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BBC news 2008-03-18 加文本

2008-03-18来源:和谐英语
BBC 2008-03-18


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BBC News with Cathy Clarkston.

A female suicide bomber has killed more than 40 people in Iraq near one of the holiest sites of Shiite Islam. At least 50 others were injured when the woman blew herself up, close to the tomb of Imam Hussein in the city of Karbala. Hospital officials said Iranian pilgrims were among the casualties. The bombing coincided with a visit to Baghdad by the United States Vice President Dick Cheney, who is touring the region to mark the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. From Baghdad, here is Adam Brooks.

She blew herself up not far from the tomb of a revered Shiite martyr. Many Shiite pilgrims visiting the tomb were among the dead, local official said, some of them from Iran. It was seemed to be an act calculated to provoke Iraq's Shiites, at a time when one of the largest Shiite militias here, the Mehdi Army, has declared a ceasefire and reined in its fighters, and it was seen to continue an increasing violence noticable in the last few weeks.

Trading on stock markets around the world has been volatile and mostly downward. In a wake of the announcement later on Sunday in the United States that one of its oldest and most respected investment banks was being sold to save it from collapse and at a tiny fracture of its worth a few days ago. President George Bush insisted the US was on top of the situation. (wwW.hxen.net)

"One thing is for certain, we are under challenge, we are in challenging times. But another thing is for certain that we've taken a strong and decisive action. The Federal Reserve has moved quickly to bring order to the financial markets."

World News from the BBC.

Here in London, the former member of the Beatles Sir Paul McCartney has been ordered to pay his estranged wife Heather Mills about 50 million dollars in a divorce settlement. Mrs. Mills said it was an incredible result, which would secure the future for herself and the couple's daughter Beatrice. The judgment said Mrs.Mills had originally wanted some 250 million dollars and had been offered just over 30 million by Sir Paul. There's been no comment on the settlement so far from the musician himself. Our media correspondent Torrin Douglas reports.

Heather Mills emerged after almost three hours in court to say the case was over and she speaks to journalists outside. In chaotic scenes with reporters and camera crews craning to hear her words, she said it was incredible result to secure a future for herself, her daughter and the charity she'd worked for 20 years.

The Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu has resigned after Saturday's massive series of explosions at an ammunition's dump outside Tirana. At least 15 people are now known to have been killed, several others are still missing. A formal investigation has begun. (wWw.hxen.net)

Human rights activists in Brazil have criticized the detention of a 12-year-old girl in a police cell for six days. The girl, who's now been released on the order of a judge, was jailled after allegedly hitting a police officer while being questioned by running away with her boyfriend. Brazilian media said she'd been placed in a cell alongside others occupied exclusively by male prisoners. It contained only a mattress and a toilet without a door.

The World Cup winning Argentine football Diego Maradona and the President of Bolivia Evo Morales have been playing in a march to raise money for the thousands of
Bolivians made homeless by floods. Mr. Morales said Maradona was a symbol of the integration of Latin America. The former Argentine captain also described as ridiculous and shameful the decision of FIFA to...