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Japanese exports drop

IDIAN FLOODS

As soon as the navy boats hit the water, hundreds of villagers swarmed around them -- pleading with rescue crews to head to their homes to retrieve the bodies of dead relatives 
The crew explained that it could not. Its mission was to reach villagers stranded on rooftops and in trees, nearly two weeks after the worst flooding to hit the Indian state of Bihar. 
The crowd drowned out their answers with angry shouts. 
The Indian federal government estimates three million people have been affected by flooding in Bihar. 
Authorities in Nepal said the waters had displaced more than 100,000 Nepalese. 
Indian federal and state governments have released conflicting death tolls for Bihar. The latest figure released by the federal government put the number of casualties at 54. 
Fifteen navy boats took off on a rescue operation in Purnia Monday, one of the districts hardest hit by the flood. 
They were part of a massive relief operation underway in the northeast Indian state -- even as the misery that the Kosi River had wrought showed little signs of abating. 
On August 18, a dam in Nepal broke, breaching the eastern embankment of the Kosi. The waterway straddles the India-Nepal border. 
Water flushed through the breach so forcefully that the river changed course in Bihar. It gobbled up thousands of villages on either side of the border. 
Government and aid agencies swung into action to help the thousands of people who fled the fast-moving waters. Officials set up 182 camps where 114,000 residents have sought shelter, the interior ministry said Monday. 
Food there is scarce, but the crowded camps sit on dry grounds. 
But many are yet to be rescued. Officials worry that in coming days, stranded residents may take to drinking the contaminated river water -- raising fears of an epidemic. 
The navy boats Monday carried life jackets and water. Crews scanned the horizon, looking for hope amid the hopelessness that stretched for miles. 

 

The relentless monsoon rains that caused the Kosi to overflow in India and Nepal also brought anguish to neighboring Bangladesh. Floods there have marooned at least 20,000 people in the northern part of the country. Forecasters said the situation could worsen in the next few days because all major rivers were expected to rise by six inches a day. 
Monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June to September. While they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands, they also leave a trail of landslides, home collapses and floods. 
  
retrieve
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [T] 
to find and bring back (something) 
Her grandson had jumped into a nearby yard to retrieve a ball when he was attacked by the dogs.
retrieval
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [U] 
information storage and retrieval 
swarm
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [C] 
a large group of insects, esp. bees, or any large, busy group 
Swarms of reporters descended on the little town.
swarm
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [I always + adv/prep] 
to move in a large group 
In summer, mosquitoes swarm around that pond 
  
plead (REQUEST)
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [I] 
to make an urgent, emotional statement or request for something 
She appeared on television to plead with the kidnappers to release her husband. 
drown sth out phrasal verb [M] INFORMAL
If a loud noise drowns out another noise, it prevents it from being heard. 
misery      Hide phonetics
noun
1 [C or U] We have witnessed the most appalling scenes of human misery.
Ten years of marriage to him have made her life a misery.
2 [C] INFORMAL someone who is often very unhappy and is always complaining about things:
Oh come on, don't be such a misery 
death toll noun [C usually singular]
the number of people who die because of an event such as a war or an accident:
The day after the explosion the death toll had risen to 90 
abate
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [I/T] 
to become less strong, or to make (something) less strong 
Our desire for consumer goods has not abated 
displace
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [T] 
to force (something or someone) out of its usual or original place 
A major government offensive against rebel groups threatens to displace large numbers of people. 
dam
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [C] 
a wall built across a river to stop the flow and collect the water, esp. to make a reservoir (= an artificial lake) that provides water for an area or can be used to make electricity 
dam
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [T] 
to build a dam across (a river) in order to store the water 
Fish are affected when a river is dammed up 
breach (OPENING)
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [C] 
an opening in a wall or fence or in a line of military defense 
breach
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [T] 
The river breached the dams. 
embankment
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [C] 
an artificial slope made of earth or stones 
a river embankment 
gobble (EAT)
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [T] 
to eat quickly and sometimes noisily 
Nowadays people gobble pills like peanuts.
She gobbled up/down her lunch and hurried back 
swing (MOVE SIDEWAYS)
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [I/T] 
to move backward and forward or from one side to the other, esp. from a fixed point, or to cause (something) to move this way 
He hung upside down and swung back and forth.
The heavy door swung open.
Campanella knew how to swing a bat.
He swung the car into the garage. 
scarce      Hide phonetics
adjective
not easy to find or obtain:
Food and clean water were becoming scarce.
scarce resources
scarcity      Hide phonetics
noun [U]
when something is not easy to find or obtain:
the scarcity of skilled workers 
contaminate  Hide phonetics
verb [T]
to spoil the purity of something or make it poisonous:
Much of the coast has been contaminated by nuclear waste.
The food which had been contaminated was destroyed. 
contaminated      Hide phonetics
adjective 
epidemic  Hide phonetics
noun
1 [C] the appearance of a particular disease in a large number of people at the same time:
a flu/AIDS epidemic
2 [C usually singular] a particular problem that seriously affects many people at the same time:
a crime/unemployment epidemic
epidemic  Hide phonetics
adjective
Poverty in this country has reached epidemic proportions (= has an effect on many people).
Crime and poverty are epidemic in the city. 
horizon
 [Hide phonetics]
noun 
the place in the distance where the earth and sky seem to meet 
We watched the horizon as the sun set.
A person's horizons are the limit of their ideas, knowledge, and experience: Spending her junior year abroad has broadened her horizons. 
relent  Hide phonetics
verb [I] SLIGHTLY FORMAL
to act in a less severe way towards someone and allow something that you had refused to allow before:
Her parents eventually relented and let her go to the party.
The security guard relented and let them through.
relentless  Hide phonetics
adjective
continuing in a severe or extreme way:
relentless criticism/pressure
relentless heat 
monsoon      Hide phonetics
noun [C]
the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries:
The failure of the monsoon would destroy harvests on which 1000 million people rely. 
anguish  Hide phonetics
noun [U]
extreme unhappiness caused by physical or mental suffering:
His anguish at the outcome of the court case was very clear.
In her anguish she forgot to leave a message.
anguished  Hide phonetics
adjective
an anguished cry 
marooned  Hide phonetics
adjective
left in a place from which you cannot escape:
What would you miss most if you found yourself marooned on a desert island?
The police are advising motorists marooned by the blizzards to stay in their cars until the rescue services can reach them.
maroon  Hide phonetics
verb [T] 
parched      Hide phonetics
adjective
1 (especially of earth or crops) dried out because of too much heat and not enough rain:
parched earth/fields/corn
It was the height of summer and the land was parched and brown.
2 INFORMAL extremely thirsty:
I must get a drink - I'm absolutely parched!

Iraq signs $3 billion oil deal with China

         Iraq signs $3 billion oil deal with China 
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq has signed its first major oil deal with a foreign company since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, a spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry said Saturday. 
  
It was the first time in more than 35 years that Iraq has allowed foreign oil companies to do business inside its borders. 
  
The contract with the China National Petroleum Corporation could be worth up to $3 billion. It would allow the CNPC to develop an oil field in southern Iraq's Wasit province for about 20 years, Oil Ministry spokesman Assim Jihad said. 
  
Iraq's Cabinet must still approve the contract, but Jihad said that would happen soon and work could start within a few months. 
  
The Chinese company will provide technical advisers, oil workers and equipment to develop al-Ahdab oil field, providing fuel for al-Zubaidiya power plant in Wasit, southeast of Baghdad, bordering Iran, Jihad said. 
  
Once development begins, the field is expected to start producing a preliminary amount of 25,000 barrels of oil a day and an estimated constant daily amount of 125,000 barrels after three years, he said. 
  
Iraq currently produces about 2.5 million barrels a day, 2 million of which are exported daily, Jihad said. That is close to its status before the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam in 2003, but below its levels prior to the Persian Gulf War in 1991. 
  
Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Shahrastani said in July that he is confident Iraq will be able to double its production in the next five years. 
  
As it did with other international companies, the Saddam regime had a partnership contract with CNPC signed at the end of the 1990s that entitled the company to share profits. The current contract, however, will be only a "service contract" under which CNPC is simply paid for its services, Jihad said. 
  
He said Iraq has provided "security guarantees" for CNPC, as it would for any other foreign company that will work in Iraq's oil fields. 
  
Jihad called it a major and significant move for Iraq. 
  
Iraq sparked a scramble for lucrative oil contracts in June, when Shahrastani opened bidding to 35 international companies for long-term contracts to redevelop six oil fields. 
  
The Oil Ministry continues to negotiate short-term, no-bid contracts with several U.S. and European oil companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell, Total SA, Chevron Corp. and BP. 
  
Iraq has among the largest oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 115 billion barrels, tying Iran for the No. 2 status behind Saudi Arabia's 264 billion barrels, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration. 
petroleum
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [U] 
a dark, thick oil obtained from under the ground and made into fuels such as gas and heating oil, and used in making plastics  
  
prior to= before 
  
preliminary
 [Hide phonetics]
adjective [not gradable] 
coming before a more important action or event, esp. introducing or preparing for it 
preliminary talks
a preliminary investigation 
status (POSITION)
   [Hide phonetics]
noun [U] 
position or rank, esp. in a social group or legal system 
The association works to promote the status of retired people as active and useful members of the community.
Status can also mean state or condition at a particular time: The type of treatment used will depend on the patient's health status. 
topple
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [I/T] 
to lean forward and fall 
A large tree was toppled by the wind.
If a government topples, it is forced from power: Rebels tried to topple the government. 
scramble (MOVE QUICKLY)
 [Hide phonetics]
verb [I] 
to move or climb quickly but with difficulty, often using the hands 
She scrambled to safety away from the fighting.
(FIG.) Poultry farmers scrambled (= worked hard and fast) to provide water to their flocks as pipes burst in Georgia's coldest weather this century.
scramble
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [U] 
(FIG.) There was a mad scramble (= many people moving at once) for the best seats in the theater 
  

lucrative
 [Hide phonetics]
adjective 
producing much money or making a large profit 
The owner and general manager offered the player a lucrative lifetime contract.

Democracy forum

More than 500 elected officials, current and former heads of state, cabinet ministers, party leaders and diplomats are part of the International Leaders Forum. A non-profit group called the National Democratic Institute sponsors the forum every four years, in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention.
The leaders have been hearing from American experts, and talking with each other, about how to make and keep democracy strong. Nigerian Senator Ken Nnamadi, a former Senate president, says he has learned a great deal in the forum seminars, and has learned even more from watching the Democrats' convention.
"There is a lot for the world to learn from the United States, their democratic process," he said. "Here we have come to learn that the process is a lot more important than the outcome."
Seminars at the forum concentrate on numerous aspects of American democracy. Among them are the role of debates, the news media, and television advertising in U.S. campaigns. They also include a look at the U.S. role in the world, and efforts to fight global poverty. 
The visitors have been hearing from speakers such as former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former Irish President Mary Robinson, and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright, the Institute's chairman.
Hanna Teteh, the communications director for an opposition party in Ghana, believes interacting with other countries' political leaders will help her country solidify its young democracy.  
"We are continuing to have to cope with those challenges, including how to ensure that our democracy remains credible, in spite of the various interest groups and pressure groups that come together to try to achieve a particular result," said Teteh. "So to that extent, I think that the interaction has been very useful."
Nicaraguan opposition lawmaker Edmundo Jarquin also finds strength in talking with supporters of other developing democracies. 
"In several places democracy is facing problems," he said, "but there is enormous solidarity between all the democratic movements here in this hemisphere and around the world. Nobody chooses giving up, in regard to the problems democracy is facing in their countries."
Among the leaders observing the American democratic process in Denver is the prime minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam. He says he hopes to continue working with the National Democratic Institute to make changes at home.  
"We need to strengthen procedures for elections in Mauritius," said Prime Minister Ramgoolam. "It's very good, it's very transparent, but I think we can improve on them. And in fact, NDI is bringing a team to have a look at where we can improve our system."
The nomination of Senator Barack Obama as the first African-American major-party presidential nominee was of particular interest to many of the visitors, especially those from Africa. But Nigeria's Ken Nnamadi says the story resonates around the world.
"Regardless of your color, your age, your shape or size, if you work hard and have a big dream, America is a country that shows that you can realize your dream here," he said. "And that means a whole lot for the rest of the world. It's not just because of Obama, it's for everybody."
The International Republican Institute conducts similar programs in conjunction with the Republican Party, and the two organizations often work together. 
words and expressions:
conjunction (COMBINATION)
 [Hide phonetics]
noun [C/U] 
a combination of events or conditions 
Physicists are working in conjunction with engineers on the project. 
Diplomat  Hide phonetics
noun [C]
1 (OLD-FASHIONED diplomatist) an official whose job is to represent one country in another, and who usually works in an embassy:
a Spanish/British diplomat
2 APPROVING a person who is skilled at dealing with difficult situations in a way which does not offend people 
convention (MEETING)  Hide phonetics
noun [C]
a large formal meeting of people who do a particular job or have a similar interest, or a large meeting for a political party:
the national Democratic convention
Where are they holding their party convention? 
various
   [Hide phonetics]
adjective [not gradable] 
several and different 
He underwent various treatments for the disease, none of them successful.
We enjoy eating in various types of restaurants.
After holding various jobs in different states, he settled in Oregon and opened a law office in Portland 
resonate  Hide phonetics
verb [I]
1 to produce, increase or fill with sound, by vibrating (= shaking) objects which are near:
His voice resonated in the empty church.
The noise of the bell resonated through the building.
Compare resound.
2 to be filled with a particular quality:
The building resonates with historic significance.
3 to continue to have a powerful effect or value:
The significance of those great stories resonates down the centuries.
4 If an experience or memory resonates, it makes you think of another similar one:
Her experiences resonate powerfully with me, living, as I do, in a similar family situation