Politics this week (2020.05.23) Part.01

At the World Health Oraganisation’s annual summit (held remotely), China accepted an Australian-led motion calling for an inquiry into the origins of covid-19. This marked a climbdown by the Chinese government in the face of widespread demands for such a probe. Earlier, Donald Trump once again threatened to pull America out of the WHO unless it took unspecified steps to show “independence from China”. Despite its success in tackling the coronavirus, Taiwan was not invited to this year’s meeting.

• motion
  • a formal proposal that is discussed and voted on at a meeting 动议；提议
• climbdown
  • （争论中）改变立场，让步；认错
• unspecified
  • 未说明的，不明确的
• tackle
  • 应付，处理，解决（难题或局面）

China imposed tariffs on Australian barley on the day the WHO considered the Australian motion. China maintains that such tariffs have nothing to do with Australian criticism of its rulers.

• barley
  • 大麦
• maintain
  • If you say that someone maintains that something is true, you mean that they have stated their opinion strongly but not everyone agrees with them or believes them. 坚持说，坚持认为

A police watchdog in Hong Kong issued a report on the force’s handling of protests last year. It found no serious problem with polices tactics, which involved lots of rubber bullets. Opposition politicians called it a whitewash. In the territory’s legislature, pro-government politicians took control of an important committee. They are expected to put forward a bill making it a crime to insult the Chinese national anthem. Some pro-democracy legislators were evicted after scuffling with guards.

• watchdog
  • （监督公司活动及监护人们权利的）监察人，监察团体
• whitewash
  • (disapproving) an attempt to hide unpleasant facts about sb/sth 粉饰，掩盖
• pro-government
  • 亲政府的，拥护政府的
• put forward
  • 提出，提议
• bill
  • （提交议会讨论的）议案，法案
• national anthem
  • 国歌
  • anthem
    • 国歌；（组织或群体的）社歌，团歌
• evict
  • （尤指依法从房屋或土地上）驱逐，赶出，逐出
• scuffle
  • （两人或多人之间）（短暂而不严重地）扭打，冲突，争斗

The two men who both claimed to the president of Afghanistan after a disputed election in September, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, struck a power-sharing deal. Mr Ghan will remain president, while Mr Abdullah will take charge of peace negotiations with the Taliban.

• disputed
  • 有争议的
• strike
  • 突然想到
• deal
  • 协议，（尤指）交易

Malaysia’s parliament met for the first time since Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed prime minister on March 1st. But it adjourned without voting on a no-confidence motion put forward by the prime minister whom Mr Muhyiddin replaced, Mahathir Mohamad.

• adjourn
  • 休庭，休会
• no-confidence motion
  • 不信任动议

Cyclone Amphan, the most powerful storm to gather over the Bay of Bengal in 20 years, made landfall near the city of Kolkata in India. Initial reports suggested relatively few casualties, thanks to Indian and Bangladeshi efforts to evacuate people in its path.

• cyclone
  • 气旋，旋风
• landfall
  • 登陆（气象学）；（航海或飞行后）初见陆地，踏上陆地
• suggest
  • to state sth indirectly 暗示，言下之意是说
• evacuate
  • （把人从危险的地方）疏散，转移，撤离