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BBC news 2008-01-19 加文本
2008-01-19来源:和谐英语
BBC 2008-01-19
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BBC News with Nick Kelly
President Bush has called on Congress to pass a package of tax cuts to try to stabilize the United States economy. Mr. Bush said the cuts should be directed at both consumers to encourage spending and at businesses to ensure investment. Justin Webb reports from Washington.
"Suddenly this is serious. A president who does not want to fan the flames of recessionary talk feels that he has no choice but to intervene. The Bush plan has been compared to dropping money out of helicopters. It is for tax rebates, checks to be sent to millions of Americans in the hope that they spend the money and stimulate employment and the wider economy. The president said it would be direct and rapid and would represent 1% of America's Gross Domestic Product. "
The office of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, says the security forces have retaken control of two cities in southern Iraq after a day of heavy fighting with members of Shiite Muslim Cult. Police said dozens of people have been killed in Basra including both policemen and cult members, at least 15 others died in clashes in Nasaria. Jonny Dymond reports from Baghdad.
"For a few hours Basra and Nasaria were the scene of a street warfare involving rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. Those streets are now relatively calm and the center of Nasaria is said to be under curfew. Seven policemen and a number of gunmen are reported to have been killed in Basra, whilst another seven policemen are said to have been killed in Nasaria. "
The Iraqi Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he may not extend a six-month ceasefire by his militia, the Mahdi Army. The truce, due to expire next month, has been credited by the Americans with helping bring about a big improvement in security in Iraq. But a spokesman for the Cleric said the results have been disappointing because criminal gangs were still operating inside the security forces with government's support.
A Canadian citizen of Iraqi descent who admitted plotting to bomb American embassies in Singapore and Manila in the Philippines has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the New York. The man Mohammed Mansour Jabarah was also found guilty of plotting to kill the US agents with whom he was supposedly cooperating after he was arrested.
The president of the regional government of Sicily Salvatore Cuffaro, has been found guilty of assisting the Mafia and sentenced to five years in prison. Mr. Cuffaro was convicted of passing on information about Mafia investigations, though judges ruled that there was no conspiracy or willful intent to his actions. David Willey reports from Rome.
"Appeals are automatic in Italy so Mr. Cuffaro will not go to jail until a final verdict is given, which could take years. Although he has also been banned from holding public office, he is refusing to step down, as the ban doesn't begin until his sentence has been confirmed. Mr. Cuffaro belongs to a small right wing catholic political party, and has the support of the local Catholic Church and leading Sicilian businessmen. "
World News from the BBC
The Top Administrative Court in Turkey has warned against lifting a ban on wearing headscarves in universities, saying it could potentially damage what it called social peace. The court also said it feared an easing of the ban might not be limited to just educational establishment. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he wanted to relax the measure, saying it was a matter of freedom of expression. But many secularists denied this, saying the ban keeps religion and the state separate.
The British Minister of Defense says the personal details of more than 600 000 potential recruits to the Armed Services have been lost after a Royal Navy officer had his laptop computer stolen in Birmingham last week. Information, potentially in criminal hands, includes social security and medical numbers, passport and driving license details, and in some cases, full information on bank accounts. It's the latest in a series of such security losses. Records of 25 million people claiming child benefits and three million learner drivers have also been lost by government departments. Liam Fox, the spokesman for the opposition conservatives spoke about his concern.
"It's just been too easy for data to go missing recently. And we do need to look at the general issue of how we protect the details of individuals. Obviously, in terms of the armed forces, there's perhaps an added element of security and so we will want to make sure that measures are put in place to have far greater security of data than that seems to have been in this particular instance."
And scientists in Spain have warned that sea levels in the Mediterranean are rising rapidly and could increase by up to half a meter in the next 50 years. The study by the Spanish Oceanographic Institute says levels have been rising since the 1970s with the rate of increase growing in recent years. The institute says even a small rise could have serious consequences.
BBC News.
Download Audio
BBC News with Nick Kelly
President Bush has called on Congress to pass a package of tax cuts to try to stabilize the United States economy. Mr. Bush said the cuts should be directed at both consumers to encourage spending and at businesses to ensure investment. Justin Webb reports from Washington.
"Suddenly this is serious. A president who does not want to fan the flames of recessionary talk feels that he has no choice but to intervene. The Bush plan has been compared to dropping money out of helicopters. It is for tax rebates, checks to be sent to millions of Americans in the hope that they spend the money and stimulate employment and the wider economy. The president said it would be direct and rapid and would represent 1% of America's Gross Domestic Product. "
The office of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, says the security forces have retaken control of two cities in southern Iraq after a day of heavy fighting with members of Shiite Muslim Cult. Police said dozens of people have been killed in Basra including both policemen and cult members, at least 15 others died in clashes in Nasaria. Jonny Dymond reports from Baghdad.
"For a few hours Basra and Nasaria were the scene of a street warfare involving rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. Those streets are now relatively calm and the center of Nasaria is said to be under curfew. Seven policemen and a number of gunmen are reported to have been killed in Basra, whilst another seven policemen are said to have been killed in Nasaria. "
The Iraqi Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he may not extend a six-month ceasefire by his militia, the Mahdi Army. The truce, due to expire next month, has been credited by the Americans with helping bring about a big improvement in security in Iraq. But a spokesman for the Cleric said the results have been disappointing because criminal gangs were still operating inside the security forces with government's support.
A Canadian citizen of Iraqi descent who admitted plotting to bomb American embassies in Singapore and Manila in the Philippines has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the New York. The man Mohammed Mansour Jabarah was also found guilty of plotting to kill the US agents with whom he was supposedly cooperating after he was arrested.
The president of the regional government of Sicily Salvatore Cuffaro, has been found guilty of assisting the Mafia and sentenced to five years in prison. Mr. Cuffaro was convicted of passing on information about Mafia investigations, though judges ruled that there was no conspiracy or willful intent to his actions. David Willey reports from Rome.
"Appeals are automatic in Italy so Mr. Cuffaro will not go to jail until a final verdict is given, which could take years. Although he has also been banned from holding public office, he is refusing to step down, as the ban doesn't begin until his sentence has been confirmed. Mr. Cuffaro belongs to a small right wing catholic political party, and has the support of the local Catholic Church and leading Sicilian businessmen. "
World News from the BBC
The Top Administrative Court in Turkey has warned against lifting a ban on wearing headscarves in universities, saying it could potentially damage what it called social peace. The court also said it feared an easing of the ban might not be limited to just educational establishment. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he wanted to relax the measure, saying it was a matter of freedom of expression. But many secularists denied this, saying the ban keeps religion and the state separate.
The British Minister of Defense says the personal details of more than 600 000 potential recruits to the Armed Services have been lost after a Royal Navy officer had his laptop computer stolen in Birmingham last week. Information, potentially in criminal hands, includes social security and medical numbers, passport and driving license details, and in some cases, full information on bank accounts. It's the latest in a series of such security losses. Records of 25 million people claiming child benefits and three million learner drivers have also been lost by government departments. Liam Fox, the spokesman for the opposition conservatives spoke about his concern.
"It's just been too easy for data to go missing recently. And we do need to look at the general issue of how we protect the details of individuals. Obviously, in terms of the armed forces, there's perhaps an added element of security and so we will want to make sure that measures are put in place to have far greater security of data than that seems to have been in this particular instance."
And scientists in Spain have warned that sea levels in the Mediterranean are rising rapidly and could increase by up to half a meter in the next 50 years. The study by the Spanish Oceanographic Institute says levels have been rising since the 1970s with the rate of increase growing in recent years. The institute says even a small rise could have serious consequences.
BBC News.
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