NEWS ON 9/2

1. PARENTS APPLAUD AFTER-HOURS CARETAKING

放学不再愁！上海中小学课后服务上线啦

2. BACKLOG OF UK VISA APPLICATIONS IRKS PARENTS, STUDENTS

加急费“打水漂”！上海英国签证迟迟无音讯

3. TALIBAN TO ANNOUCE REFORMATION OF NEW AFGHAN GOVERNMENT

阿塔发言人：本周五将宣布新政府组建

-----------------记得点亮右下角的爱心哦-----------------

1. PARENTS APPLAUD AFTER-HOURS CARETAKING

放学不再愁！上海中小学课后服务上线啦

As required by the Ministry of Education’s "Double Reduction" policy, after-hours care-taking services commenced【开始】at primary and middle schools. Both parents and children rejoiced as kids can finish their homework during these periods. Sun Siqi has more.

为全面落实教育部“双减”要求，上海各中小学校纷纷根据自身特色和条件，对课后服务进行细化，推出各项举措，“作业不出校门”让家长和孩子们都纷纷拍手称快。

At Hetian Road Primary School in downtown Jing’an, most fourth graders can finish their homework between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.

在静安区和田路小学，课后服务的三点半到四点半是"学习时刻"，一个小时里，四年级的孩子基本都能完成今天的作业。

INTERVIEW

Pan Chenkai, Fourth Grader

Hetian Road Primary School

潘辰楷，上海市静安区和田路小学四年级学生

The teacher helps us with homework, we can ask questions and they answer them. This way, I can play sports when I go home.

在学习时刻老师会指导我们写作业，我们有不懂的问题可以问老师，老师会帮我们解答。回家就可以做一些自己喜欢的体育运动了。

In Xuhui, Shanghai Primary School offers three time options.

位于徐汇区的上海小学课后服务时间为"三段式"。

INTERVIEW

Mao Jianqiong, Principal

Shanghai Primary School

毛坚琼，上海小学校长

More than half of our parents chose 4:30 to 5:15. 80 percent of parents have chosen to keep their kids in after-hours caretaking.

我们一共有80%的家长选择了各种课后服务，4:30到5:15左右的这个时间段是最多的，50%以上的家长都选择了这个时间段。

Parents can also change the time their kid leaves on a daily basis.

在上海小学，家长还可根据家庭需求，"以天为单位"，按需预约课后服务。

INTERVIEW

Parent

家长

I have two sons and both my husband and I have a job. I am so grateful for the service. This way, we can choose different times that suit us for the day. This is a great idea.

对我们这种二胎的双职工家庭来说非常非常的有帮助的，那我们可以根据我们当天哥哥弟弟的不同的上下课时间来选择我们每一天不一样的这个接小孩的时间，是真心要给上海小学点赞的。

Under new policies launched by the Ministry of Education last month, primary and middle schools have to provide caretaking from Monday to Friday for at least two hours a day. The schools are obligated to supervise【监督】students as they do their homework.

根据教育部上个月新推出的政策，中小学需从周一到周五每天至少提供两个小时的课后服务，并进行作业辅导。

2. BACKLOG OF UK VISA APPLICATIONS IRKS PARENTS, STUDENTS

加急费“打水漂”！上海英国签证迟迟无音讯

Some students looking to study in the United Kingdom and their parents have complained to Shanghai Media Group that they’ve been charged thousands of yuan for express visa services, but still hadn’t received the visa after the 15-work day time-limit passed. Sun Siqi brings us what an SMG reporter found after going to the country’s visa application center.

此前部分办理赴英签证的留学生、赴英人员反映，位于四川中路的签证中心收取高昂加急费用，但在15个工作日的审理周期结束后签证却仍迟迟拿不到。记者再次赶赴签证中心，了解后续情况。

At the UK Visa Application Center on 213 Middle Sichuan Road yesterday, parents and students were crowding the entrance. Some said they had paid between 5,600 and 8,800 yuan in express fees, but not received their visa.

昨日（8月31日）签证中心门口挤满了学生和家长，部分受访者表示他们已经支付了5600到8800不等的加急费用，但目前仍未拿到签证。

INTERVIEW

Ms. Chen, Parent

陈女士，学生家长

We submitted【提交】the documents on August 6th, it’s been 17 working days. The application center said you should get the visa in 15 working days. There has been no explanation about what’s going on. At this rate, we’ll miss the flight on September 10th.

我们目前为止从八月六号到现在为止，（递交签证）已经17个工作日了还没下来，本来应该15个工作日之内应该可以下来的。签证一点（说明）都没有，我们是九月十号的飞机有可能会误机。

INTERVIEW

Yuan，Applicant

申请学生袁同学

I submitted on July 26th. It’s been almost 26 working days now, which is twice the amount of time they said it’d take.

7月26号到现在一点消息没有，他们说查不到。正常是十五个工作日就出了，但现在快二十六个工作日了，快两倍的时间了。

Today, another crowd of parents and their child showed up at the same building. The UK’s embassy【大使馆】posted last night on its WeChat account that it had been receiving "a large number of applications and processing was taking longer than usual". It advised students to "make travel plans after obtaining【获得】a valid visa". The notice also explained that the UK Visa Application Center in Shanghai is run by UK-based VFS Global, a company hired by UK Visas and Immigration to collect applications and deliver【寄送】visas. One student was happy when notified her visa was about to be sent.

今日（1日）签证中心门口依旧挤满了学生和家长，对此，"英国驻华使馆"公众号昨晚发布了最新说明，称目前英国签证及移民局收到的各类签证申请量较大，可能需要更长的办理时间，并建议申请人在拿到签证后在计划出行时间。根据该份说明，上海签证中心的运营方为英国的威孚国际（VFS Global），是英国签证及移民局的商业合作伙伴。在现场，有学生幸运地收到了快递通知，称即将拿到签证。

INTERVIEW

When, Applicant

赴英留学生闻同学

They just said mine is going to be delivered this afternoon.

刚刚查到说，今天下午应该会寄出（我的护照）。

Still, more were waiting after the promised deadline had passed.

不过，更多的学生只能焦急等待。

INTERVIEW

Gu, Applicant

赴英留学生顾同学

I paid 8,821 yuan for express service. I haven’t received mine yet. They only gave me this receipt. There’s no formal invoice. They said I’d be getting mine in five working days, it’s now been eight.

我现在还是没有拿到，我是加急了8821元，没有拿到正式的发票，只有这个收据。他们说五个工作日内可以拿到，但现在已经八个工作日了。

Some students said that they have been getting mixed messages about express fees.

一些学生表示，关于中途“收费加急”各方说法并不一致。

-Applicant: Can I pay for express service after I’ve submitted my application? Is this approved by the UKVI?

-Staff at UK Visa Application Center: Yes, it’s not like we’re keeping the money, we wire what we charge to them.

-申请人：现在是可以补加急吗？UKVI（英国签证及移民局）就同意这个（收费）是吗？

-上海签证中心工作人员：对这钱也不是我们收的，我们每个月会汇（到英国签证移民局）。

However, UK Visas and Immigration gave a different message.

但英国签证及移民局对此明确表示否定。

-Applicant: Can I pay for express after the documents have been handed in?

-Staff at UKVI: No.

-申请人：我们学生申请的时候，签证已经递交了，然后中途是可以加急的吗？

-英国签证及移民局工作人员：不可以。

The same company also provides these services for countries including Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Shanghai Live will follow this story.

威孚国际同时还提供爱尔兰、澳大利亚、加拿大以及新西兰签证服务，有关赴英签证问题，我们将继续关注。

3. TALIBAN TO ANNOUCE REFORMATION OF NEW AFGHAN GOVERNMENT

阿塔发言人：本周五将宣布新政府组建

The Taliban said that the three-day meeting of the Supreme Leader’s Council of the Islamic Emirate had concluded【结束】, with important decisions related to governance being finalized. It is also reported that the Taliban will announce the formation【组建】of a new Afghan government on Friday. Lei Shuran has more.

昨天（8月31日）阿塔发言人召开发布会，称为期三天的领导人会议已结束，重点做出政府治理相关决议。阿塔发言人同时表示，将于周五宣布政府组建相关事宜。

A Taliban spokesman said the meeting chaired by supreme leader Hibatullah Akundzada discussed political, social and security issues, he added that Afghansitan is facing an economic crisis and wants good relations with all nations, including the US.

阿塔发言人称，此次会议由最高领导人Hibatullah Akundzada主持，讨论了政治、社会及安全相关议题，同时该发言人也表示阿富汗正面临经济挑战，新政府愿与包括美国在内的世界各国保持良好的政治关系，同时发展经贸关系。

INTERVIEW

Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban Spokesperman

穆贾希德，阿塔发言人

We are on the path of peace with all nations. Our message of peace to the international community is--help us and cooperate with us politically. No one should consider us a threat to them, nor should they become a threat to us.

我们希望与所有国家发展友好关系，我们向国际社会发出和平信息：帮助我们，与我们展开政治合作，不要把我们当成威胁，但也不要成为我们的威胁。

It is reported that the senior deputy leader of the Taliban, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is set to be appointed【任命】as the foreign minister of the new government. In the eastern city of Khost, Taliban supporters paraded coffins draped【覆盖】with American, British and NATO flags as part of their celebrations following the withdrawal【撤离】of the last US troops. In response to the formation of a new government in Afghanistan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said today that a new page has been turned in the history of the war-torn country which is on the threshold【门槛】of national peace and reconstruction.

据报道，阿塔分管Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar将担任新政府的外交部长。在东部城市，塔利班的支持者将美国、英国国旗和北约旗帜盖在棺木之上，庆祝美军撤离，与20年的战乱年代彻底告别。当被问及中方是否承认阿塔新政府时，外交部发言人汪文斌表示，阿富汗历史正在翻开新的一页，饱经苦难的阿富汗人民正迎来国家和平与重建的新起点。

INTERVIEW

汪文斌中国外交部发言人

China sincerely hopes relevant parties in Afghanistan will form an open and inclusive political system, pursue moderate and steady domestic and foreign policies and completely sever【切断】ties with all terrorist organizations.

中方真诚希望阿富汗各方顺应本国人民的迫切愿望和国际社会的普遍期待，构建开放包容的政治架构，奉行温和稳健的内外政策，同各种恐怖组织彻底切割。

Wang said China will pursue a friendly policy for all Afghan people and continue to provide assistance within its capabilities for the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan.

汪文斌表示，中方将一如既往奉行面向全体阿富汗人民的友好政策，继续为阿富汗早日实现和平重建提供力所能及的帮助。

#热词加油站

commence v. /kəˈmens/【开始】

supervise v. /'suːpəvaɪz/【监督】

submit v. /səbˈmɪt/【提交】

embassy n. /ˈembəsɪ/【大使馆】

obtain v. /əbˈteɪn/【获得】

deliver v. /dɪˈlɪvə/【寄送】

conclude v. /kənˈkluːd/【结束】

formation n. /fɔːˈmeɪʃn/【组建】

appoint v. /əˈpɔɪnt/【任命】

drape v. /dreɪp/ 【覆盖】

withdrawal n. /wɪðˈdrɔːəl/【撤离】

threshold n. /ˈθreʃhəʊld/【门槛】

sever v. /ˈsevə/【切断】

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09/02 TOP OF THE DAY 中小学课后服务／上海英国签证难／阿塔组建新政府