BBC在线收听下载:美国政府停摆天数创历史最长

Hello, This is David Austin with the BBC News.

The continuing government shutdown in the United States is now in its 22nd day, the longest in US history. President Trump is refusing to sign budget measures to reopen parts of the government because Democrats in Congress won't include funding for his promised border wall with Mexico. Here's David Willis. Hundreds of thousands of government workers have now missed out on what should have been their first paycheck of the year, and with airport screening staff, air traffic controllers and FBI officers among those who are affected, union officials are warning that public safety could be compromised if the shutdown drags on. Despite calls by the president for Democrats to negotiate, no further talks between the two sides are planned.

The White House has dismissed this absurd report by the New York Times, saying that FBI opened an inquiry into whether President Trump was working secretly on behalf of Russia. Here's Michael Duncan. These allegations go much further than mere collusion between the Russians and the Trump election campaign. The report in the New York Times says that the officials were so concerned that the FBI began an investigation into whether Mr. Trump was in fact working on behalf of Russia and constituted a threat to US national security. Days later, that counter-intelligence inquiry became part of Robert Mueller's investigation, which has yet to publish its conclusions. Mr. Trump's Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dismissed the report as absurd. She said James Comey was sacked because he was a disgraced partisan hack and his deputy Andrew McCabe, who launched the inquiry was a known liar who had been dismissed by the FBI.

A British cabinet minister has warned that there could be a surge in far-right extremism in the UK if Brexit is blocked. The Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told the Daily Mail newspaper that if Britain's departure is prevented, the seventeen million people who voted for Brexist will feel cheated. Mr. Grayling endorses the Prime Minister's withdrawal deal, which faces likely defeat next week in Parliament. Chris Mason reports. Chris Grayling is not suggesting there would be riots if Brexit is weakened or reversed, but he is blunt about what he fears would be the consequences. People should not underestimate this, he says, we would see a different tone in our politics, a less tolerant society, a more nationalistic nation. He then adds, if MPs who represent seats that voted 70% to leave say sorry, guys we are still going to have freedom of movement, they will turn against the political mainstream.

BBC News.