Margaret Thatcher's private reflections about the Falklands War are contained in evidence she gave to a committee of inquiry after the conflict.
"I never never expected the Argentines to invade the Falklands head-on," she said. "It was such a stupid thing to do ... I did not think it would happen."
But two days before Argentine forces went ashore Mrs Thatcher was told an invasion was imminent. She thought this was the worst moment of her life. And she said at the time no-one could tell her whether British forces could retake the Falklands.
The government records also describe her determined efforts to prevent France from selling Exocet missiles to Peru because of fears they would be passed on to Argentina.
In a confidential telegram to President Mitterrand in May 1982 Mrs Thatcher warned him that if it became known that France was releasing the weapons, it would have a devastating effect on the relationship between Britain and France.
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reflections
thoughts and memories
evidence
information given to a court as part of a process of discovering what happened in a particular situation
committee of inquiry
group of selected people that hears testimonies in order to establish the facts
to invade head-on
to use military forces directly to occupy another territory
went ashore
landed on the island
records
official documents with details of meetings and so on
efforts
attempts
fears
worries
warned
advised of danger
devastating
damaging
With the help of small pieces of leaf, dead insects and other debris, a spider in the Amazon rainforest has created a detailed replica of a spider larger than itself.
The crafty spider is thought to be a new member of the genus Cyclosa, a family of spiders which has created decoys before using spare egg sacs. But this new spider's sculpture is the first to have leg-like appendages.
Phil Torres, a biologist from the Rainforest Expeditions, thinks they might have discovered a completely new species:
When you first see it, it just looks like a spider hanging in a web. It's about an inch and an half long.
As you approach, it kind of looks like a dead spider as well but as you approach it starts to move back and forth. There's a little spider hanging on the back of it so you'll see little pieces of leaf, little pieces of twig. There's even a dead insect in there.
There must be very heavy predatory influence that it would evolve to have such an intriguing defence.
Mr Torres will be returning to the Amazon rainforest in January next year to investigate further as this masterful spider is yet to be recognised as a new species.
Mr Torres' discovery will be registered, verified and his findings published if this spider proves to be biologically different from the known species of Cyclosa.
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debris
pieces of trees and other plant life that are on the ground in the rainforest
replica
exact copy
crafty
clever
genus
scientific term for a group of animals with the same characteristics
decoys
something made to look like something else as a form of protection or as trap
leg-like appendages
parts of the structure that look like legs
heavy predatory influence
strong response to the danger caused by creatures that want to eat it
an intriguing defence
a fascinating way of protecting itself
masterful
very talented
findings
research and its conclusions
He is prone to more than just the occasional outburst but this time Gerard Depardieu is at the centre of an almighty political storm. Last week, the actor announced he had quit Paris for a small town 800 yards from the French border; seemingly to dodge a 75% top rate of tax expected to come into force next year.
The Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said it was "shabby", and suggested he was shirking his patriotic responsibilities. "How pathetic is that?" writes the actor in today's Journal du Dimanche. "I am leaving because you believe success, creation, talent, anything different must be sanctioned."
The actor claims he has paid £120m ($194m) in taxes since beginning work as a printer at the age of 14. "And people more illustrious than me," he railed, "have gone into tax exile." Belgium is an attractive option for French people since it doesn't impose any additional taxes on wealth. And three months ago France's richest man Bernard Arnault applied for Belgian citizenship. The government might question their loyalties; but what sort of message is being sent to the outside investors France is hoping to attract, when some of the country's biggest names are heading for self-imposed exile?
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prone to
likely to do something (negative)
outburst
a sudden emotional expression, usually of anger
almighty
very big or serious
come into force
start to be (officially) used
shabby
(here) unacceptable; not fair
shirking
avoiding
sanctioned
(here) stopped
illustrious
famous, well-respected, successful
railed
complained angrily
self-imposed exile
the choice to live away from one's own country
Xinhua has had an English-language account on Twitter for months, and it's not clear why China's regional press chose to mention its existence now. But it's provoked both anger and amusement among Chinese web users, whose every mouse-click is monitored by what's known as the Great Firewall.
One comment left on the website of the news magazine Caijing, said Xinhua's officials should be arrested for jumping the wall. Another ventured plaintively, "please allow us to visit Twitter too".
Xinhua's cyber-journey to the West may be news to many of China's netizens, but it hasn't gone there alone. Also posting on Twitter in English are the official China Daily and Global Times, in what seems to be an attempt to promote China's soft power.
Joining them on the other side of the Great Firewall are some of the best-known Chinese dissidents, including the artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who used special software to circumvent the controls. This doesn't mean there's contact between them. More than six thousand people worldwide follow Xinhua's frequent posts on Twitter - but the news agency itself doesn't follow anyone at all.
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provoked
brought about, caused
monitored
watched closely
jumping the wall
ignoring the internet restrictions
plaintively
sadly
cyber-journey
increase of web-traffic
netizens
'net citizens'; people who use the internet
dissidents
people who disagree with a political party or government
activists
supporters of a political cause
software
computer programs
circumvent
avoid, get past
School children in English-speaking countries have difficulty spelling words such as 'people' and 'friend'. They contain the odd vowels which are not pronounced. SAYPU suggests it is about time we started spelling what we pronounced and not just in English, but in all languages. Say, for instance, the word 'oui' - or 'yes' in French - would be spelled WEE and the word 'Leute' in German - meaning 'people' - as LOITE. The director of Logos Capital, Jaber George, who is launching the programme today, insists their aim is to help raise worldwide literacy levels by making spelling easier.
"One of the reasons why, in some cultures and in certain languages, there is higher illiteracy rates than in others is because of the difficulty in learning how to read and write, and by having, actually, a phonetic alphabet, then you don't have this problem anymore; everyone will be able to read and write much more easily. So Esperanto, basically, is to have a single language spoken by everyone; here, what we are trying to do is just to have all these languages written using the same alphabet."
Even though there might be linguists out there frowning at the project already, Jaber insists their programme won't undermine the beauty and the playfulness of words and languages. They aim to create their own dictionary of words from around the world. And if you are so inclined, you could log in and add a word or two from your part of the world.
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vowels
sounds represented by the letters a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y in English
pronounced
said out loud
literacy
the ability to read and write
phonetic
said the way it is written
Esperanto
a universal language that was created to make it easy for everyone to learn to speak in the same way
linguists
people who study language
frowning at
expressing their disapproval about
undermine
destroy or weaken
playfulness
sense of fun
so inclined
keen to do something
When Neil Papworth sent the first text message from his computer to a colleague's mobile phone on the 3rd of December 20 years ago, he didn't wait for a response. In those days it wasn't possible to send a message from a phone.
But the spread of mobile technology, combined with the cheapness and brevity of texts, ensured that they became a global phenomenon, changing language in the process.
In the past year though, in a number of countries including the United States and Britain, the volume of text messages has fallen slightly for the first time. The SMS has been hit by the free messaging alternatives available on smartphones.
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spread
growth over a larger area
brevity
using only a few words or lasting a short time; shortness
a global phenomenon
something that happens everywhere in the world
volume
(here) the number or amount of something
messaging
system or process of sending messages
smartphones
mobile phones that offer extra functions such as email, internet access and data storage
Carla Bruni never quite managed the transformation from diva to Première Dame. Maybe it's because she lives in a very different life to the voters she once encountered. In the interview with French Vogue magazine, she said women of her generation don't need feminism any more. "There are pioneers who opened the breach," she says, "but I'm not at all an active feminist. On the contrary, I'm bourgeoise. I love family life, I love doing the same thing every day."
The French group "Dare to be Feminist" has vented spleen, inviting people to respond on Twitter with the hashtag 'Dear Carla Bruni'. And there have been hundreds of messages. "Dear Carla, my generation needs feminism because there's no equality in salaries," said one. "My generation needs feminism," said another, "because 75,000 women were raped last year".
The MEP Corinne Lepage weighed in: "Dear Carla, there are no women on the board of the ECB". And, in a press conference today, government spokeswoman Najat Belkacem Vallaud said: "We need everyone to be feminist, so long as one sex dominates the other," which all goes to show that, outside Carla's bourgeois bubble, feminism is alive and fighting fit.
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transformation
change
diva
a distinguished female singer
feminism
the political movement that seeks the same rights for women as men
pioneers
people who are the first to do something; innovators
breach
boundary, defence
bourgeois, bourgeoise
a male or female member of the bourgeoisie; the middle class
vented spleen
expressed anger
hashtag
the # symbol, used for internet searches via Twitter
equality
having the same rights
dominates
has power over
Babesiosis is a malaria-like illness that causes fever and fatigue and can prove fatal. It's one of a handful of diseases carried by ticks that are increasingly infecting people in the US. And while only a few hundred cases have been reported in recent years, scientists say that number is rapidly increasing. Dr Peter Krause, a specialist at the Yale School of Public Health, says the ticks are carried by white-tailed deer that were once almost extinct in parts of the country.
"Deer are very important in the life cycle of the ticks that transmit the diseases because they provide a place for the ticks to... over winter... to reproduce and to feed. And deer have markedly increased over the past 50 years in the northeast of the United States due to reforestation."
The return of the white-tailed deer is a conservation success story in America. But their numbers are now so great that many people regard them as a nuisance and a potential health threat. Controlling their population may be one way to help stop the spread of illnesses.
"There have been a few studies showing that, with a marked reduction in number of deer, the number of ticks drops dramatically, and in these studies the number of cases of Lyme disease drops dramatically. That's one of several approaches that researchers are looking at."
Other tick-borne diseases causing concern include Deer Tick Virus and Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis. As with Babesiosis, relatively few cases have been reported so far, but scientists say they're worried by the rising trend.
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fatigue
extreme physical or mental tiredness; weariness
fatal
capable of causing death
ticks
tiny insects which feed on blood
extinct
(a species that has) died out
life cycle
stages of development during life
reproduce
generate offspring
reforestation
planting new trees
conservation
preserving animals or the environment for the future
a nuisance
something which is annoying
drops dramatically
falls greatly
He was the mayor of the wealthiest suburb in Paris. It gave him access to the country's richest woman. And, over the years, Mr Sarkozy had forged a close friendship with Liliane Bettencourt. He was, said staff, a regular visitor to the family home in Neuilly.
But the allegation is that in the final few months of the 2007 election, Mr Sarkozy took advantage of the ageing L'Oreal heiress, persuading her to part with huge amounts of money to help bankroll his bid for the presidency. An accountant who worked for Ms Bettencourt claims tens of thousands of euros were handed over to his campaign manager Eric Woerth; and, on a separate occasion, Mr Sarkozy came in person, she said, to "receive his envelope" stuffed with cash.
The former President has repeatedly denied the allegations, but, on the orders of the judge, his office and home were raided in July. Today, one poll suggested the majority of French people would prefer Mr Sarkozy to return and lead his fractured party. Certainly, he harbours those ambitions, but his chances of a return could yet be poisoned by the inquiry he's facing.
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suburb
an area on the edge of a large town where people live
forged a close friendship
form or make a close friendship
took advantage of
used for personal benefit, especially something or someone in a weaker position
heiress
a woman who will receive a money, property or a title when the person who owns it dies
bankroll
support financially; provide the money for
handed over
given
stuffed
completely filled
raided
entered (a property) by force
fractured
broken
harbours those ambitions
thinks about or holds those ambitions, usually for a long time
Andrea Camilleri is a literary celebrity in Italy. And he's best known abroad for his novels featuring his brilliant fictional creation, the Sicilian detective, Inspector Montalbano.
But the author is worried about the health of the language in which he works. Speaking earlier this week he took issue with the country's politicians for peppering their speeches with English words and phrases. Terms like 'welfare', 'governance', 'devolution', and even 'election day'.
The author said that Prime Minister Mario Monti was a leading offender. And it's true that Mr Monti does indeed frequently reach for English terminology. Here's an example from his first speech to Parliament. Listen to how he just drops in the English phrase 'best practices':
Clip of Mario Monti speaking Italian
And in the very next breath, he's at it again, sliding in that grim English term 'spending review':
Clip of Mario Monti speaking Italian
Mr Camilleri said Mr Monti's habit was just part of what he called an "awful tradition" in Italian public life. Not enough, he said, was being done to take care of the national language.
And he gave a classic example. He said that when he served on a jury for a prize given by the Italian state broadcaster at the Venice Film Festival he was dismayed to find that the official language of the judging would be English.
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literary celebrity
someone very famous for their literature
took issue with
disagreed strongly with
peppering
to drop a few pieces over a surface as if with pepper
welfare
financial or other assitance to people from a government
governance
the way or system in which an organisation or government is managed
devolution
moving power from the centre (of a government) to a lower or regional level
reach for
decide to use
terminology
special words or phrases used in relation to a particular subject
drops in
casually and effortlessly uses
best practices
working methods which are officially accepted as being the best ones within a particular business or industry
at it
doing it
grim
worrying or dark
dismayed
disappointed and unhappy
Manuchehr was only 15. He was a haemophiliac who lived with his family among nomadic tribes outside the city of Dezful in the south. Earlier this week he was out with his friends for a walk when he hurt himself falling. His friends rushed him back home for urgent medication, but there were no drugs left. His parents couldn't afford to pay for his prescriptions. He died on the way to the hospital.
As a result of his death, the authorities have for the first time said on the record that Iran is on the verge of a medical disaster. Ninety crucial drugs are in short supply, among them medication for cancer, diabetes and haemophilia.
The Iranian currency, the rial, has reportedly lost 80% of its value since the end of last year. It is thought that Iran lost $32bn in oil revenues in 2011. Dollar reserves are running out and even though some sanctions were eased in October to allow in some drugs, the currency crisis has made it near impossible for Iran to buy them.
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haemophiliac
a person who suffers from haemophilia, a blood disease which means the blood does not stop flowing after a cut
nomadic tribes
groups of people who move from one place to another rather than living in one place
prescriptions
pieces of paper on which a doctor writes which medicines a patient requires
on the record
in public (used to describe a statement: something that is said on the record is said in public)
on the verge of
very close to happening
diabetes
a disease in which the body cannot effectively control the level of sugar in the blood
sanctions
an official order to stop a country doing something (such as trade) to make it obey international law
eased
became less severe
near
nearly
Judging by China's recent performance, Hu Jintao's target might be seen as easily achievable. It implies economic growth of about 9.6% a year, which is rather less than the average over the last three decades. But that growth was based on some elements that can't last indefinitely.
In common with many emerging countries, China's economic success has involved a rapid increase in the number of industrial workers, many of them moving from rural to urban areas. There is a limit to that process, and China might be close to it already. Very high levels of investment have also been important, but they are not seen as sustainable.
There is also the central role that exports have played in China's growth. The uncertain outlook in many rich country markets casts a shadow over that too. Most economists think the transition that's needed is to an economy driven much more by spending by China's own consumers. As incomes have risen, so has consumer spending, but its share in economic activity remains unusually low.
The World Bank has set out reforms that might help change that, by reducing incentives to focus on exports, and industrial investment. The Bank also suggests a wider reform effort to make China more of a market economy. If that analysis is right, the prize could be many more years of strong economic performance and rising Chinese living standards.
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judging by
based on
implies
communicates something without saying it directly
indefinitely
for a period of time with no definite end
rapid
fast
outlook
likely future situation
casts a shadow
makes something unpleasant or uncertain
set out
presented
incentives
things which encourage a person or group to do something
Clip from Apple advertisment:
“What’s great about the iPhone, is that if you want to check snow conditions on the mountain, there’s an app for that.”
And if you want to govern an island nation of 60m people in the North Atlantic there's an app that can help with that - only so far it's available to only one man - British prime minister David Cameron. The app has been developed by an 18-month-old small company in South London.
It crawls the web and other sources providing live data on the jobs market, housing and other key indicators relevant to government. It also tracks social media sources such as Facebook and Twitter, providing insight on what voters are thinking.
The app is provisionally known as the Number 10 Dashboard, a reference to the address of the prime minister's official residence at 10 Downing Street in London. The plan is to make the app more widely available within government once it is perfected. The prime minister is said to have it loaded on his iPad.
Clip from Apple advertisment:
“Yep, there’s an app for just about anything.”
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app
a small, specialised programme downloaded onto a mobile device
govern
to control and guide the public business of a country or group of people; what a government does
crawls
moves slowly on hands and knees; here it means to search (the web)
housing
the houses or accommodation where people live
indicators
information that helps people understand larger trends or issues
tracks
follows closely
insight
a clear, deep and sometimes sudden understanding of a problem or situation
provisionally
for the present moment but likely to change
loaded
(of software) installed
The clean-up is still going on across New York and New Jersey a week after superstorm Sandy smashed into the East Coast. Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power, tens of thousands will have to find accommodation as their houses are ruined and temperatures are dropping fast.
There's an urgency to the clean-up operation as another storm is forecast to hit the region later in the week. Officials say they hope there'll be the minimum amount of disruption on election day. Polling stations are being moved, generators brought in for the electronic voting machines, but turnout is expected to be lower in places where there's still no power, or people have been driven from their homes.
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clean-up
the process of cleaning or tidying something
smashed
made something loudly break into many pieces
dropping
falling
urgency
sense of urgent necessity
disruption
confusion or disorder
polling stations
places where you go to vote
generators
machines which produce electricity
turnout
the number of people who vote in an election or attend an event
They played the tape in railway stations, school classrooms and offices. More than nine million people in California took part in the annual 'shake out'; an earthquake drill to remind people what to do if the 'big one' hits. The scientists say it's almost certain the San Andreas fault will cause an earthquake measuring higher than a seven on the Richter scale in the next thirty years, and that it's long overdue.
Dr Lucy Jones, a seismologist with the US Geological Survey, says people have to remember the risks: "We've had a rather quiet time in LA for the last 15 years, we haven't had a lot of big earthquakes, that's not going to last and so we need to have ways of getting people to think about it, take responsibility, because a lot of the damage is preventable."
The biggest earthquake on the San Andreas fault in recent history was 1906, which destroyed huge areas of San Francisco and killed thousands of people. More recently, motorway bridges have been brought down, but it's been 18 years since the last major quake. Organisers of the shake out want to remind people their reflex action should be to get on the ground and under a table. More people get hurt, it seems, trying to race outside where the risks are often higher.
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drill
training exercise
the 'big one'
a massive earthquake
fault
break in the earth's crust, which can cause earthquakes
Richter scale
a series of numbers used to measure the strength of an earthquake
long overdue
expected for a long time
seismologist
scientist who studies earthquake
risks
likely dangers
preventable
avoidable
reflex action
automatic behaviour, something done without thinking about it
race
run quickly
Before Marie-Antoinette arrived at the guillotine, she amassed an opulent collection of artwork and furniture. And today, in Paris to mark the anniversary of her execution on the 16th October 1793, some of it goes under the hammer.
Of particular note: a pair of green and pink silk slippers which belonged to the queen. Not one of the shoes she dropped while climbing the scaffold - that still resides in a French museum. But there is a framed cotton sleeve of a garment she wore in prison. And a fragment of a patterned silk dress she owned before her arrest.
There are portraits and etchings of the king and queen, glassware, candelabras, dinner sets - and, among other historic artefacts, a fork and spoon from St Helena that belonged to Napoleon. All together they are the symbols of a decadent tyranny but they still hold great fascination - and not just to the French.
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guillotine
machine used for execution, cutting off heads
amassed
collected
opulent
luxurious or expensive
execution
putting a person to death
goes under the hammer
is sold at an auction
scaffold
platform of the guillotine
fragment
very small piece
etchings
pictures created by scratching away the surface of something
artefacts
ancient, man-made object
tyranny
powerful or severe government regime
"I never never expected the Argentines to invade the Falklands head-on," she said. "It was such a stupid thing to do ... I did not think it would happen."
But two days before Argentine forces went ashore Mrs Thatcher was told an invasion was imminent. She thought this was the worst moment of her life. And she said at the time no-one could tell her whether British forces could retake the Falklands.
The government records also describe her determined efforts to prevent France from selling Exocet missiles to Peru because of fears they would be passed on to Argentina.
In a confidential telegram to President Mitterrand in May 1982 Mrs Thatcher warned him that if it became known that France was releasing the weapons, it would have a devastating effect on the relationship between Britain and France.
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reflections
thoughts and memories
evidence
information given to a court as part of a process of discovering what happened in a particular situation
committee of inquiry
group of selected people that hears testimonies in order to establish the facts
to invade head-on
to use military forces directly to occupy another territory
went ashore
landed on the island
records
official documents with details of meetings and so on
efforts
attempts
fears
worries
warned
advised of danger
devastating
damaging
With the help of small pieces of leaf, dead insects and other debris, a spider in the Amazon rainforest has created a detailed replica of a spider larger than itself.
The crafty spider is thought to be a new member of the genus Cyclosa, a family of spiders which has created decoys before using spare egg sacs. But this new spider's sculpture is the first to have leg-like appendages.
Phil Torres, a biologist from the Rainforest Expeditions, thinks they might have discovered a completely new species:
When you first see it, it just looks like a spider hanging in a web. It's about an inch and an half long.
As you approach, it kind of looks like a dead spider as well but as you approach it starts to move back and forth. There's a little spider hanging on the back of it so you'll see little pieces of leaf, little pieces of twig. There's even a dead insect in there.
There must be very heavy predatory influence that it would evolve to have such an intriguing defence.
Mr Torres will be returning to the Amazon rainforest in January next year to investigate further as this masterful spider is yet to be recognised as a new species.
Mr Torres' discovery will be registered, verified and his findings published if this spider proves to be biologically different from the known species of Cyclosa.
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debris
pieces of trees and other plant life that are on the ground in the rainforest
replica
exact copy
crafty
clever
genus
scientific term for a group of animals with the same characteristics
decoys
something made to look like something else as a form of protection or as trap
leg-like appendages
parts of the structure that look like legs
heavy predatory influence
strong response to the danger caused by creatures that want to eat it
an intriguing defence
a fascinating way of protecting itself
masterful
very talented
findings
research and its conclusions
He is prone to more than just the occasional outburst but this time Gerard Depardieu is at the centre of an almighty political storm. Last week, the actor announced he had quit Paris for a small town 800 yards from the French border; seemingly to dodge a 75% top rate of tax expected to come into force next year.
The Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said it was "shabby", and suggested he was shirking his patriotic responsibilities. "How pathetic is that?" writes the actor in today's Journal du Dimanche. "I am leaving because you believe success, creation, talent, anything different must be sanctioned."
The actor claims he has paid £120m ($194m) in taxes since beginning work as a printer at the age of 14. "And people more illustrious than me," he railed, "have gone into tax exile." Belgium is an attractive option for French people since it doesn't impose any additional taxes on wealth. And three months ago France's richest man Bernard Arnault applied for Belgian citizenship. The government might question their loyalties; but what sort of message is being sent to the outside investors France is hoping to attract, when some of the country's biggest names are heading for self-imposed exile?
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prone to
likely to do something (negative)
outburst
a sudden emotional expression, usually of anger
almighty
very big or serious
come into force
start to be (officially) used
shabby
(here) unacceptable; not fair
shirking
avoiding
sanctioned
(here) stopped
illustrious
famous, well-respected, successful
railed
complained angrily
self-imposed exile
the choice to live away from one's own country
Xinhua has had an English-language account on Twitter for months, and it's not clear why China's regional press chose to mention its existence now. But it's provoked both anger and amusement among Chinese web users, whose every mouse-click is monitored by what's known as the Great Firewall.
One comment left on the website of the news magazine Caijing, said Xinhua's officials should be arrested for jumping the wall. Another ventured plaintively, "please allow us to visit Twitter too".
Xinhua's cyber-journey to the West may be news to many of China's netizens, but it hasn't gone there alone. Also posting on Twitter in English are the official China Daily and Global Times, in what seems to be an attempt to promote China's soft power.
Joining them on the other side of the Great Firewall are some of the best-known Chinese dissidents, including the artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who used special software to circumvent the controls. This doesn't mean there's contact between them. More than six thousand people worldwide follow Xinhua's frequent posts on Twitter - but the news agency itself doesn't follow anyone at all.
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provoked
brought about, caused
monitored
watched closely
jumping the wall
ignoring the internet restrictions
plaintively
sadly
cyber-journey
increase of web-traffic
netizens
'net citizens'; people who use the internet
dissidents
people who disagree with a political party or government
activists
supporters of a political cause
software
computer programs
circumvent
avoid, get past
School children in English-speaking countries have difficulty spelling words such as 'people' and 'friend'. They contain the odd vowels which are not pronounced. SAYPU suggests it is about time we started spelling what we pronounced and not just in English, but in all languages. Say, for instance, the word 'oui' - or 'yes' in French - would be spelled WEE and the word 'Leute' in German - meaning 'people' - as LOITE. The director of Logos Capital, Jaber George, who is launching the programme today, insists their aim is to help raise worldwide literacy levels by making spelling easier.
"One of the reasons why, in some cultures and in certain languages, there is higher illiteracy rates than in others is because of the difficulty in learning how to read and write, and by having, actually, a phonetic alphabet, then you don't have this problem anymore; everyone will be able to read and write much more easily. So Esperanto, basically, is to have a single language spoken by everyone; here, what we are trying to do is just to have all these languages written using the same alphabet."
Even though there might be linguists out there frowning at the project already, Jaber insists their programme won't undermine the beauty and the playfulness of words and languages. They aim to create their own dictionary of words from around the world. And if you are so inclined, you could log in and add a word or two from your part of the world.
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vowels
sounds represented by the letters a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y in English
pronounced
said out loud
literacy
the ability to read and write
phonetic
said the way it is written
Esperanto
a universal language that was created to make it easy for everyone to learn to speak in the same way
linguists
people who study language
frowning at
expressing their disapproval about
undermine
destroy or weaken
playfulness
sense of fun
so inclined
keen to do something
When Neil Papworth sent the first text message from his computer to a colleague's mobile phone on the 3rd of December 20 years ago, he didn't wait for a response. In those days it wasn't possible to send a message from a phone.
But the spread of mobile technology, combined with the cheapness and brevity of texts, ensured that they became a global phenomenon, changing language in the process.
In the past year though, in a number of countries including the United States and Britain, the volume of text messages has fallen slightly for the first time. The SMS has been hit by the free messaging alternatives available on smartphones.
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spread
growth over a larger area
brevity
using only a few words or lasting a short time; shortness
a global phenomenon
something that happens everywhere in the world
volume
(here) the number or amount of something
messaging
system or process of sending messages
smartphones
mobile phones that offer extra functions such as email, internet access and data storage
Carla Bruni never quite managed the transformation from diva to Première Dame. Maybe it's because she lives in a very different life to the voters she once encountered. In the interview with French Vogue magazine, she said women of her generation don't need feminism any more. "There are pioneers who opened the breach," she says, "but I'm not at all an active feminist. On the contrary, I'm bourgeoise. I love family life, I love doing the same thing every day."
The French group "Dare to be Feminist" has vented spleen, inviting people to respond on Twitter with the hashtag 'Dear Carla Bruni'. And there have been hundreds of messages. "Dear Carla, my generation needs feminism because there's no equality in salaries," said one. "My generation needs feminism," said another, "because 75,000 women were raped last year".
The MEP Corinne Lepage weighed in: "Dear Carla, there are no women on the board of the ECB". And, in a press conference today, government spokeswoman Najat Belkacem Vallaud said: "We need everyone to be feminist, so long as one sex dominates the other," which all goes to show that, outside Carla's bourgeois bubble, feminism is alive and fighting fit.
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transformation
change
diva
a distinguished female singer
feminism
the political movement that seeks the same rights for women as men
pioneers
people who are the first to do something; innovators
breach
boundary, defence
bourgeois, bourgeoise
a male or female member of the bourgeoisie; the middle class
vented spleen
expressed anger
hashtag
the # symbol, used for internet searches via Twitter
equality
having the same rights
dominates
has power over
Babesiosis is a malaria-like illness that causes fever and fatigue and can prove fatal. It's one of a handful of diseases carried by ticks that are increasingly infecting people in the US. And while only a few hundred cases have been reported in recent years, scientists say that number is rapidly increasing. Dr Peter Krause, a specialist at the Yale School of Public Health, says the ticks are carried by white-tailed deer that were once almost extinct in parts of the country.
"Deer are very important in the life cycle of the ticks that transmit the diseases because they provide a place for the ticks to... over winter... to reproduce and to feed. And deer have markedly increased over the past 50 years in the northeast of the United States due to reforestation."
The return of the white-tailed deer is a conservation success story in America. But their numbers are now so great that many people regard them as a nuisance and a potential health threat. Controlling their population may be one way to help stop the spread of illnesses.
"There have been a few studies showing that, with a marked reduction in number of deer, the number of ticks drops dramatically, and in these studies the number of cases of Lyme disease drops dramatically. That's one of several approaches that researchers are looking at."
Other tick-borne diseases causing concern include Deer Tick Virus and Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis. As with Babesiosis, relatively few cases have been reported so far, but scientists say they're worried by the rising trend.
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fatigue
extreme physical or mental tiredness; weariness
fatal
capable of causing death
ticks
tiny insects which feed on blood
extinct
(a species that has) died out
life cycle
stages of development during life
reproduce
generate offspring
reforestation
planting new trees
conservation
preserving animals or the environment for the future
a nuisance
something which is annoying
drops dramatically
falls greatly
He was the mayor of the wealthiest suburb in Paris. It gave him access to the country's richest woman. And, over the years, Mr Sarkozy had forged a close friendship with Liliane Bettencourt. He was, said staff, a regular visitor to the family home in Neuilly.
But the allegation is that in the final few months of the 2007 election, Mr Sarkozy took advantage of the ageing L'Oreal heiress, persuading her to part with huge amounts of money to help bankroll his bid for the presidency. An accountant who worked for Ms Bettencourt claims tens of thousands of euros were handed over to his campaign manager Eric Woerth; and, on a separate occasion, Mr Sarkozy came in person, she said, to "receive his envelope" stuffed with cash.
The former President has repeatedly denied the allegations, but, on the orders of the judge, his office and home were raided in July. Today, one poll suggested the majority of French people would prefer Mr Sarkozy to return and lead his fractured party. Certainly, he harbours those ambitions, but his chances of a return could yet be poisoned by the inquiry he's facing.
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suburb
an area on the edge of a large town where people live
forged a close friendship
form or make a close friendship
took advantage of
used for personal benefit, especially something or someone in a weaker position
heiress
a woman who will receive a money, property or a title when the person who owns it dies
bankroll
support financially; provide the money for
handed over
given
stuffed
completely filled
raided
entered (a property) by force
fractured
broken
harbours those ambitions
thinks about or holds those ambitions, usually for a long time
Andrea Camilleri is a literary celebrity in Italy. And he's best known abroad for his novels featuring his brilliant fictional creation, the Sicilian detective, Inspector Montalbano.
But the author is worried about the health of the language in which he works. Speaking earlier this week he took issue with the country's politicians for peppering their speeches with English words and phrases. Terms like 'welfare', 'governance', 'devolution', and even 'election day'.
The author said that Prime Minister Mario Monti was a leading offender. And it's true that Mr Monti does indeed frequently reach for English terminology. Here's an example from his first speech to Parliament. Listen to how he just drops in the English phrase 'best practices':
Clip of Mario Monti speaking Italian
And in the very next breath, he's at it again, sliding in that grim English term 'spending review':
Clip of Mario Monti speaking Italian
Mr Camilleri said Mr Monti's habit was just part of what he called an "awful tradition" in Italian public life. Not enough, he said, was being done to take care of the national language.
And he gave a classic example. He said that when he served on a jury for a prize given by the Italian state broadcaster at the Venice Film Festival he was dismayed to find that the official language of the judging would be English.
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literary celebrity
someone very famous for their literature
took issue with
disagreed strongly with
peppering
to drop a few pieces over a surface as if with pepper
welfare
financial or other assitance to people from a government
governance
the way or system in which an organisation or government is managed
devolution
moving power from the centre (of a government) to a lower or regional level
reach for
decide to use
terminology
special words or phrases used in relation to a particular subject
drops in
casually and effortlessly uses
best practices
working methods which are officially accepted as being the best ones within a particular business or industry
at it
doing it
grim
worrying or dark
dismayed
disappointed and unhappy
Manuchehr was only 15. He was a haemophiliac who lived with his family among nomadic tribes outside the city of Dezful in the south. Earlier this week he was out with his friends for a walk when he hurt himself falling. His friends rushed him back home for urgent medication, but there were no drugs left. His parents couldn't afford to pay for his prescriptions. He died on the way to the hospital.
As a result of his death, the authorities have for the first time said on the record that Iran is on the verge of a medical disaster. Ninety crucial drugs are in short supply, among them medication for cancer, diabetes and haemophilia.
The Iranian currency, the rial, has reportedly lost 80% of its value since the end of last year. It is thought that Iran lost $32bn in oil revenues in 2011. Dollar reserves are running out and even though some sanctions were eased in October to allow in some drugs, the currency crisis has made it near impossible for Iran to buy them.
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haemophiliac
a person who suffers from haemophilia, a blood disease which means the blood does not stop flowing after a cut
nomadic tribes
groups of people who move from one place to another rather than living in one place
prescriptions
pieces of paper on which a doctor writes which medicines a patient requires
on the record
in public (used to describe a statement: something that is said on the record is said in public)
on the verge of
very close to happening
diabetes
a disease in which the body cannot effectively control the level of sugar in the blood
sanctions
an official order to stop a country doing something (such as trade) to make it obey international law
eased
became less severe
near
nearly
Judging by China's recent performance, Hu Jintao's target might be seen as easily achievable. It implies economic growth of about 9.6% a year, which is rather less than the average over the last three decades. But that growth was based on some elements that can't last indefinitely.
In common with many emerging countries, China's economic success has involved a rapid increase in the number of industrial workers, many of them moving from rural to urban areas. There is a limit to that process, and China might be close to it already. Very high levels of investment have also been important, but they are not seen as sustainable.
There is also the central role that exports have played in China's growth. The uncertain outlook in many rich country markets casts a shadow over that too. Most economists think the transition that's needed is to an economy driven much more by spending by China's own consumers. As incomes have risen, so has consumer spending, but its share in economic activity remains unusually low.
The World Bank has set out reforms that might help change that, by reducing incentives to focus on exports, and industrial investment. The Bank also suggests a wider reform effort to make China more of a market economy. If that analysis is right, the prize could be many more years of strong economic performance and rising Chinese living standards.
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judging by
based on
implies
communicates something without saying it directly
indefinitely
for a period of time with no definite end
rapid
fast
outlook
likely future situation
casts a shadow
makes something unpleasant or uncertain
set out
presented
incentives
things which encourage a person or group to do something
Clip from Apple advertisment:
“What’s great about the iPhone, is that if you want to check snow conditions on the mountain, there’s an app for that.”
And if you want to govern an island nation of 60m people in the North Atlantic there's an app that can help with that - only so far it's available to only one man - British prime minister David Cameron. The app has been developed by an 18-month-old small company in South London.
It crawls the web and other sources providing live data on the jobs market, housing and other key indicators relevant to government. It also tracks social media sources such as Facebook and Twitter, providing insight on what voters are thinking.
The app is provisionally known as the Number 10 Dashboard, a reference to the address of the prime minister's official residence at 10 Downing Street in London. The plan is to make the app more widely available within government once it is perfected. The prime minister is said to have it loaded on his iPad.
Clip from Apple advertisment:
“Yep, there’s an app for just about anything.”
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app
a small, specialised programme downloaded onto a mobile device
govern
to control and guide the public business of a country or group of people; what a government does
crawls
moves slowly on hands and knees; here it means to search (the web)
housing
the houses or accommodation where people live
indicators
information that helps people understand larger trends or issues
tracks
follows closely
insight
a clear, deep and sometimes sudden understanding of a problem or situation
provisionally
for the present moment but likely to change
loaded
(of software) installed
The clean-up is still going on across New York and New Jersey a week after superstorm Sandy smashed into the East Coast. Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power, tens of thousands will have to find accommodation as their houses are ruined and temperatures are dropping fast.
There's an urgency to the clean-up operation as another storm is forecast to hit the region later in the week. Officials say they hope there'll be the minimum amount of disruption on election day. Polling stations are being moved, generators brought in for the electronic voting machines, but turnout is expected to be lower in places where there's still no power, or people have been driven from their homes.
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clean-up
the process of cleaning or tidying something
smashed
made something loudly break into many pieces
dropping
falling
urgency
sense of urgent necessity
disruption
confusion or disorder
polling stations
places where you go to vote
generators
machines which produce electricity
turnout
the number of people who vote in an election or attend an event
They played the tape in railway stations, school classrooms and offices. More than nine million people in California took part in the annual 'shake out'; an earthquake drill to remind people what to do if the 'big one' hits. The scientists say it's almost certain the San Andreas fault will cause an earthquake measuring higher than a seven on the Richter scale in the next thirty years, and that it's long overdue.
Dr Lucy Jones, a seismologist with the US Geological Survey, says people have to remember the risks: "We've had a rather quiet time in LA for the last 15 years, we haven't had a lot of big earthquakes, that's not going to last and so we need to have ways of getting people to think about it, take responsibility, because a lot of the damage is preventable."
The biggest earthquake on the San Andreas fault in recent history was 1906, which destroyed huge areas of San Francisco and killed thousands of people. More recently, motorway bridges have been brought down, but it's been 18 years since the last major quake. Organisers of the shake out want to remind people their reflex action should be to get on the ground and under a table. More people get hurt, it seems, trying to race outside where the risks are often higher.
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drill
training exercise
the 'big one'
a massive earthquake
fault
break in the earth's crust, which can cause earthquakes
Richter scale
a series of numbers used to measure the strength of an earthquake
long overdue
expected for a long time
seismologist
scientist who studies earthquake
risks
likely dangers
preventable
avoidable
reflex action
automatic behaviour, something done without thinking about it
race
run quickly
Before Marie-Antoinette arrived at the guillotine, she amassed an opulent collection of artwork and furniture. And today, in Paris to mark the anniversary of her execution on the 16th October 1793, some of it goes under the hammer.
Of particular note: a pair of green and pink silk slippers which belonged to the queen. Not one of the shoes she dropped while climbing the scaffold - that still resides in a French museum. But there is a framed cotton sleeve of a garment she wore in prison. And a fragment of a patterned silk dress she owned before her arrest.
There are portraits and etchings of the king and queen, glassware, candelabras, dinner sets - and, among other historic artefacts, a fork and spoon from St Helena that belonged to Napoleon. All together they are the symbols of a decadent tyranny but they still hold great fascination - and not just to the French.
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guillotine
machine used for execution, cutting off heads
amassed
collected
opulent
luxurious or expensive
execution
putting a person to death
goes under the hammer
is sold at an auction
scaffold
platform of the guillotine
fragment
very small piece
etchings
pictures created by scratching away the surface of something
artefacts
ancient, man-made object
tyranny
powerful or severe government regime