BBC News with Jonathan Weekley.
United States has spent the day trying to maintain support for diplomatic pressure on Iran, following the publication of an American intelligence report suggesting the Iranians halted their drive to develop nuclear weapons in 2003. The American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and her deputy, spoke to the Chinese government, European allies and other UN Security Council members. The head of the UN nuclear agency, Mohammed ElBaradei, said the US report should help defuse the crisis over Iran. But President Bush said its findings were not a cause for comfort. Justin Webb reports.
I still feel strongly that Iran is a danger. Iran needs to be taken seriously as a threat to peace. With those words, the President on the defensive tried his best to get back into the ring. Facing a barrage of questions about Iran at a news conference originally planned for domestic affairs, Mr. Bush tried to make the case that the change of mind in the intelligence community was helpful to the White House. At one stage in his appearance today, the President said nothing's changed. My opinion hasn't changed. The fear among many of his hawkish supporters is that something has changed: President's freedom to attack Iran if he deems it necessary.
The government of Somalia has frozen all aid operations in the southeast to the country, where up to a million people have been displaced by fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian troops. Official said orders had come from Somali president to close all ports and airports in the area. Two ships loaded with food aid are stranded outside the port of Marka and have been prevented from unloading their cargo. The UN World Food Program says it's concerned about the restrictions on delivering aid.
The British government has said that failings by the Ministry of Defense contributed to the loss of a Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft that exploded over southern Afghanistan last year. Following the results of an inquiry into the accident, the government has now ordered an independent review to ensure the airworthiness of the RAF Nimrod fleet. Clair Mitchelmore, whose husband died in the crash, held the Ministry of Defense responsible for the accident.
These heroic men put their lives on the line just as thousands of others in the forces are doing on the daily basis. However, a catalogue of errors and aging aircraft did not enable them to do their job as safely as possible. I consider this totally inhumane as how the government and the MOD can function with this on their conscience.
British, American and Afghan forces has started a military operation to retake the town of Musa Qala in southern Afghanistan, which has been controlled by Taliban insurgents since February. The Taliban described it as a major assault and local sources said hundreds of civilians had fled the town in Helmand province. Elsewhere in southern Afghanistan, one British soldier was killed and two others were wounded in an explosion.
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The speaker of the Brazilian Senate, a key ally of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has resigned in order to avoid an imminent impeachment hearing. The speaker, Renan Calheiros, is the latest prominent politician to fall victim to a scandal. From Sao Paulo, Gary Duffy.
Renan Calheiros was regarded as the one of the most influential politicians in the Brazilian Congress. This long-running controversy had overshadowed political life here since May. The Senate President had fought a fierce battle to preserve his job and survived one vote, which threatened his position in September this year. The allegation this time focused on claims that he'd used third parties as a front to illegally purchase two radio stations and a newspaper. Announcing his resignation just ahead of the impeachment vote, Renan Calheiros has again denied the claims against him and said he gave up his position without grief for resentment and holding his head up high.
The British Foreign Office has condemned the broadcast of a video issued by the kidnappers of five British men held in Iraq. It confirmed that a man shown in the tape was one of the five kidnapped from the Iraqi Finance Ministry in Baghdad in May. In the video, two men point weapons at the head of the hostage and demand that the British army should leave Iraq within ten days. Crispin Thorold is in Baghdad.
The persons were seized by a group of men dressed as policemen. Initial suspicion fell on one of the main Shiite militias in Iraq. It now appears that a splinter group may be holding the man. The US military often describes these groups as being heavily influenced by Iran. British diplomats say that they are analyzing the tape and that an awful lot is being done behind the scenes to try to free the hostages.
Israel has announced it is to build more than 300 new houses at Har Homa, a Jewish part of east Jerusalem, which was captured by the Israelis in 1967. Palestinians have condemned the move as undermining the newly revived peace talks. But the Israeli government says it is not violating any commitments.
BBC News.
Glossary
barrage n.
1. 阻塞，拦阻，斩断；（菌丝体生长）阻隔现象
2. 弹幕（射击），拦阻射击，火网，防雷网
3. [无]阻塞，遮断，干扰
4. 空中巡逻
5. 掩护炮火；弹幕
6. [英]拦河坝，堰
7. （指说话或写作）倾泻；[喻]倾泻，猛击
a barrage of questions
连珠炮似的问题
reconnaissance n.
1. 侦察，搜索
2. 高空侦察
3. 勘察[测，查]，踏勘，草测
4. 对要做的工作要事先考查
5. 选线[点]
6. 调查研究
7. 侦察队；侦察车
[短语]
1. field reconnaissance
野外查勘
2. radar reconnaissance
雷达探空