Thailand agrees to talk with Muslim rebels. A BangladeshIslamist leader is sentenced to death. I’m David Deforest reporting from Washington.
The United States is providing $60 million in (immediate aid) to the Syrian opposition including food and medical supplies. The U.S. is also giving direct non-lethal aid to the opposition Supreme Military Council. Secretary of State John Kerry announced the move after talks today in Rome. Syrian National Council chief Mouaz al-Khatib took part in the talks. He (appeared) with Kerry ata joint press conference. For more on this story, visit our website voanews.com.
Today, at the Vatican…
Pope Benedict met with the church’s cardinals today before boarding a (helicopter) and flying to the papal retreat south of Rome where he will officially end his reign. The pope’s (resignation) officially goes into effect at 8 p.m. local time.英语口语培训
Thailand, for the first time, has agreed to hold peace talks with the major Muslim rebel group, marking a (potential) breakthrough and efforts to end nearly ten years of (violence) in the country’s south. Senior Thai officials and (representatives) of the National Revolution Front meeting in the Malaysian capital today signed an agreement to start a dialogue process that would begin in two weeks. Yingluck Shinawatra is Thailand’s prime minister.
Yingluck Shinawatra: “The Thai authorities are willing to (engage) in the process of inclusive dialogue with all relevant (stakeholders) and group concern to address root cause of the problem (in accordance with) the state administration and development policy for the southern border provinces and within the (framework) of the constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand.”
Yingluck Shinawatra.
A Bangladeshi war crimes court has sentenced a senior Islamist opposition leader to death for crimes committed during the 1971 war for independence. The court in Dhaka today handed down the sentence to Delwar Hossain Sayedee, a major member of the Jamatt-e-Islami party, for crimes that included rape and mass killings. Saif al Islam is one of the (prosecutors).
Saif al-Islam: “He has been (convicted) to the highest (death penalty) and the other out of twenty, eh, eight charges had been proved without reasonable doubts, eh, beyond reasonable doubts. So those comprises the killing, (deportation), tasks formation (conversions), murder, rape, every extra.”
Sayedee’s lawyer called the verdict unjust. He vowed to (appeal). The (verdict) sparked violence among demonstrators in several cities.
India’s finance minister is pledging to revive economic growth by (trimming) the country’s fiscal deficit. Anjana Pasricha takes a look.易说堂电话英语
Anjana Pasricha: “Speaking to parliament during the (presentation) of the country’s annual budget, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram vowed to cut India’s (fiscal deficit) to 4.8% in the next fiscal year. He said the country needs to make tough spending decisions.”
P. Chaidambaram: “I have no choice but to rationalize (expenditure). We took a dose of biter medicine. It seems to be working.”
Anjana Pasricha: “Government spending will rise by about 16%in the next year. To meet those expenses, the finance minister announced a (temporary) tax on the super rich, those with an annual income of about $200,000and on local companies with an income of over $2 million. Anjana Pasricha, New Delhi.”
As the countdown toward automatic U.S. budget cuts continues, Democrats and Republicans in Washington are (at a standstill) on avoiding the so-called (sequester) that is scheduled to take place starting on Friday.
The World Health Organization says those exposed to the worst levels of radiation during the Japanese nuclear (disaster) have a higher risk for developing certain types of cancer. In a report today, the U.N. agency said the most affected were those near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Maria Neira is WHO’s director of public health and (environment).
Maria Neira: “We can say that yes the risk of, among the (emergency) workers, eh. It will be increased, eh, for thyroid cancer particularly in some (circulatory) disorders.”
About 110,000 people in the area were (evacuated) in March 2011after an earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown in the plant’s nuclear reactors and sent (radiation) spewing into the surrounding area.
From the VOA news center in Washington, I’m David Deforest. More news on the Internet at voanews.com.
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