BBC news 2007-11-14 加文本

BBC 2007-11-14


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BBC News with Sue Montgomery

The United Nations special envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari says a political process has begun in the country which should produce positive results. Speaking after a recent trip to the country, Mr. Gambari said the regime was making concrete changes. He believed it could be responsive to international concerns. "On balance, the positive outcomes of this latest mission showed that the government of Myanmar, while stressing its sovereignty and independence, can be responsive to the concerns of the international community. Although high expectations continue to be born out of the recent crisis, the situation today is qualitatively different from what it was a few weeks ago."

A major auction of precious stones is about to begin in Burma with hundreds of international dealers attending despite calls for a boycott from human rights groups. Burma is one of the world's biggest producers of jade and gems, particularly rubies. But human rights groups say their mine is using forced labor and their export provides revenue that helps the Burmese military government stay in power.

Diplomats say that after years of staling Iran has handed over to the United Nations nuclear agency, the IAEA, a document containing design information which could be used for parts of a nuclear weapon. The blueprint shows how to mould uranium metal into the shape of warheads and raises suspicions about Iran's nuclear ambitions. From Vienna Bethany Bell

The document is one of a number of issues to have raised suspicions about Iran's nuclear ambitions. IAEA inspectors have been permitted to view the document in Iran, but up to now Tehran has refused to let them have a copy. Now, a document has been handed over to the IAEA. Some diplomats say this is a sign of progress that Iran is cooperating with the IAEA and is revealing details about its past nuclear activities. Others are more skeptical saying this is the last-minute attempt by Iran to stave off the threat of more UN sanctions.

The Internet Company Yahoo has agreed to give legal and financial support to two Chinese journalists who were jailed after they handed over information about their activities to the Beijing authorities. The company was sued by the families of a business journalist Xue Tao and a blogger Wang Shaolin who are serving ten year sentences for posting pro-democracy information on the Internet. R M reports.

The company argued it had to comply with Chinese law in order to operate there. Faced with the lawsuit, Yahoo settled the case. Details remain confidential, but the company says it's working to provide financial, humanitarian and legal support to Mr. Wang and Mr. Xue's families and setting up a separate fund for other political dissidents. After Yahoo's chief executive Jerry Yang met families of the jailed men, he said the company was committed to making sure its actions matched its values around the world.

World News from the BBC.

Denmark's Center-Right government has been re-elected for a third term following elections on Tuesday. With nearly all the votes counted, the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rsamussen had won 94 seats to the opposition's 81. Mr. Rsamussen's alliance includes the right-wing Danish People's Party and the Centrist New Alliance.

The White House has announced that the US deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is to travel to Pakistan to urge President Musharraf to lift emergency rule. Mr. Negroponte will meet senior officials in Islamabad at the end of the week. A BBC correspondent in Washington says the US is finding it increasingly difficult to defend its relations with General Musharraf while he continues to detain political opponents. The news came as the former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto for the first time said she would not serve as Prime Minister under President Musharraf. "There are no circumstances in which I could see myself serving with General Musharraf. I have tried for more than a year, I did my best, I worked out a roadmap for democracy, but he went back on that and imposed martial law."

The New York police chief has said his officers acted within guidelines when they killed a mentally ill unarmed teenager who they thought was holding a gun. Police arrived outside the apartment of Khiel Coppin on Monday night after receiving an emergency call from his mother. Police commissioner Raymond Kelly said the officers mistook a hairbrush Mr.Coppin was brandishing for a gun. Correspondents say the case evokes similar incidents involving unarmed black victims killed by New York police in 1999 and 2006.

A group of mayors from border towns in the American state of Texas has called on the US government to consider damming sections of the Rio Grande as a deterrent to illegal immigration. The mayors have urged the Department of Homeland Security to deepen and widen the natural border with Mexico.

BBC news.

Glossary

ruby n.
1. [矿]红宝石；红宝石做的东西（如钟表轴承等）
above rubies
极贵重的
2. 红宝石色，红玉色；颜色象红宝石的东西
3. 脸上[鼻上]的红酒刺
4. [英]细铅字（美国的agate，中国的七号铅字）
5. 红葡萄酒；（拳击）血；[pl.]嘴
6. 巴西蜂鸟
adj.
红宝石（色）的，深红色的
vt.
把……染成红宝石色；弄红

dissident
adj.
1. 持异议的
opinions dissident form ours
2. 和我们不同的意见
n.
1. 持异议者；意见不同者
political dissidents
2. 持不同政见者

deterrent
adj.
制止的；威慑的
n.
制止物，威慑物