Politics this week (2020.05.09) Part.02

The government in cash-strapped Lebanon adopted an economic-reform plan and requested assistance from the IMF. This came after protesters, defying a coronavirus lockdown, took to the streets to vent their anger over a deteriorating economy and poor governance.

• cash-strapped
  • 资金短缺的
• defy
  • to refuse to obey or show respect for sb in authority, a law, a rule, etc. 违抗，反抗
• take to the streets
  • to go outside on the streets 走上街头
• vent
  • 表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）
• deteriorate
  • to become worse 变坏；恶化；退化
• governance
  • the activity of governing a country or controlling a company or an organization 统治，管理，治理；
  • the way in which a country is governed or a company or institution is controlled 统治方式，管理方法

A leaked letter from Zimbabwe to the IMF warned that the country is heading towards economic collapse and that it needs assistance in clearing its existing debts to unlock new funding. The letter said Zimbabwe’s economy could shrink by 15-20% this year.

In a decision with potentially hugo implications Germany’s constitutional court declared that the European Central Bank had acted improperly in buying government bonds under a quantitative-easing programme. Many legal experts fear that because the ECB is supposed to answer only to EU institutions, not to member govenments, a constitutional crisis is being created.

• implication
  • 可能的影响（或作用、结果）
• quantitative-easing
  • 量化宽松（由一国的货币管理机构通过公开市场操作，以提高实体经济环境中的货币供应量，相当于间接增印钞票）

Italy partly emerged from eight weeks of lockdown, having been the first country in Europe to impose one. People can now go out to exercise, cafés have reopened for takeaway service and travel to visit close relatives is now permitted.

• emerge (from sth)
  • （从困境或苦难经历中）幸存下来，摆脱出来
• impose
  • 推行，采用（规章制度）；强制实行
• takeaway
  • 外卖食物；外卖餐馆

Canada banned assault-style weapons with immediate effect following a gun massacre in April.

• with immediate effect
  • 立即生效
• massacre
  • 屠杀

Venezuelan forces intercepted two boatloads of men allegedly tring to overthrow the country’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro. Eight of the men were killed. Mr Maduro accused America and Colombia of plotting the attack. As evidence, a captive was paraded, post-interrogation, on television. Meanwhile, a security contractor based in Florida claimed responsibility for the “daring amphibious raid". The governments of America and Colombia denied any involvement.

• intercept
  • 拦截，截住
• allegedly
  • 依其申述，据说
• overthrow
  • to remove a leader or a government from a position of power by force 推翻，打倒，赶下台
• plot
  • 密谋，暗中策划
• captive
  • 俘虏，战虏
• parade
  • to show sb/sth in public so that people can see them/it 展览，展示
    • The prisoners were paraded in front of the crowd.
• interrogation
  • 审问，讯问
• contractor
  • 承包人，承包商
• amphibious
  • （军事行动） involving soldiers landing at a place from the sea 两栖作战的；登陆的
• raid
  • 突然袭击

The new chief of Brazil’s Federal Police, Rolando Souza, transferred the head of the force in Rio de Janeiro. Mr Souza became police chief after the Supreme Court blocked the man initially chosen by Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president, who is a friend of the president’s family. Mr Bolsonaro is facing claims that he tried to influence investigations, centred on Rio, into his family, which he denies.

• Rio de Janeiro
  • 里约热内卢

Coronavirus briefs

The worldwide death toll from covid-19 rose above 250,000.

Infections surged in Russia, to over 10,000 a day. Mikhail Mishustin, the prime minister, tested positive for the disease.

The first infection was officially confirmed in Sana’s, Yemen’s capital, which is held by Houthi rebels.

Reports from Nigerai, Somalia and Tanzania of a sharp rise in unexplained deaths suggested that official tallies of covid-19 are misleadingly low.

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said border restrictions would remain for “some time to come”. But she would like a quarantine-free travel “bubble” with Australia.

In Germany shops were allowed to reopen, with social distancing. Football matches will resume in the Bundesliga, but without spectators.

• toll
  • （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏；伤亡人数
• tally
  • a record of the number or amount of sth, especially one that you can keep adding to 记录，积分表，账
• misleadongly
  • 误导地
• bubble
  • （很可能持续不长的）好景，好运；泡沫
• Bundesliga
  • 德甲联赛
• spectator
  • （尤指体育比赛的）观看者，观众