UN reform vote to be postponed
Edited by Shen Yang



Germany, Japan, Brazil and India will continue to push for a vote in June on United Nations (UN) Security Council reform, but the date may be postponed until July, German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger said on June 10.

The four countries, aspiring to be new permanent members on an enlarged council, released a final draft resolution on June 8 for reforming the powerful body, which would add 10 new members to the 15-member council, including six new permanent members.

Under a timetable proposed by the four, the 191-nation General Assembly would vote on the draft resolution in June, elect the six new permanent members in mid-July and then adopt another resolution to amend the United Nations Charter by the end of July.

"Hopefully it will be in June," Pleuger told reporters after his counterparts from the other three contenders met with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, "...on the other hand things are flexible and may change."

This is the first time that Germany, the driving force among the four countries, openly acknowledged the possibility of a delay in the vote on the draft resolution.

Pleuger said they briefed Annan on the changes in the new draft and the four countries' intention to go forward with their three-step procedure to reform the council.

Annan reiterated his call for a decision on Security Council expansion before the September UN summit, the German envoy said.

Citing calls by some nations that they need more time for further discussions, Japanese Ambassador Kenzo Oshima said the four countries had not yet made a final decision on when to present the final draft to the General Assembly and put it to a vote.

Diplomats here said there were signs that the four countries had disagreements on when to seek a vote on the draft resolution and a delay in the vote would indicate they would not be sure of getting enough "yes" votes.

Pleuger denied on June 9 that the four candidates had any plan to delay a vote, saying they would stick to the schedule.

The four nations' proposal to increase the permanent seats on the council have been strongly opposed by Italy, Pakistan, Mexico, South Korea, Algeria, Spain and many other countries, which are lobbying heavily against it.

United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan called for a consensus by September 2005 on wide-ranging reforms he has put forward to overhaul the world body including the expansion of the Security Council.

 

 

World in Pictures
Photo source: ImagineChina

	Figure Theatre Festival 国际舞台表演节在德国召开 The picture shows the "Time Cruisers" of the Dutch Theatre company, Abacus, on a futuristic vehicle in a park in Magdeburg, Germany, June 11. The 6th International Figure Theatre Festival was held in Magdeburg and featured 140 artists. Under the title "change of perspective", 60 performances by 40 theatres from 13 countries were planned at different sites.
	Frogs' marriage 印度青蛙举行婚礼 A woman puts vermilion on a female frog sitting beside a male frog during a marriage ceremony of frogs in India on June 5. According to Indian mythology the marriage between frogs will ensure a good monsoon, which is crucial for India's agriculture sector.
	Solar motorcycle 太阳能电动车现身杭州街头 Xu Zhiqing, aged 74, introduces the solar battery powered motorcycle invented by himself during an energy conservation products exhibition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, June 12. The battery of 0.6 square meters will allow the motorcycle to run about 30 kilometers after being charged up under the sun for 4 hours.
	Crazy coffins 德国展出创意棺材 A woman looks at a coffin in the design of a guitar, June 9 at the Museum for Sepulchral Culture in Kassel, Germany. From June 11 to September 11, the museum shows 16 remarkable final resting places produced by the British coffin manufacturer Vic Fearn in the exhibition titled "Crazy Coffins from England".
	Taxi-like boat 古巴出租车改装成船 A video grab shows the blue Mercury 1949 taxi converted into a vessel used by a group of Cuban rafters to cross from Cuba to the US. The group was intercepted at sea by the US Coast Guard off Key West shores, June 7, in Florida, USA. On board were Rafael Diaz Rey, his wife and two children plus nine other people.

Vocabulary
aspire 渴望
reiterate 重申
envoy 外交使节
lobby 游说
vermilion 朱红色
monsoon 雨季

 

 

World in Words
Collected & translated by Beverly

"Beating Paraguay wasn't paradise, so this isn't hell."
"战胜巴拉圭不是上了天堂; 同样今天也不意味着地狱. "
After routing Paraguay 4-1, Brazil lost the qualifying game by 1-3 to Argentina. But Parreira, the head coach, remained confident.
--巴西队在4:1痛宰巴拉圭队后, 以1:3的大比分输给阿根廷队, 但是主教练佩雷拉并没有因此失去信心.

"Through all the changes that have swept Hollywood over the years, one thing still endures: strategic love. "
"这些年来, 好莱坞发生了很多变化, 唯一不变的就是: 战略式爱情. "
Polls in People and US Weekly show that a majority of both publications' readers deem the love affair of Tom Cruise with Katie Holmes as a publicity stunt.
--《人民杂志》和《美国周报》的调查显示这两份杂志的读者中有大部分人都认为汤姆·克鲁斯与凯蒂·赫尔姆斯的绯闻不过是一种炒作.

"The heart of a healthy 70-year-old woman could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old's."
"一名健康的70岁老妇和一位20岁女性的心脏几乎一样健壮. "
British researchers have found the solution to the age-old riddle of why many women live longer than men. It's their pumping power.
--英国研究者们终于解开了长期以来困惑人类的难解之谜: 为何多数女性比男性长寿. 原因就是她们心脏的供血动力.

"You can achieve much more efficient and powerful and effective protection with this one ingredient. "
"加入这一成分, 可以对你起到很大很有效的保护作用. "
Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a dermatologist at New York University. Mexoryl SX, an illegal sunscreen made by the Paris-based skin-care giant L'Oréal, is particulary useful in preventing wrinkles.
--纽约大学皮肤学者雷格尔博士认为由法国护肤品牌欧莱雅配制的Mexoryl SX防晒剂虽然还未获得合法认可, 但对于防止皱纹有独特的功效.