Politics this week (2020.03.26) Part.02

The supreme leader of Iran, which is fighting one of the world’s worst outbreaks of covid-19, rejected an offer of aid from America. “Possibly your medicine is a way to spread the virus more,” said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, revealing an odd worldview. China’s ambassador to America said it was “harmful” to speculate about the origin of covid-19. His remarks appeared aimed at a baseless conspiracy theory, promoted by some Chinese diplomats, that the American army may have brought the virus to China.

• supreme
  • highest in rank or position （级别或地位）最高的，至高无上的
• worldview
  • 世界观
• ambassador
  • 大使，使节
• speculate
  • 推测，猜测
• remark
  • 谈论，言论，评述
• be aimed at sth
  • 目的是，旨在
• baseless
  • 无根据的
• conspiracy theory
  • 阴谋论
• promote
  • to help sth to happen or develop 推动，促进
• diplomat
  • 外交官
  • embassy 大使馆
  • ambassador 大使

Hubei, the province in China worst-hit by covid-19, allowed most of its people to move freely again, as long as they have no symptoms. Official said the lockdown of the province’s capital, Wuhan, where the disease was first discovered, would end on April 8th, 11 weeks after it was imposed. China continued to report few if any newly confirmed domestic cases of infection.

• impose
  • to introduce a new law, rule, tax, etc 推行，采用（规章制度）；强制实行
  • 把……强加于
    • impose limitations/restrictions/constraints on sth
• domestic
  • 国内的；家庭的，家用的

The Speaker of Israel’s parliament, Yuli Edelstein, resigned instead of complying with a Supreme Court order to hold a vote on his replacement. The opposition bloc, which won a majority in the last election, hopes to appoint a new Speaker and may seek to bar Binyamin Netanyahu from leading a new government. Mr Edelstein, an ally of the prime minister, had been accused of obstructing those moves.

• parliament
  • 议会，国会
• resign
  • 辞职
• comply with
  • 服从，顺从，遵从
• bloc
  • （政治利益一致的）国家集团
• seek
  • to try to do sth 试图，设法
• bar sb (from doing sth)
  • 阻止（某人做某事）
• obstruct
  • （故意）妨碍，阻碍；阻挡