Monday, December 26
“This past week, China concluded the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC). The forum, often referred to as the country’s highest-level discussion on the economic outlook, policy agendas, and government priorities, examines affairs in 2022 ...
The most important foreign affairs events of the week | ||
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December 19, 2022 | ||
“This past week, China concluded the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC). The forum, often referred to as the country’s highest-level discussion on the economic outlook, policy agendas, and government priorities, examines affairs in 2022 and charts China’s course in 2023. There are three main takeaways. First, China’s economy is under great downward pressure. Second, although Beijing is bent on shoring up growth, it is set to take a cautious approach. And third, as Beijing opts to ‘live with the virus,’ the government needs to coordinate epidemic prevention and economic development.” | ||
Click here to read more about the issue. | ||
In this context, the noun outlook means “expectation for the future; the view or prospect from a particular place.” Close synonyms are “forecast”, “projection”, and “perspective”. | ||
The phrasal verb shore up means “to support or help something.” Close synonyms are “support”, “underpin”, and “strengthen”. | ||
December 20, 2022 | ||
“The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ended in Montreal, Canada, on 19 December 2022 with a landmark agreement to guide global action on nature through to 2030. Chaired by China and hosted by Canada, COP 15 resulted in the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which includes concrete measures to halt and reverse nature loss, including putting 30 percent of the planet and 30 percent of degraded ecosystems under protection by 2030.” | ||
Click here to read more about the issue. | ||
The noun landmark means “an event marking an important stage of development or a turning point in history.” Close synonyms are “milestone”, “turningpoint”, and “benchmark”. | ||
The noun framework means “a fundamental structure, as for a written work.” Close synonyms are “structure”, “plan”, and “arrangement”. | ||
December 21, 2022 | ||
“On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin directed Russia’s military to overcome its equipment problems on the battlefield and assented to an increase in the size of the country’s armed forces. Mr. Putin said that Russia’s goals in Ukraine would “certainly” be accomplished, reaffirming that he has no intention of giving up in the war against Ukraine. The speech came against the backdrop of Wednesday’s visit to Washington by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.” | ||
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The transitive verb overcome means “to deal with successfully; prevail over; surmount.” Close synonyms are “rise above”, “subdue”, and “quell”. | ||
The noun backdrop means “the background to any scene or situation.” Close synonyms are “environment”, “circumstance”, and “scene”. | ||
December 22, 2022 | ||
“With Mexico in the lead, a coalition of countries bucked the normal procedures and traditions of consensus in a key U.N. committee that oversees international law, opening the door for the eventual adoption of the first-ever U.N. treaty addressing crimes against humanity. Although the fight is far from over, as getting world powers to adopt it is still years off, Russia and China will face an uphill battle to stymie this new U.N. treaty crucial to human rights.” | ||
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The transitive verb buck means “to oppose directly and stubbornly; go against.” Close synonyms are “resist”, “oppose”, and “defy”. | ||
The transitive verb stymie means “to be an obstacle to something; prevent the advancement or success of; thwart or stump.” | ||
December 23, 2022 | ||
“Amid the political chaos following the ousting of Peru’s President Pedro Castillo, Peruvian lawmakers proposed a bill to dismantle existing reserves for ‘uncontacted’ Indigenous people. The proposal flies in the face of abundant documentary evidence of the existence of up to 25 isolated groups living in the country’s Amazon rainforest, which is second in size only to Brazil’s.” | ||
Click here to read more about the issue. | ||
The expression indigenous people is the correct form to address “first people, aboriginal people, native people, or autochthonous people”, which are ethnic groups who are native to a particular place. | ||
The expression fly in the face of (comething) means “to completely oppose what seems sensible or normal.” |
