化為六月息

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INTRO: U.S. President Bush repeats he will veto any war spending bill that sets withdrawal timetables. 


STORY: U.S. President George W. Bush used his weekly radio address on Saturday (March 31) to repeat that he will veto any war spending bill that ties funds to a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. 

The U.S. Senate on Thursday (March 29) defied earlier veto threats by President George W. Bush and joined with the House of Representatives in backing a timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq.  In a mostly party-line 51-47 vote, the Democrat-controlled Senate told Bush to start withdrawing the troops this year with the goal of getting all combat soldiers out by March 31, 2008. 

Democrats took control of Congress in January, after elections that largely focused on Republicans' handling of a war that has now claimed more than 3,200 American lives and at least 65,000 Iraqi soldiers and civilians.

Now, House and Senate negotiators will try to work out a compromise from their two bills. Their most notable difference is that the House bill contains a mandatory Sept. 1, 2008, deadline for redeploying combat troops.The Senate's shorter timetable is a goal, not a requirement on Bush and is designed to win the support of centrist Democrats.  The House bill also requires Bush to certify that troops are properly trained, equipped and rested before being sent into combat. 

Democrats insist they are enforcing existing standards at a time when the military is stressed after four years of fighting. The House and Senate hope to negotiate a compromise bill by the week of April 16 and quickly pass it and send it on to Bush. 

Bush argues that setting a deadline encourages the enemy to wait it out and hurts military commanders' flexibility. He has promised to veto any legislation that sets withdrawal timetables, which Democrats have attached to about $100 billion in war funds for the next six months. 

If Bush does veto the bill, Democrats are not expected to have the two-thirds support in the House and Senate to overturn him. As a result, Congress quickly would have to come up with a new war-spending bill, with Democrats in a high-stakes gamble over whether to send Bush another bill with conditions on the duration of U.S. troops fighting in Iraq.

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INTRO: Japan's PM vows prompt action on earthquake rescue and condolences to those affected.


STORY: Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe was rushed into his official residence in the capital Tokyo on Sunday (March 25) after a strong earthquake with a preliminary(初步的) magnitude(強度) of 7.1 jolted(使驚慌) the coastal area of central Japan on Sunday, killing at least one person and injuring at least 110, Japanese officials and media said.

While the quake was felt in Tokyo the hardest hit region was some 300 kilometres (190 miles) west of the capital. The prime minister called for prompt safety and rescue measures.  "I have order all to ensure the immediate safety of all the residence and if need be prompt and thorough rescue. However at this point, I hear one person has died. I offer her family my condolences," he told reporter after heading in to the emergency crisis room.

Japanese broadcaster NHK also said at least nine houses had collapsed when the quake struck at 9:42 a.m. (0042 GMT). NHK said about 30 troops were to head for the site of the quake to give assistance.

The focus of the tremor was at a depth of 50 km (30 miles) below the seabed off the Noto peninsula(能登半島) in Ishikawa(石川縣) prefecture(縣行政區). In Nanao, a city with a population of around 60,000 on the peninsula, ambulance services were flooded with calls to help people who had suffered burns and injuries, Kyodo news agency said.

Some trains in the area were halted and people were trapped in elevators. A tsunami warning for waves of up to 50 cm (20 inches) was issued for Ishikawa prefecture and NHK said small tsunami had already hit in some areas.

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INTRO: Thousands turn out for peace demonstration in Buenos Aires. Over 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Buenos Aires in a peace demonstration to mark the fourth year of the Iraq War. The demonstration in Argentina is one of several worldwide.


STORY: Thousands of anti-war demonstrators gathered at Buenos Aires'(阿根廷首府布宜諾斯艾利斯) obelisk(方尖碑) on Saturday (March 17), a symbol of peace, to demand nuclear disarmament(解除武裝) and to protest against the war in Iraq.

The demonstrators from various human rights organizations gathered along the capital's main avenue with candles and formed a circle. "It is important for the United States to pull out of Iraq and above all else, they should not intervene in Iran," Luis Ammann ( 路易士‧亞曼 ), a presidential candidate for the Humanist Party, said, " with the pretext(托辭) of fighting terrorism, North America has increased its interventionist policy."

U.S. President George W. Bush announced in January he was sending 21,500 additional troops to Iraq, further stoking anger over the war. The number of extra(外加的) troops being sent has climbed to around 30,000 with the addition of support troops. His plan aims to quell(壓制) violence in Baghdad and the western province of Anbar.

Protests were also staged or planned in Australia, Britain, and Canada.

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INTRO: President Conte's crackdown(鎮壓) continues in Guinea(幾內亞). 

STORY: Hundreds of people have been arrested in Guinea since President Lansana Conte (蘭薩納·孔戴) imposed martial law(戒嚴令) this week, opposition(反對派) leaders and rights groups(人權組織) said on Sunday (February 18). 

The reclusive(隱遁的;孤寂的) Conte declared the state of emergency on Monday to counter(處理、應付) a wave(高潮) of violent protests and a general(普遍的) strike(罷工) called by unions(聯盟) opposed to his 23-year rule(統治) in the West African country, the world's top exporter of bauxite(鋁氧石、鋁土礦). 

More than 120 people have been killed, almost all of them civilians(一般名眾), in protests since the start of the year. Human rights groups accuse security forces of firing on unarmed crowds, beating protesters, looting(搶奪、搶劫) and raping(洗劫) civilians.

Mohamed Diane(穆罕默德·迪亞內), secretary general(祕書長;總書記) of the opposition Assembly(集合) of the People of Guinea, said that his organisation had counted(計算) 278 arrests since then.

INTRO : Boats, planes seek hundreds missing in ferry sinking.  


STORY : Rescuers found two bodies and 74 people alive. The ferry Senopati Nusantara carried 605 people, including 63 crew, according to the manifest, a navy spokesman said. Transportation Minister Hatta Rajasa said the ship was on fire before it sank at about midnight on Friday (December 29).

Ships and ferries are a popular means of transport among Indonesia's 17,000 islands, where sea connections are cheaper and more available than air routes. However, safety standards are not always enforced, and accidents occur fairly often.

More than 500 people were still missing in stormy seas off Indonesia's Java island on Sunday (December 31), more than 24 hours after a ferry from Borneo capsized(翻覆), officials said. The sinking was the second Indonesian ferry disaster in as many days after a vessel(船) overturned(翻覆) on Thursday (December 28) in rough(暴風雨的) seas off Sumatra(蘇門達臘島). High seas and bad weather hampered rescue efforts after the latest disaster, officials said on Saturday (December 30).

STORY: In the war torn(摧殘) city of Djakovica(賈科維察) the US marines(海軍陸戰隊員) brought a smile to the faces of orphaned(失去親人的) children. Hundreds of toys were given to children who lost there parents during the war of 1999. Djakovica, a town of some 80,000 people, was badly targeted by Serb forces during the war, with many Albanians still missing after almost eight years. A warm welcome by an American Santa Claus speaking Albanian was a special gift for the children. Some children were anxious to try their new toys.

"I like my little girls more that anything and it's hard to be away for me. Although it's an honour to be here and serve my country, especially this time of year to share in a holiday season with a children of Kosovo," said father of two girls, Gary Jensen, or Santa Claus to the children. Kosovo Albanians were bombed by Serbia for 78 days in 1999 until US and NATO came to force out Serb forces.

Ten thousand Albanian civilians died and almost a million were expelled by the Serbs they accuse of causing a bloodbath(大屠殺) in a two-year conflict with separatist(分離主義的) guerrillas(游擊隊員). . The United States has more than 1500 soldiers serving in a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. 

STORY: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in the southern Yemeni(也門的) city of Aden(亞丁) on Saturday (December 16) for talks with President Ali Abdullah Saleh(阿里‧阿卜杜拉‧薩利赫) on regional issues, including the situation in Lebanon and Iraq.The meeting came a day after the European Union accused Syria, along with Iran of destabilising the Middle East.

In a hardening(硬化) of the 25-nation bloc's(聯盟) tone, EU leaders called Syria to stop interfering in Lebanon if it wanted normal relations with the international community.The statement was made as U.S. President George W. Bush came under pressure to accept the recommendations of a the bipartisan(兩個政黨的) Iraq Study Group(伊拉克政策研究小組) to talk to Tehran(德黑蘭) and Damascus(大馬士革) to try to stabilise Iraq and help extricate(使擺脫) U.S. forces. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rejected the bipartisan panel's proposal, saying the "compensation(代價)" required for any such deal might be too high.

Assad will remain in Yemen for at least another day. He is expected to met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week.

STORY: China on Saturday (December 16) opened a wide-ranging(廣泛的) summit of U.S. and Asian energy ministers looking to boost the energy profile(外型、輪廓) of the world's number two oil consumer as it seeks greater leverage(槓桿作用；影響力) over crude(粗造的、天然的) prices.

India has pushed for greater cooperation between its oil companies and China's for over a year, despite a history of mutual distrust, because of worries the booming economies' hunt for oil is sparking bidding(邀請) wars that inflate(抬高) asset(有價值的物品) prices.

China until recently played a smaller part in international energy affairs, taking a back seat to more vocal neighbours like India. China is the world's second-largest energy consumer after the U.S.

China's economic boom has created an enormous(龐大的) appetite for energy on the mainland. But international concerns over China's rising demand for oil - as well as serious air pollution from coal-burning plants - have pushed Beijing to develop alternative energy sources.

Following the summit China and the United States signed a memorandum(備忘錄；摘要) that Washington said "will pave the way" for Westinghouse Electric Co.(美國西屋公司) to build four civilian(民用的) nuclear power plants in China in a deal estimated at $8 billion(十億).

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INTRO: Fijian PM prays at Sunday morning mass amid(被…包圍) reports of possible army blockade in 24 hours.

STORY: Fijians attended Sunday (December 2) morning religious ceremonies in capital Suva, a day after Prime Minister Qarase appealed to the nation to pray for peace and stability.

The Prime Minister joined a semi-crowded church ceremony with his wife and left the service without answering any questions from the awaiting media.

In recent days Qarase has said it may take divine intervention to bring an end to the tense stand-off between the military and the Government.

Local media reported an army blockade would be put in effect on Monday (December 3) morning in order to prevent government from moving in or out of the town.

Qarase is hoping for a change in attitude and lasting resolution to the impasse(僵局) that has seen military chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama threaten to overthrow the Government unless it meets his non-negotiable(無商量餘地的) demands.

Meanwhile, Commodore Frank Bainimarama appeared on a Sunday talk show on Fiji TV.

ANCHOR: Kiriat Shmone situated to the North of Haifa, has received 1000 katiusha rockets during the 45 days of war forced by the Hezbollah on Israel. No losses in life have been encountered
but the losses in property are very severe. Most public institutions and local attractions have been damaged and the question is… if the local government can overcome all and start the school at the beginning of September, as planned. Here is our NTDTV Correspondent Isabella Xiong with more.

STORY: The panoramic city of Kiriat Shmone has seen better days. Only a few days ago, before the cease-fire agreement, the city has marked its one-thousandth katiusha rocket.

[Haim Barbibay, Mayor of Kiriat Shmone]: “Since 1968, Kiriat Shmone has been under perpetual threats of being attacked by the katiusha rockets. Since then we live in the shadow of the katiusha.
But this one and a half month was the hardest in the life of Kiriat Shmone. Thank God no one was killed. Two people got injured and another 45 people suffer from shock and anxiety.”

The local government is striving day and night to restore everything the way it was before the war. Construction workers can be seen everywhere. The schools are their main target since the school semester is starting next week. But the big question that everybody is asking is: WILL EVERYTHING BE DONE ON TIME?

[Ofer Zafrani, Vice Deputy Director, Danciger School]: “Our school was hit three times by three katiusha rochets. Almost all school was ruined, you can see that all the class room without anything left, all the glasses, all the doors, all the walls, all the floor, everything is ruined.”

Abraham, School Janitor has found this katiusha rocket in one of the classes on Saturday eve.

[Abraham, School Janitor]: “The rocket has destroyed a few floors. The katiusha touched the wall, that beam, then the other beam, and then the window frame and enter inside the classroom. 8 classrooms were ravaged, 4 on this side and 4 on the other side.”

Some residents have fled the city during the war and came back after the cease-fire. The psychological difficulty that the people are in, is very big. The children are the ones that suffered the most.

[Ofer Zafrani, Vice Deputy Director, Danciger School]: ”Our children that were in the shelters during the last week are feeling after trauma, they are afraid, every noise, are making them shaking and they feel very bad.”

The local government and the management of the schools are doing everything in their power to restore the confidence in the parents and children. The first thing is to detect the children that are suffering from anxiety and try to give the appropriate help and support.

[Haim Barbibay, Mayor of Kiriat Shmone]: “There is no reason for this destruction, no reason for this war, no reason for this suffering that the people encounter. In spite of the destruction of houses and the huge quantity of katiusha, no one was killed and we are happy it is like this. Because buildings can be fixed, but people can not be brought back.”

2000 private homes and 3 schools have been severely damaged but all this can be fixed because is just a matter of money, but all the people who have been injured, their wounds won’t heal for a long time. Reporting from Kiriat Shmone, Isabella Xiong, NTDTV Israel.