BBC News with Marion Marshall
Islamist forces linked to al-Qaeda are reported to have seized the key town of Gao in northern Mali. Residents of the town say Islamist fighters have taken over buildings occupied by Tuareg rebels, including their headquarters, and raised the black flag. Our West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy reports.
Islamist combatants have once again taken the upper hands over the Tuareg-led counterparts in the vast northern region. After weeks of uneasy truce in Gao and the failure to build an alliance, MNLA Tuareg-led fighters have reportedly been driven out of the key northern town by militants who want to impose sharia law. Heavy fighting broke out on Wednesday morning between the two rival groups. A doctor at a hospital in Gao said over the phone that most people killed and injured seemed to have been armed but a number of civilians had also been caught in the fighting.
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said there are no quick or easy solutions to the crisis in the eurozone. Mrs Merkel has been holding talks in Paris with the French President Francois Hollande. Speaking ahead of an EU summit on Thursday, she said leaders should avoid making rash promises they can't keep.
"There is no easy and quick solution. There is no magic formula or single coup which can make the government debt crisis go away once and for all ."
British politicians have hailed a historic handshake between the Queen and a former IRA leader, Martin McGuinness. The Queen and Mr McGuinness, who's now a Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, shook hands at a theatre in Belfast. A spokesman for the Prime Minister David Cameron said the meeting had taken the Anglo-Irish relationship to a new level. Speaking at a Jubilee party attended by the Queen, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson said that the handshake was an important moment.
"I think it shows that Northern Ireland is moving forward. I think what you might describe as normality is occurring in Northern Ireland. And you can see it from the people, enthusiasm that there is. You've got a confident people here wanting to reach out, and I think that speaks very well for the future.
Barclays bank has been fined $452m for misconduct by British and United States financial regulators. The bank has apologised for systematically misleading the authorities about key interest rate figures. BBC's business editor Robert Peston explains.
Barclays has owned up to something simple and many would say shocking. For four years between 2005 and 2009, it lied about the interest rate it was having to pay to borrow. It attempted to manipulate so-called benchmark interest rates to increase profits or minimise losses on big deals. The regulators also say Barclays understated the interest rate it was being forced by creditors to pay during the credit crunch to create the perception that it was seen as stronger than was the case.
World News from the BBC
The European Union, the United States and Japan have reinforced their legal challenge to Chinese quotas on the export of rare earth minerals, which are needed to make a wide range of high-tech products. The European Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said the quotas distorted global markets, giving Chinese companies an advantage. China says the quotas are to protect the environment.
The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she has great hope that an international meeting on Saturday on the conflict in Syria could prove to be a turning point. The meeting in Geneva is due to be attended by all five permanent members of the Security Council, including Russia and China. Mrs Clinton said the talks convened by the international envoy Kofi Annan could succeed if all parties backed Mr Annan's proposals.
"We are looking forward to hearing a report about his consultations with those whom he intends to invite. I'm keeping my calendar open for a meeting with a great hope that this perhaps can be a turning point in the very tragic circumstances affecting the Syrian people."
A month before the opening of the London Olympics, the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua has predicted that China will top the medal table, once again beating the United States. The Xinhua editorial sets out in precise terms where China can expect to win gold medals and predicts that it can win at least 37, nine of them in gymnastics alone. At the Beijing Olympics four years ago China won 51 gold medals.
Football, and Spain and Portugal are playing for a place in the final of the Euro 2012 football tournament. The match in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk has gone to extra time after no goals were scored in the regulation 90 minutes. The winners will face either Germany or Italy, who'll play the other semi-final in Warsaw on Thursday.
Islamist forces linked to al-Qaeda are reported to have seized the key town of Gao in northern Mali. Residents of the town say Islamist fighters have taken over buildings occupied by Tuareg rebels, including their headquarters, and raised the black flag. Our West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy reports.
據(jù)悉,與基地組織有關聯(lián)的伊斯蘭軍隊奪取馬里北部重鎮(zhèn)加奧。該鎮(zhèn)居民稱伊斯蘭武裝人員接管了圖阿雷格叛軍盤踞的大樓,包括其總部,并在樓上掛起黑旗。BBC西非記者Thomas Fessy報道。
Islamist combatants have once again taken the upper hands over the Tuareg-led counterparts in the vast northern region. After weeks of uneasy truce in Gao and the failure to build an alliance, MNLA Tuareg-led fighters have reportedly been driven out of the key northern town by militants who want to impose sharia law. Heavy fighting broke out on Wednesday morning between the two rival groups. A doctor at a hospital in Gao said over the phone that most people killed and injured seemed to have been armed but a number of civilians had also been caught in the fighting.
伊斯蘭武裝人員在廣大的北部地區(qū)占了圖阿雷格叛軍的上風。據(jù)悉,經(jīng)過數(shù)周不穩(wěn)定的休戰(zhàn)期,組建聯(lián)盟的努力 也告失敗,圖阿雷格叛軍領導的阿扎瓦德民族解放運動武裝分子已被希望實施伊斯蘭法律的武裝人員逐出這一北部重鎮(zhèn)。周三早上,兩個敵對組織之間爆發(fā)激烈戰(zhàn)斗。加奧醫(yī)院的一位醫(yī)生在電話中說,大多數(shù)死傷者似乎是武裝人員,但也有許多平民在戰(zhàn)斗中被俘。
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said there are no quick or easy solutions to the crisis in the eurozone. Mrs Merkel has been holding talks in Paris with the French President Francois Hollande. Speaking ahead of an EU summit on Thursday, she said leaders should avoid making rash promises they can't keep.
德國總理安吉拉·默克爾說,解決歐元區(qū)危機沒有簡單的辦法。默克爾在巴黎與法國總統(tǒng)弗朗索瓦·奧朗德進行了會談,她在周四舉行的歐洲峰會上說,領導人們應避免做出無法兌現(xiàn)的草率承諾。
"There is no easy and quick solution. There is no magic formula or single coup which can make the government debt crisis go away once and for all ."
“簡單而易行的辦法是不存在的,沒有神奇的公式可循,也沒有讓政府債務危機一下子就解決并一勞永逸的辦法。”
British politicians have hailed a historic handshake between the Queen and a former IRA leader, Martin McGuinness. The Queen and Mr McGuinness, who's now a Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, shook hands at a theatre in Belfast. A spokesman for the Prime Minister David Cameron said the meeting had taken the Anglo-Irish relationship to a new level. Speaking at a Jubilee party attended by the Queen, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson said that the handshake was an important moment.
英國政治家對女王與愛爾蘭共和軍前領導人馬丁·麥吉尼斯歷史性的握手表示贊揚。女王和愛爾蘭現(xiàn)任第一副總理麥吉尼斯在貝爾法斯特一家劇場握手??偫泶骶S德·卡梅隆的發(fā)言人說,這次會議使英格蘭與愛爾蘭的關系上升到新的高度。北愛首席大臣在由女王出席的鉆石慶典上說,這次握手是個重要時刻。
"I think it shows that Northern Ireland is moving forward. I think what you might describe as normality is occurring in Northern Ireland. And you can see it from the people, enthusiasm that there is. You've got a confident people here wanting to reach out, and I think that speaks very well for the future.
“我想這表明北愛爾蘭在向前發(fā)展,你可能認為北愛所發(fā)生的一切是常態(tài)。你可以看那里人們的熱情,他們非常自信,希望保持接觸,我想這對未來是很有利的。”
Barclays bank has been fined $452m for misconduct by British and United States financial regulators. The bank has apologised for systematically misleading the authorities about key interest rate figures. BBC's business editor Robert Peston explains.
巴克萊銀行因不端行為被英國和美國的金融機構處以4.52億美元的罰款。該銀行在主要利率數(shù)據(jù)上有組織地誤導當局,不過現(xiàn)已對此道歉。BBC商業(yè)編輯羅伯特·派斯頓報道。
Barclays has owned up to something simple and many would say shocking. For four years between 2005 and 2009, it lied about the interest rate it was having to pay to borrow. It attempted to manipulate so-called benchmark interest rates to increase profits or minimise losses on big deals. The regulators also say Barclays understated the interest rate it was being forced by creditors to pay during the credit crunch to create the perception that it was seen as stronger than was the case.
巴克萊銀行已經(jīng)供認了簡單的過錯,但可能會吐露一些令人吃驚的大錯。2005到2009的四年時間內(nèi),該 銀行在支付貸款的利率上撒謊,試圖操縱所謂的基準利率來增加利潤或將大宗交易的損失最小化。金融機構還稱,巴克萊銀行輕描淡寫信貸緊縮期間的貸方要支付的利率,以制造它比實際上要強大的印象。
World News from the BBC
The European Union, the United States and Japan have reinforced their legal challenge to Chinese quotas on the export of rare earth minerals, which are needed to make a wide range of high-tech products. The European Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said the quotas distorted global markets, giving Chinese companies an advantage. China says the quotas are to protect the environment.
歐盟、美國和日本對中國稀土出口配額進一步加大法律壓力,稀土是制造多種高科技產(chǎn)品的材料。歐盟貿(mào)易專員卡洛·德古赫特說,配額扭曲了國際市場,使中國的公司享有優(yōu)勢。中國稱配額是為了保護環(huán)境。
The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she has great hope that an international meeting on Saturday on the conflict in Syria could prove to be a turning point. The meeting in Geneva is due to be attended by all five permanent members of the Security Council, including Russia and China. Mrs Clinton said the talks convened by the international envoy Kofi Annan could succeed if all parties backed Mr Annan's proposals.
美國國務卿希拉里·克林頓說,她相信周六舉行的關于敘利亞沖突的國際會議會是個轉折點。包括俄羅斯和中國在內(nèi)的安理會五個常任理事國都要參加這次將在日內(nèi)瓦舉行的會議??肆诸D說,如果各方都支持國際使者科菲·安南的提議,這么這次同樣由安南組織的國際會議就會成功。
"We are looking forward to hearing a report about his consultations with those whom he intends to invite. I'm keeping my calendar open for a meeting with a great hope that this perhaps can be a turning point in the very tragic circumstances affecting the Syrian people."
“我們期待聽到安南與與會人員磋商后所做的報告,我會專為這次會談騰出時間,非常希望這對折磨敘利亞人民的局勢來說是個轉折點。”
A month before the opening of the London Olympics, the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua has predicted that China will top the medal table, once again beating the United States. The Xinhua editorial sets out in precise terms where China can expect to win gold medals and predicts that it can win at least 37, nine of them in gymnastics alone. At the Beijing Olympics four years ago China won 51 gold medals.
就在倫敦奧運會開幕一個月之際,中國國家新聞機構新華社預言中國將奪得最多金牌,再次打敗美國。新華社社論精確預測中國將在哪些項目上奪得金牌,稱至少能奪得37枚金牌,僅體操一項就可獲得9枚金牌。4年前的北京奧運會上,中國獲得51枚金牌。
Football, and Spain and Portugal are playing for a place in the final of the Euro 2012 football tournament. The match in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk has gone to extra time after no goals were scored in the regulation 90 minutes. The winners will face either Germany or Italy, who'll play the other semi-final in Warsaw on Thursday.
足球方面的新聞,西班牙和葡萄牙進入歐洲杯2012足球錦標賽決賽。在烏克蘭頓涅茨克舉行的90分鐘比賽并無進球,于是進入了加時賽階段。勝出者將與將于周四在華沙進行半決賽的德國或意大利對決。
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