstrators. The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the continued attacks on civilians could not be excused. He said this was Ankara's final word and that unless the violence ceased, Turkey would break off all dialogue. The judge at the trial of the former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has ruled that future proceedings will not be televised. Judge Ahmed Rifaat said his decision was made in the public interest, but he didn't elaborate. Mr Mubarak, who appeared in court in Cairo for a second time, is charged with ordering the deaths of hundreds of protesters in the uprising. The BBC's Jeremy Bowen has more details. The trial of former President Mubarak and his two sons is a big test for the new Egypt. Once again, the omens weren't good with the trial judge struggling to bring order to what had become judicial chaos. The judge complained about the noise being made by more than 100 lawyers, telling them to sit down and to show some respect. He's banned any more TV coverage of the trial in what seems to be an attempt to make it less of a circus. The pictures, though, have electrified millions in the Arab world, who thought they'd never see one of the region's strong men so humbled and humiliated. The Internet giant Google has made its first significant move into hardware by announcing that it's to buy the American mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility. Rory Cellan-Jones has the details. Google's Android operating system powers more smartphones than any other software. Now with the acquisition of Motorola, it will be able to make its own phones and tablet computers just like its great rival Apple, which has found that controlling everything from hardware to software to shops is the route to huge profits. But what may be more important to Google is the 17,000 patents that Motorola has accumulated over the years. With just about every major player in the industry suing each other at the moment, patents have become an important weapon in the battle for smartphone supremacy. World News from the BBC The Netherlands has unfrozen $143m in seized Libyan assets and given the funds to the World Health Organisation. A spokesman for the Dutch government said the funds would be used to provide medicines and surgical equipment in areas held by rebels fighting Colonel Gaddafi's forces. Police in Nigeria have shot dead a suspected suicide bomber as he drove a car packed with explosives into the police headquarters in the northeastern city of Maiduguri. They say the Islamist sect Boko Haram, which wants to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, was behind the attack. Mary Harper reports. The police said they found large quantities of gunpowder and several cans of petrol in the vehicle, enough to cause a massive explosion right at the heart of police operations in Maiduguri. They've blamed Boko Haram, a radical Islamist sect that has for the last two years carried out numerous attacks mainly in northern Nigeria. For its side, the army is investigating alleged abuses of civilians and unlawful killings by soldiers involved in what's proving to be a long and difficult fight against Boko Haram. President Obama has set off on a bus tour of Midwestern states to try to regain the political initiative after weeks of bad economic news and repeated attacks by Republican opponents. He's visiting Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa to spur his supporters in three states he took in the last presidential election, and can ill afford to lose next year. Hundreds of Amazonian Indians in Bolivia have begun a long march in protest at the construction of a road through a pristine rainforest reserve. The activists say the highway, funded by Brazil, will encourage illegal settlement and deforestation in the Isiboro Secure National Park, which is home to several isolated tribes. The protest is an embarrassment for Bolivia's President Evo Morales, who's a prominent advocate of indigenous rights and the protection of what he calls Mother Earth. BBC News 词汇讲解: 1. flee vi. 逃,逃走 例句:The robbers fled when they saw the police. 强盗看见警察便逃跑了。 2. bombard vt.炮击, 轰炸, 攻击 例句:Cannons bombarded enemy lines. 大炮轰击了敌军阵地。 3. expeditious adj. 迅速而有效率的,迅速完成的 例句:They are almost as expeditious and effectual as Aladdin’s lamp. 他们几乎像如意神灯那么迅速有效。 4. cease v. 停止, 终止, 结束 例句:The storm has ceased. 暴风雨停了。 5. televise vt.由电视播送 例句:Important football games are televised. 重要的足球赛都由电视播出。 6. elaborate vi. 详尽说明 例句:You understand the situation; I needn't elaborate any further. 你对情况是了解的, 我不必再进一步详谈了。 7. omen n. 前兆, 预兆 例句:The omen of bankruptcy hung over the company. 那家公司出现了破产的预兆。 8. electrify vt. 使兴奋 例句:The wonderful performance electrified audiences. 精彩的表演令观众兴奋不已。 9. rival n. 竞争对手 例句:He beat his rival. 他击败了他的竞争对手。 10. numerous adj. 很多的, 许多的 例句:There are numerous people in the square. 有许多人在广场上。 11. spur vt. 激励 例句:Pride spurs him to work hard. 自尊心促使他努力工作。 12. advocate n. 提倡者, 拥护者 例句:He is an advocate of more airplanes and fewer warships. 他提倡多造飞机、少造军舰。 短语讲解: 1. We have no idea what kind of medical attention they need, which is why we are calling on the Syrian authorities to give us expeditious access. call on 要求 对教师党员的评价套管和固井爆破片与爆破装置仓库管理基本要求三甲医院都需要复审吗 , 请求 例句:He called on his friends to help him. 他向朋友求助。 2. We need to get in there to assess the need to see what people are suffering, and we need thereafter to take in urgently needed humanitarian supplies. get in到达 例句:What time does the train from London get in? 从伦敦来的火车何时进站? take in让…进入;接纳，接受;吸收 例句:The ship stopped here to take in freight. 这艘船在这里停泊装货。 3. He said this was Ankara's final word and that unless the violence ceased, Turkey would break off all dialogue. break off停止; 断交 例句:He broke off in the middle of his story. 他故事讲到一半就突然不讲了。 4. Mr Mubarak, who appeared in court in Cairo for a second time, is charged with ordering the deaths of hundreds of protesters in the uprising. charge with指控…犯有罪 例句:I charge this man with receiving stolen goods. 我指控此人接受赃物。 5. A spokesman for the Dutch government said the funds would be used to provide medicines and surgical equipment in areas held by rebels fighting Colonel Gaddafi's forces. be used to被用来做…… 例句:Zip codes are used to facilitate mail service. 邮政编码方便了邮递服务。 6. Police in Nigeria have shot dead a suspected suicide bomber as he drove a car packed with explosives into the police headquarters in the northeastern city of Maiduguri. pack with用…充满 例句:He packed a briefcase with what might be required. 他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。 7. They've blamed Boko Haram, a radical Islamist sect that has for the last two years carried out numerous attacks mainly in northern Nigeria. carry out执行; 贯彻 例句:If you make a promise, it should be carried out. 你许了诺言, 就一定要兑现。 8. For its side, the army is investigating alleged abuses of civilians and unlawful killings by soldiers involved in what's proving to be a long and difficult fight against Boko Haram. involve in使参与〔陷入, 牵扯到〕 例句:Don't involve me in your quarrel. 不要把我卷进你们的争吵中。 9. President Obama has set off on a bus tour of Midwestern states to try to regain the political initiative after weeks of bad economic news and repeated attacks by Republican opponents. set off出发, 动身 例句:He proposed to set off immediately. 他建议立即动身。 10. He's visiting Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa to spur his supporters in three states he took in the last presidential election, and can ill afford to lose next year. afford to (买)得起(某物) 例句:We can't afford to pay such a price. 我们付不起这个价钱。