Two packed commuter trains have crashed head-on outside Brussels, killing at least 18 people and injuring many others. The trains, carrying between 250 and 300 passengers, collided in snowy conditions Monday morning just outside a train station in Buizingen, about 15 kilometers southwest of the Belgian capital.
Provincial Governor Lodewijk De Witte told reporters the rush-hour crash occurred when one of the trains apparently ran a red light and plowed into an express train. Rail officials earlier Monday reported 25 deaths. The number of injured was still being tallied, as rescue efforts continued at the crash site Monday afternoon. Television footage showed the two smashed locomotives forced up in the air, with passenger cars strewn over a wide area. Train speed at the time of the crash was not immediately known.
伊朗称正在研究核燃料加工新方案 (Iran Says Studying New Nuclear Fuel Deal)
Iran says it is studying new proposals for a nuclear fuel deal from the United States, Russia and France, though Paris and Moscow deny that any new offers were made. Iranian media Monday quote the head of Iran's Atomic Energy organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, as saying the proposals were received after Tehran announced it was enriching its own uranium to a higher level.
A French foreign ministry spokesperson dismissed Salehi's claim, saying the only proposition to Iran is the one presented by the International Atomic Energy Agency last October. Interfax news agency reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry also says Moscow and its partners did not make any new proposals to Tehran. Iran has given mixed signals on whether it will accept the IAEA proposal. The deal would have Iran ship uranium abroad for further enrichment, to ease concerns about its ability to develop a nuclear weapon.作者: chubbycat 时间: 19-2-2010 06:16
02-16-10
美国投资修建更多核电站(US Prepares to Boost Nuclear Power Production )
U.S. President Barack Obama says funding for the country's first nuclear reactors in 30 years is just the beginning of efforts to eliminate the nation's dependence on foreign energy sources. The president Tuesday unveiled an $8 billion government loan guarantee for the construction of two new reactors near the southeastern city of Atlanta, Georgia.
Mr. Obama told workers and officials at a jobs training center just outside Washington that the U.S. must do more to create clean energy to reduce its dependence on oil imports. He warned that other countries, including China, are already investing heavily in nuclear energy and that the U.S. is in danger of falling behind. The loan guarantee is part of a $18.5 billion program authorized by the U.S. Congress in 2005. Mr. Obama has proposed increasing funding for the program to $54 billion in his 2011 budget proposal.
克林顿：伊朗或挑起核武器竞赛 (Clinton: Iran May Provoke Nuclear Arms Race)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Tuesday that Iran may trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if it obtains a nuclear weapon. The secretary told an audience in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia that evidence does not support Iran's claim that its nuclear program is being developed for peaceful purposes only. Clinton made the remarks during a speech at an all women's college called Dar al-Hekma.
Earlier Tuesday, Iran's foreign minister disputed Clinton's Monday remarks that Iran is becoming a military dictatorship. Iranian media quoted Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying that Clinton is trying to manipulate public opinion of Iran with "unreal and incorrect issues."Mottaki accused the United States of being like a military dictatorship through its actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.作者: chubbycat 时间: 19-2-2010 06:17
02-17-10
伊朗最高领袖指责美国撒谎(Iran Supreme Leader Accuses US of 'Lies' )
Iran's supreme leader Khamenei has accused U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of spreading "lies" against the Islamic republic during her tour of the Persian Gulf. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also accused the United States of turning the region into a so-called "arms depot" to get money from countries in the region.
Iranian state media reported the remarks Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Secretary Clinton wrapped up a trip to the region aimed at gathering support for a new round of United Nations sanctions against Tehran for pressing ahead with its uranium enrichment program.
During the trip, Secretary Clinton warned that Iran may trigger a nuclear arms race if it obtains a nuclear weapon. She also raised concerns that Iran was turning into a military dictatorship because of a power shift to the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps.
奥巴马政府说巨额刺激计划奏效 (Obama Administration Says Huge Stimulus Program Is Working)
Obama administration officials on Wednesday mark the one-year anniversary of their controversial $787 billion economic stimulus program.
They say the program has kept the recession from getting worse and has saved or created millions of jobs. But opposition Republicans say the program is ineffective and has failed to significantly reduce unemployment.
As part of the stimulus anniversary on Wednesday Mr. Obama is set to unveil a $1.5 billion program to fix roads and bridges that is intended to create jobs as well as fix crumbling infrastructure. So far the administration has spent less than half of the $787 billion dollars.
Republican critics say the stimulus package is one reason the United States faces a huge budget deficit that could hurt the economy.
Thursday, Mr. Obama is scheduled to sign an executive order creating a bipartisan commission seeking ways to solve the difficult political problem of slashing the deficit, which could hit $1.6 trillion next year.作者: bubblejenny 时间: 19-2-2010 10:51
肥猫辛苦了！ 作者: kittee 时间: 19-2-2010 16:59
谢谢肥猫
每日学习作者: chubbycat 时间: 20-2-2010 00:58
02-18-10
伊拉克安巴尔省自杀汽车炸弹13人死(Suicide Car Bomber Kills 13 in Iraq's Anbar Province)
Iraqi officials say two car bombs have exploded in the country, one of which killed at least 13 people outside a local government office in the western province of Anbar.
Officials say Thursday's Anbar attack involved a suicide bomber detonating a vehicle at a checkpoint near the provincial governor's compound in the city of Ramadi. They say four policemen were among those killed, while the blast also wounded 26 people and damaged a restaurant.
In the second attack, a car bomb went off near a police station in the northern city of Mosul Thursday, wounding at least 22 people.
Anbar has seen a rise in attacks on security forces and government officials in recent months. It is a predominantly Sunni region that once was a key base for insurgents fighting U.S.-led forces.
Violence in Anbar fell significantly after 2006, when local Sunni tribes began siding with the U.S. military to drive out militants.
在海地获释的美国传教士抵达美国 (Missionaries Freed from Haiti Arrive in U.S.)
Eight American missionaries who were charged with kidnapping children in earthquake-ravaged Haiti have arrived in the U.S., nearly three weeks after they were arrested in the Caribbean nation.
A U.S. military cargo plane carrying the group landed early Thursday at a Miami, Florida, airport.
The missionaries made few, if any, comments to reporters before at least seven of them entered a nearby hotel.
On Wednesday, a Haitian judge released the eight missionaries from jail. But the judge said the leader of the group of Baptist missionaries, Laura Silsby, and another woman, Charisa Coulter, would remain in custody to face further questioning about their alleged attempt to take 33 children out of the country illegally.
A lawyer for Silsby and Coulter, says his clients are innocent.作者: chubbycat 时间: 21-2-2010 02:32
02-19-10
联合国特使与昂山素季会面遭拒 (UN Envoy Denied Meeting with Burma's Suu Kyi)
The United Nations' special envoy on human rights in Burma says he deeply regrets that Burma's military government denied him a meeting with opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest.
U.N. envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana told reporters Friday he was particularly disappointed to be denied a meeting because this year Burma is expected to hold its first national elections in 20 years. He said no reason was given for the denial.
Quintana met Friday with a number of government officials to discuss the elections and other issues. He said he was not told when elections will be held or when an anticipated election law governing the vote will be announced.
He said the government also refused to release any political prisoners or even acknowledge that such prisoners exist.
The envoy made the comments at the end of his five-day visit to Burma.
北韩：不会放弃核武器 (North Korea: We Will Not Give Up Nuclear Weapons)
North Korea says it will not give up its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic aid, saying the program is designed to counter a nuclear threat from the United States.
In an editorial Friday, the official Korean Central New Agency says North Korea did not seek to develop nuclear weapons for economic benefit or to threaten others, but only out of self-defense.
The editorial says it would be a mistake to think North Korea would give up its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid. It said the key to settling the nuclear issue is to bring an end to what the agency calls the U.S. "hostile policy" towards North Korea.
The United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea have been pushing for North Korea to end its nuclear arms programs in exchange for aid.作者: nizi 时间: 22-2-2010 13:01 作者: chubbycat 时间: 24-2-2010 02:08
02-22-10
阿富汗：北约空袭造成27名平民丧生 (Afghanistan: NATO Airstrike Kills 27 Civilians)
The Afghan government says a NATO airstrike has killed 27 civilians in southern Afghanistan.
The Council of Ministers released a statement Monday condemning the incident as "unjustifiable." Early reports said 33 died, but officials later lowered the number to 27.
NATO said the airstrike targeted insurgents who were believed to be traveling to attack allied troops. A NATO statement said that after the strike NATO forces found women and children and transported them to medical facilities.
In eastern Afghanistan, meanwhile, police say a suicide bomber killed at least 14 people, including an influential tribal leader.
Police in Nangarhar province said the attacker targeted a meeting of tribal elders.
巴基斯坦斯瓦特山谷自杀式炸弹手炸死八人 (Suicide Bomber Kills 8 in Pakistan's Swat Valley)
Police in northwest Pakistan's Swat district say a suicide bomber targeting a military convoy has killed at least eight people, including some children.
The attack occurred in Swat's main city Mingora, which has been relatively calm since last year's army offensive largely drove out Taliban militants. The army claims the area is now mostly clear of insurgents, although soldiers continue to battle militants in nearby tribal areas.
Meanwhile, Pakistani officials say they have captured another Afghan Taliban leader hiding in Pakistan.
Police say they arrested Mullah Abdul Kabir in Nowshera, a town about 90 kilometers northwest of the capital Islamabad.
Media reports say he was the top Taliban representative in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.
He is the third such high-ranking Taliban figure to be taken into custody since the capture of Mullah Baradar, the operational commander of the Afghan Taliban.作者: chubbycat 时间: 24-2-2010 06:41
02-23-10
中国加紧对网站的限制 (China Tightens Restrictions on Web Sites)
China has tightened its controls on Internet use, requiring anyone who wants to set up a Web site to meet directly with government regulators.
The new rules, published by the Technology Ministry this week, also require Web site owners to submit their identity cards and personal photos.
A ministry statement says the measures will help the country deal with online pornography. But human rights defenders say the regulations are just a new form of government censorship.
China has about 380 million Internet users, the world's biggest online population. The government carefully censors the Web to filter out sexually explicit or violent content, as well as information it considers to be a challenge to the ruling Communist Party.
The controls announced this week lift a freeze that the Technology Ministry imposed in December on new Web site registrations.
中国敦促通过外交途径解决伊朗核争议 (China Urges Diplomatic Solution to Iran Nuke Dispute)
China has repeated its call for a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, as other international powers urge new sanctions.
Chinese foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang told reporters Tuesday that the parties involved in the standoff should promote a process of dialogue and negotiations.
The United States and other world powers have been calling for a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment activity.
Iran says it has begun enriching uranium to a higher level, a process that world powers fear could give Iran the capability to build a nuclear weapon. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Israel, which considers Iran its greatest enemy, says it is sending a delegation to China next week for discussions that are expected to focus on the nuclear dispute.作者: chubbycat 时间: 25-2-2010 08:24
02-24-10
雅典防暴警察向抗议群众投放催泪弹(Athens Riot Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters)
Greek riot police have fired tear gas at demonstrators in Athens, as clashes erupted Wednesday on the fringes of a large protest march against government austerity measures.
Police say the clashes broke out when scores of rock-throwing youths tried to storm a building near parliament in central Athens.
Some 30,000 Greek civil servants and private sector workers walked off their jobs in a 24-hour protest against government cutbacks designed to pull Greece out of its financial crisis.
The measures include wage freezes, tax hikes and raising the retirement age.The Greek civil servants' union says government workers have become the targets of sharp spending cuts.
Greece's budget deficit was nearly 13 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product at the end of 2009 -- more than four times the European Union ceiling.
美国之音在1942首播现今68周年 (Anniversary of VOA's First Broadcast in 1942)
Wednesday is the 68th anniversary of the first overseas broadcast by the Voice of America.
On February 24, 1942, VOA broadcast its first program in the German language, as a means of countering Nazi wartime propaganda to the German people. During that broadcast, announcer William Harlan Hale told his audience, "The news may be good. The news may be bad. We shall tell you the truth."
This was just 79 days after the United States entered World War Two. By the end of the war, VOA was broadcasting in 40 languages from its studios in New York.
Today, from its headquarters in Washington, DC, VOA uses radio, television and the Internet to reach an estimated audience of 125 million people. It broadcasts in 45 languages, including English.作者: chubbycat 时间: 26-2-2010 07:35
02-25-10
奥巴马主持峰会以化解医保改革案分歧 (Obama Hosts Summit to Salvage US Health Care Bill)
U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Democratic and Republican lawmakers to bridge their differences on health care reform, at a special televised summit aimed at reviving legislation that has stalled in Congress.
At the summit Thursday, President Obama said there is "significant agreement" across party lines on many health care issues. He said his hope for the scheduled six-hour meeting is that leaders on both sides can focus on the areas of agreement and not just on issues of disagreement.
He said he hopes the discussion is not just "political theater."
Speaking for the Republicans, Senator Lamar Alexander said his party believes lawmakers should "start over" on health care reform, with a goal of reducing health care costs. He said Republicans would like to work step-by-step with Democrats to write a new health care bill.
俄罗斯呼吁伊朗负起核项目责任 (Russia Calls on Iran to Act Responsibly With Nuclear Program)
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has called on Iran to act responsibly to help end an international dispute over its nuclear program.
Russian media quote Mr. Medvedev as saying Iran should conduct its nuclear activities in a transparent manner. He also warned of a humanitarian disaster if, in his words, "something very serious happens." He did not elaborate.
Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has not ruled out supporting new sanctions against Iran. Moscow says any such sanctions must be aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons rather than punishing Iran as a whole.
Western nations accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program - a charge Tehran denies.作者: chubbycat 时间: 1-3-2010 05:38
02-26-10
Thailand's highest court says it will confiscate $1.4 billion of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's assets. The Thai Supreme Court Friday order that amount seized from the gains made by the sale of his family's telecommunications firm (Shin Corp). Mr. Thaksin's $2.3 billion fortune was frozen after he was toppled for alleged corruption in a 2006 coup.
In its reading of a lengthy verdict, the court said the former telecommunications mogul illegally concealed his ownership of shares in the company while in office, and shaped government policies in order to benefit the company. The court said the assets gained before Mr. Thaksin became prime minister will not be confiscated, but it is not clear if they will be released to him. Thailand's ousted leader watched the proceedings from his exile home in Dubai. In a videotaped message, he called the ruling "very political."
伊拉克两万前萨达姆时期军官复职 (Iraq to Rehire 20,000 Saddam-Era Army Officers)
The Iraqi government says it will reinstate 20,000 army officers who served under Saddam Hussein and were fired after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. A Defense Ministry spokesman, Mohammad al-Askari, said Friday the former officers will be rehired right away. This move comes just a few days before parliamentary elections on March 7, prompting some to allege that the rehiring step is political.
Opposition members are accusing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of trying to win support from Saddam's Ba'ath party, which has been marginalized since the dictator's ouster. The government denies any connection. Sectarian tensions have flared recently, especially after the government banned nearly 500 candidates from taking part in the March 7 vote for allegedly having ties to the Ba'ath party. The majority of the disqualified candidates are minority Sunnis.作者: chubbycat 时间: 4-3-2010 01:31
03-01-10
The U.S. Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal from seven Chinese Muslims being held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The high court said last year it would hear the appeal, but on Monday scrapped those plans, saying the Uighurs had resettlement offers from other countries.
The Pentagon determined some five years ago that the Uighurs are not a threat to the United States, and had been seeking countries to take them. The United States has refused to send them back to China or grant them U.S. refugee status.
China has accused the men, who are from the western Xinjiang province, of being separatists and has demanded their return. The Uighurs are a Turkic-speaking Chinese Muslim minority.
The men were part of a larger group of Uighurs taken into custody by American forces in Afghanistan following the invasion of that country in 2001.
报告：中国试图在北极问题上发挥作用 (Report: China Trying to Gain Leverage in Arctic)
EAn international peace research group said Monday China is stepping up efforts to secure a role in deciding the future of Arctic issues, as melting ice raises hopes of a shorter shipping route to the Atlantic.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in a report that Beijing is putting more resources into researching the far north and is striving to position itself so it will not be excluded from access to the Arctic.
The report says China is at a disadvantage because it is not an Arctic state. Competing sovereignty claims in the region are primarily being discussed by five key nations bordering the Arctic -- the U.S., Canada, Russia, Norway and Denmark.作者: chubbycat 时间: 4-3-2010 01:33
03-02-10
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg arrived in Beijing Tuesday for talks with Chinese officials meant to repair ties strained by recent diplomatic squabbles.
Steinberg is also expected to address the North Korean nuclear program with China, which is Pyongyang's strongest ally.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters Monday that relations between the two nations have been on "a bit of a bumpy path," and said he thinks both sides would like to return to normal as quickly as possible.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters Tuesday that responsibility for the current state of China-U.S. relations does not lie with the Chinese side, but completely with the U.S. side.
造成伤亡的地震过后克林顿访问智利 (Clinton Visits Chile in Wake of Deadly Earthquake)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in earthquake-stricken Chile, the third stop on her six-nation tour of Latin America.
Clinton was greeted Tuesday at the airport in Santiago by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
During her brief visit, Secretary Clinton is delivering much-needed satellite phones. The communications equipment is the first U.S. assistance to the South American nation since Saturday's earthquake.
Other details of U.S. aid are to be discussed during Clinton's visit, which includes talks with Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera, who takes office next week.
On Monday, Secretary Clinton held talks in Buenos Aires with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who asked for help mediating Argentina's dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands.
Clinton said the U.S. will encourage both nations to engage in diplomacy, but will not commit to a more involved role.作者: chubbycat 时间: 8-3-2010 03:54
03-03-10
智利救援人员继续搜寻地震幸存者 (Chilean Crews Continue Search for Quake Survivors)
Chilean rescue crews are continuing to search for survivors, four days after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake devastated parts of the country and killed nearly 800 people.
Officials said Wednesday the death toll from the February 27 quake is likely to increase as crews recover bodies under piles of rubble.
As the recovery effort continues, Chilean troops are working to stop the looting and violence that brought chaos to cities like Concepcion. Many stores have been ransacked and some have been set ablaze.An 18-hour curfew remains in place in Concepcion, the country's second largest city, and military personnel are on patrol to make sure food and water are distributed properly. Concepcion was the city closest to the epicenter of the earthquake.
Some residents are taking steps to ensure their own security, setting up roadblocks to keep track of everyone entering their neighborhoods.
中国判处三名奶粉厂负责人有期徒刑 (Three Chinese Dairy Executives Convicted in Tainted Milk Case)
Three Chinese dairy executives have been convicted and sent to prison for reselling tainted milk that sickened hundreds of thousands of children in 2008.
A court in Shanghai sentenced the executives to prison terms of between three to five years during a hearing Wednesday.All three executives worked for Shanghai Panda Dairy Company, where food safety inspectors found eight batches of condensed milk and milk powder contaminated with melamine. The dairy was shut down, and its business and food production licenses revoked.
Six children died and 300,000 became ill after they consumed milk laced with melamine, which is used for making plastics, fertilizers and concrete. Its high nitrogen content allows protein levels to appear higher when it is added to milk or animal feed. When consumed by humans melamine can cause kidney stones and kidney failure.作者: chubbycat 时间: 8-3-2010 03:55
03-04-10
中国敦促美国修复两国关系 (China Presses U.S. To Fix Relations)
China urged the United States Thursday to take action to repair the countries' strained relations, after two U.S. diplomats ended a special mission to Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang says Washington has to sincerely respect China's core interests. He specifically mentioned Taiwan and Tibet.
U.S.-China relations deteriorated significantly in recent months after Washington approved a weapons sale to Taiwan, and U.S. President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama at the White House.U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Senior White House Asia adviser Jeffrey Bader spent the past three days talking with officials in China. They flew to Japan on Thursday.China's foreign ministry spokesman called the talks candid and in-depth.U.S. officials have said little about the outcome of the talks.
台湾高雄发生百年最大地震 (6.4 Earthquake Hits Southern Taiwan, Largest in Century)
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has hit southwestern Taiwan's Kaohsiung area, causing aftershocks that were felt as far north as Taipei, some 250 kilometers away near the island's northern tip.The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake occurred Thursday morning, at a depth of about 23 kilometers. At least 15 aftershocks have occurred.Dozens of people have been reported injured.
The epicenter of the quake was in in Kaohsiung county, which is still recovering from a massive typhoon that struck last August.Officials say temporary housing set up for those typhoon survivors collapsed from the earthquake.Seismologists say it is the biggest quake to hit the area in a century.作者: chubbycat 时间: 8-3-2010 03:56
03-05-10
美国2月份失业率持稳9.7%* (US Unemployment Rate Steady at 9.7%)
The U.S. unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent in February, with 14.9 million Americans were out of work. Friday's report from the Labor Department says the economy had a net loss of 36,000 jobs for the month.
The report also says the jobless rate was higher for men than for women, and higher for blacks than for whites. Unusually bad winter weather snarled commerce in some parts of the United States, which probably cost some jobs, but it is not clear how many. The report says employment dropped in the construction and information sectors, but rose for temporary help services. Hiring temporary workers can be a step toward eventually adding full-time employees. February's job losses are far lower than those of early 2009, when 700,000 jobs were vanishing each month.
A series of strong aftershocks has rattled Chile, not far from where the deadly 8.8 magnitude quake caused widespread destruction and triggered a tsunami nearly a week ago. The U.S. Geological Survey says the aftershock early Friday had a magnitude of 6.6 and was centered 41 kilometers northwest of Concepcion, the city hardest hit by last Saturday's quake. There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries. A magnitude 6.3 aftershock rocked northern Chile late Thursday.
Earlier, Chile declared a three-day mourning period to remember those lost in Saturday's quake. The official death toll from the quake stands at 802, but reports say Chile is reviewing that figure because in some places the missing were counted as dead. President Michelle Bachelet has said it could take at least three or four years to rebuild the country.作者: chubbycat 时间: 9-3-2010 06:57
03-08-10
盖茨警告说阿富汗面临“艰巨的战斗 (Gates Warns of 'Hard Fighting' in Afghanistan)
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Kabul, where he says Afghan and international troops have "hard fighting" ahead of them. Speaking to reporters Monday, Gates praised recent NATO gains, including the takeover of the southern Taliban-held town of Marjah. But when asked if the Marjah offensive and the recent capture of senior Taliban commanders in Pakistan are having a noticeable impact on the Afghan battlefield, he warned against "reading too much" into specific developments and warned of "hard days" ahead.
He said that overall, the situation in Afghanistan remains serious, but it has stopped deteriorating. The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, says allied forces in the south will gradually mass over the coming months to secure Kandahar, a key city in the Taliban's traditional southern stronghold.
自杀汽车爆炸手在拉合尔袭击巴基斯坦警察 (Suicide Car Bomber Hits Pakistani Police in Lahore)
Pakistani police say a powerful suicide car bomb has rocked the eastern city of Lahore, killing at least 13 people and wounding 70. Hospital officials say a woman and a child were among those killed in the attack. The Monday morning rush-hour explosion collapsed the two-story building housing the Federal Investigation Agency, damaged several nearby buildings and left a large, gaping crater. Authorities estimate as much as 600 kilograms of explosives was used in the attack. Pakistan's Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the police investigation offices. Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq says it was to avenge U.S. drone attacks and Pakistani military operations in the tribal areas near the Afghan border.
News reports from the region say at least five people were killed in suspected U.S. pilotless aircraft strikes on Monday. The reports say the missile strikes occurred in Miran Shah, the main town of North Waziristan tribal region. The U.S. embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the attack in Lahore. An embassy statement says such "brutal acts" illustrate a terrorist agenda of "fear and intimidation."作者: chubbycat 时间: 17-3-2010 01:14
03-10-10
U.S. President Barack Obama says the situation in Haiti remains dire, with people in desperate need of shelter, food and medicine after the devastating January 12 earthquake.President Obama said the challenge is to prevent a second disaster in the country.
Mr. Obama spoke at the White House Wednesday after a private meeting with President Ren? Preval. He said they discussed recovery and reconstruction efforts. Mr. Obama described the earthquake as one of the most devastating disasters to strike the hemisphere.
Mr. Preval is also meeting with U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as key members of Congress urge an expansion of U.S. trade benefits to help Haiti rebuild its clothing sector.
A United Nations official says Iraq's electoral commission plans to announce preliminary results from parliamentary elections on Thursday.
Iraq special representative, Ad Melkert, says he is confident the commission will be able to release the initial findings Thursday based on information he has received. Melkert spoke during a news conference in Baghdad Wednesday.
Election officials initially planned to publish preliminary results from Sunday's vote earlier this week for seats in Baghdad and some provinces. The Iraqi capital is a key electoral prize for competing factions, as it commands about one-fifth of the 325 seats in parliament.
Meanwhile, Iraq's Accountability and Justice Commission has moved to annul the votes for 55 candidates. The Shi'ite leaders of the commission say the candidates have ties to the outlawed Ba'ath Party of former leader Saddam Hussein.作者: chubbycat 时间: 17-3-2010 01:15
03-11-10
China is reacting angrily to the Dalai Lama's latest speech on religious and ethnic rights, saying it exposed his intent to split China. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday the Dalai Lama's reference to the Xinjiang region as "East Turkestan" proves the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader wants to sabotage ethnic unity. The Dalai Lama expressed solidarity with Xinjiang's Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim Uighurs in a speech Wednesday marking the 51st anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.
Using the name given to the region by pro-independence Uighur exiles, the Dalai Lama said the people of East Turkestan have experienced increased oppression. He also accused China of trying to deliberately annihilate Buddhism in Tibet. The Dalai Lama says he is seeking greater Tibetan autonomy. Beijing insists he wants full independence.
The number of Americans signing up for unemployment compensation dropped by 6,000 last week, falling to a total of 462,000.Thursday's report from the Labor Department shows that jobless claims have been falling for about one year.
Some economists say a recovering economy means companies will soon stop cutting jobs and begin hiring. That will be welcome news to the millions of unemployed people in the United States because a separate study by a private research group says the recession has doubled the time it takes for laid-off workers to find new jobs. The Economic Policy Institute says it now takes more than 19 weeks to get new work, a huge increase from the eight weeks it took at the beginning of the recession.作者: chubbycat 时间: 17-3-2010 01:17
03-12-10
中国动物园饿死11只东北虎 (Rare Tigers Starve to Death in China Zoo)
Eleven rare Siberian tigers have died in a Chinese zoo over the past three months, as conservation groups worldwide struggle to protect the endangered cat.The tigers died in the Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo in the capital of the northeastern province of Liaoning. Local authorities say the animals died of malnutrition.
Chinese official news agency, Xinhua, reported Thursday that the cash-poor zoo fed the tigers only cheap chicken bones. Hungry tigers attacked a zoo worker in November and two of the tigers were killed during the rescue. China has thousands of tigers living in captivity, but only about 50 are left roaming in the wild. An estimated 20 are the rare Siberian sub-species.
U.S. retail sales rose in February, in spite of record snowfalls in some parts of the country that were expected to slow business.Friday's report from the Commerce Department says retail sales gained three-tenths of a percent.
Economists watch retail sales closely because consumer demand drives about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.Auto sales declined, perhaps hurt by Toyota recalls and foul weather. Outside that volatile area, sales in the rest of the economy gained eight-tenths of a percent.Some analysts say the figures may mean that consumer spending will recover and contribute to economic growth sooner than they expected.作者: chubbycat 时间: 17-3-2010 01:18
03-15-10
美国敦促以色列取消定居点计划 (U.S. Urges Israel to Cancel Settlement Plan)
The U.S. is pressuring Israel to abandon a controversial plan to expand settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. The Associated Press quotes unnamed Israeli officials who say the U.S. wants the country to cancel the construction project. Israeli media say Israel's ambassador to the United States has warned that U.S.-Israeli relations have hit a 35-year low due to a dispute about Israeli housing plans in East Jerusalem.
Israeli newspapers say Ambassador Michael Oren briefed Israeli diplomats by telephone Saturday about the worsening of relations between the two long-time allies. A series of senior U.S. officials have denounced Israel's approval last week of a plan to build 1,600 apartments for Jews in East Jerusalem. Palestinians claim the area as a future capital.
英国外交大臣：中国同意就核项目问题向伊朗施压 (Britain FM: China Agrees to Press Iran About Nuclear Programs)
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says Britain and China agree on the need to press Iran about its nuclear programs while also seeking engagement with Tehran. Speaking in Shanghai Monday, Miliband said Britain and China share an interest in making sure Iran abides by the U.N. Security Council resolutions seeking to curb its nuclear activities. China is one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. It has resisted calls from other council members for harsher sanctions against Iran's nuclear program.
Foreign Secretary Miliband is on a brief tour of China to boost bilateral relations. After leaving Shanghai, he travels to Beijing to discuss Iran's nuclear program and other issues with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. Miliband also will meet with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo on Tuesday. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but Western nations say Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons.作者: chubbycat 时间: 19-3-2010 01:33
03-16-10
获释的越南神父誓言继续民主活动 (Released Vietnamese Priest Vows Continued Activism)
A Catholic priest temporarily released from a Vietnamese prison for medical reasons says he is determined to continue his democratic activism.
Vietnam freed Father Nguyen Van Ly for 12 months Monday to undergo treatment for a brain tumor.After leaving the prison in Ha Nam province, Ly told VOA's Vietnamese service that getting healthy is his top priority, but that he also plans to continue his human rights work.The 63-year-old clergyman is staying in his hometown of Hue. He is partially paralyzed from a series of strokes he suffered last year.
A Vietnamese court sentenced Ly to eight years in prison in 2007 for spreading propaganda against the state.A long-time democratic activist, the priest has spent more than a decade in and out of prison since the 1970s for his anti-communist efforts.
China's foreign minister has made rare comments about missing dissident lawyer Gao Zhisheng, saying the activist is not being tortured.
Yang Jiechi discussed Gao's case Tuesday in Beijing during a press conference with visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.Yang said Gao's rights are being protected, and that he has been sentenced to prison for subverting state power.The minister did not comment on the activist's location, or say whether the prison term was the same suspended sentence handed to Gao in December 2006.
Gao disappeared into police custody in February 2009, and has not been heard from since.The British foreign secretary told reporters that he raised Gao's case and other human rights concerns in his meeting with Yang.作者: chubbycat 时间: 19-3-2010 01:34
03-17-10
世界银行预测2010年中国经济增长 (World Bank Predicts China's Growing Economy in 2010)
The World Bank is predicting China's economy will grow 9.5 percent this year, driven by business and household spending. China's central bank increased bank lending and poured half a trillion dollars into the economy over the past year to fight off the global recession. The World Bank says the measures were effective, but it warned Wednesday that China will face "significant" inflation this year. It urged Beijing to let the value of its currency rise, to contain inflation and control spiraling real estate prices.
The International Monetary Fund also called on China Wednesday to let its currency, the yuan, rise. IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the yuan is "much undervalued." China rejects allegations that it is keeping the value of the yuan low to give it an unfair trade advantage.
中国定下日期审判四名力拓员工 (China Sets Trial Date of Four Rio Tinto Employees )
The Australian government says four executives of the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto will go on trial next week in China, on charges of corporate espionage and bribery. Officials say the trial for Chinese-born Australian Stern Hu and three Chinese nationals will begin next Monday at a court in the eastern port city of Shanghai.
Hu, Liu Caikui, Ge Mingqiang and Wang Yong were arrested last July during negotiations about iron ore prices between Rio Tinto and China's steel industry association. The four men were suspected of obtaining inside information that helped Rio Tinto during the talks. The Australian government says much of the trial is set to be held behind closed doors because of the charges dealing with infringement of commercial secrets. It says Australian officials have asked for an open trial.作者: chubbycat 时间: 22-3-2010 06:39
03-18-10
奥巴马为推动医改推迟亚洲之行 (Obama Delays Trip to Asia to Push for Health Care)
The White House says President Barack Obama has postponed his trip to Asia to stay in Washington as he pushes for health care reform. Spokesman Robert Gibbs made the announcement Thursday, three days before the president was to leave for Indonesia and Australia.
The spokesman says the president regrets the delay, and will visit Indonesia June.
Burma has released and deported a Burmese-American activist jailed on fraud and forgery charges.
Kyaw Zaw Lwin arrived in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday. The pro-democracy activist -- commonly known as Nyi Nyi Aung -- told VOA's Burmese service he is happy to be free. But he said he is not fully celebrating because his friends and family are still in prison.Nyi Nyi Aung was detained last September after he arrived in Burma to visit his ailing mother, who is in prison for political activities.
A Burmese court sentenced Nyi Nyi Aung last month to three years in prison. He was charged with violating immigration laws, possessing a fake national identity card and carrying undeclared foreign currency. Burma's military government has not said why it freed him.作者: chubbycat 时间: 22-3-2010 06:40
03-19-10
媒体报导：谷歌下月退出中国 (Reports: Google to Leave China Next Month)
Chinese media say U.S. Internet giant Google is closing its business in China after complaining about censorship and cyber attacks.
The official China Business News said Friday that Google will go through with a threatened withdrawal from China next month. The paper said it learned of the plans from an official at an agency affiliated with Google.Google has refused to comment, but the reports say an announcement could come as early as next week.
A Google spokeswoman, Courtney Hohne, said last week that the company remains firm in its resolve not to censor its content, which is required by Chinese law.
Commenting on the issue this week, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said foreign companies operating in China must respect the country's laws. He called Google's decision on whether to stay in China the "individual act of one company," and said it will not affect the country's investment environment.
奥巴马为医改法案投票争取支持 (Obama Looks For Votes on Health Care Reform)
U.S. President Barack Obama is seeking last minute votes in Congress ahead of a Sunday vote in the House of Representatives on health care reform legislation. Mr. Obama speaks at a rally outside Washington on Friday as part of an intense public push by his administration to get the legislation approved.
Privately, Mr. Obama has been lobbying undecided members of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote for his sweeping health care reform bill. The vote is expected to take place Sunday. The White House and House Democrats say they believe they will have the 216 votes needed to pass the legislation. The House is to vote Sunday on the health care bill that passed last year in the U.S. Senate. The House and Senate will also vote on a package of changes to the legislation.
