Politics this week (2020.04.18) Part.02

Iraq’s president nominated Mustafa al-Kadhimi, the intelligence chief, as prime minister. Mr Kadhimi is the third person tapped for the job since November, when Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned under pressure from anti-government protests. The previous two nominees failed to win enough support in parliament to create a government.

• nominate
  • 任命，指派
• intelligence chief
  • 情报主管
• tap
  • [usually passive] 委任，指定（某人做某事）
• nominee
  • 被任命者，被提名人
    • an Oscar nominee
• parliament
  • 议会，国会

Economic shutdowns are leading to food-price inflation and shortages in several African countries including Zimbabwe, Kenya and Sudan. Aid groups such as the World Food Programme are struggling to respond because of restrictions on movement.

• shutdown
  • 停业，停工，倒闭
• inflation
  • 通货膨胀
  • 充气
• World Food Programme
  • 世界粮食计划署

Efforts to contain Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo suffered a setback with the emergence of three new cases, the first in 54 days.

• contain
  • 防止……蔓延/恶化
    • to contain an epidemic
• setback
  • 挫折，阻碍

The G20 said its member governments would suspend loan repayments from developing economies until the end of the year. It encouraged private creditors to do the same. Separately, the IMF postponed repayments from 25 countries.

• G20 (Group of Twenty)
  • 二十国集团，由七国集团（加拿大、美国、英国、法国、德国、意大利、日本），金砖五国（巴西、俄罗斯、印度、中国、南非），七个重要经济体（墨西哥、阿根廷、土耳其、沙特阿拉伯、韩国、印度尼西亚、澳大利亚），以及欧洲联盟组成
• loan repayment
  • a repayment of part of a loan, usually monthly 按期偿还的款项
• creditor
  • 债权人，贷方
• separately
  • as a separate person or thing; not together 单独地，分别地
• IMF (International Monetary Fund)
  • 国际货币基金组织

A group including American anti-drug agents and Interpol arrested one of Brazil’s most wanted suspected criminals, Gilberto Aparecido dos Santos (aka Fuminho), in Maputo, Mozambique‘s capital. He allegedly trafficked cocaine worldwide as a leader of First Command of the Capital, a gang based for 20 years.

• Interpol
  • 国际刑警组织
• Mozambique
  • 莫桑比克🇲🇿
• allegedly
  • 据说，依其申述
  • allege
    • [often passive] （未提出证据）断言，指称，声称
• traffic
  • [时态变化] -fics, -ficking, -ficked
  • (often followed by in) to carry on trade or business, esp of an illicit kind （非法）进行……交易
• First Command of the Capital
  • 首都第一司令部，Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC or 15.3.3）。根据2012年巴西政府的报告，是巴西最大的犯罪集团。
• gang
  • an organized group of criminals 一帮，一伙（罪犯）

Several European countries moved to ease their lockdowns. In Spain work was allowed to restart in some factories and on construction sites, and in Italy some small shops were allowed to re-open. Germany is allowing large shops to trade and schools to open; social-distancing measures remain in place. But France and Britain extended their lockdowns into May. Death tolls continued to rise across Europe, but in almost all instances at diminishing rates.

• construction site
  • 建筑工地
• in place
  • working or ready to work 在工作；准备就绪
• toll
  • （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏；伤亡人数
    • death toll 死亡人数
• diminishing
  • becoming smaller, fewer, or less 逐渐缩小的，衰减的

The European Commission, stung by criticism that it has been absent during the crisis, outlined a roadmap that it hopes EU member states will follow to co-ordinate the easing of restrictions. EU ministers agreed on an aid package of up to €520bn ($590bn) for hard-hit countries. The European Central Bank had said up to €1.5trn was needed.

• European Commission
  • 欧洲联盟委员会
• criticism
  • 批评，指责
• outline
  • to give a description of the main facts or points involved in sth 概述，略述
• roadmap
  • a plana or guide for future actions 蓝图，路线图