BBC News :美國努力達成協(xié)議以避免“財政懸崖”
BBC News with Marion Marshall
Pakistani government officials said they released another eight senior members of the Afghan Taliban, all are ex-government ministers or provincial governors. The Afghan government welcomed the move, but said they need to locate those released to get them involved in the peace process. A P of the BBC Pashto Service reports.
Among those released according to Pakistani officials, all the former Taliban Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi and the former governor of Helmand province, Abdul Bari. Mullah Turabi is told to be in poor health. But Pakistan's most high-profile Taliban detainee, former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar remains in custody. Last month Pakistan freed at least nine other Afghan Taliban following a visit to Islamabad by the head of the Afghanistan peace council.
Politicians in the United States are making a final pushed to reach a deal that would avoid what become known as the financial cliff. A combination of major spending cuts and tax rises is due to begin automatically on new year's day. President Obama expressed some optimism that deal could still be reached. Paul Adams reports from Washington.
Amid reports that the deal was beginning to take shape, Mr Obama took to the podium at the White house to cajole congress one more time. With two rows of middle class American stand behind him, the President said the deal to prevent tax increase on the all but the very wealthiest was now in sight but not yet in place. Those making over $400,000 a year would find their taxes going up reverting to rates last in placed during the presidency of Bill Clinton. A deal could also also put off the swingeing automatic spending cuts that supposed to coming into a fact at midnight local time.
Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva has signed next year's budget which includes big tax increase described by critics as a fiscal earth quake. This coming at the start of the new year. The government says the tax increase is a necessary if Portugal is to reduce its debts as agreed with the international creditors.
Rebels in the Central African Republic who made rapid advances towards the capital Bangui have dismissed a series of concessions after on Sunday by President Francois Bozize. The rebels told BBC it was impossible to trust the president because his security forces was still attacking their supporters in Bangui. Here is our West African correspondent Thomas Fessy.
The rebel coalition warned that it will act soon if President Bozize doesn't stop what it calls a campaign against its supporters. It says still committed to talks but accused Mr Bozize of sending out contradictory messages. The main human rights group in the Central African Republic told the BBC that dozens of people suspected of supporting the rebels have been arrested in the capital. There was not possible to confirmed these reports and the government has denied them.
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A ban has been imposed in Ghana on the import of second-hand refrigerators which often contain chemicals banned in many western countries because they are seriously harmful to the environment. The Ghana energy commission saying people handing in old fridges will also be able to buy new ones at a discount. The head of Ghana energy commission Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkora told the BBC he hopes the move will provide new employment opportunities.
I know some investors have already drawn up plans to come and visit Ghana to see how they can go ahead. So it is not a matter of stopping some business but it rather encouraging manufacturing. I think manufacturing will create more jobs than importation of second-hand of refrigerators.
Israel has confirmed that it start to allow some building materials into the Gaza Strip supply which has been banned under the long running Israeli blockade. The decision is a part of a ceasefire deal which ended the eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas run Palestinian territory in November.
The daughter of the former Iranian President Ayatullah Akbar Rafsanjani has been moved to solitary confinement at a Tehran prison where she serving a 6-month sentence. A spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Faezeh Hashemi was putting in solitary confinement after participating in a protest against condition of the jail. Faezeh Hashemi, who is herself a former MP was sentenced in September for propaganda against states.
Burma has welcomed in the New Year with public firework display for the first time, the latest sign of easing of political control on daily life. Public gatherings were banned on the military rule, but organizers said tens of thousands of people congregated in Rangoon this year to watch the fireworks. The display was held against the backdrop of Burma most secret sight - the golden Shwedagon Pagoda.
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參考譯文
馬里恩·馬歇爾為你播報BBC新聞。
巴基斯坦官員稱已釋放阿富汗塔利班的另外8名高級官員，他們全部是前政府的部長及省級部長。阿富汗政府對此表示歡迎，但表示將安置這些官員，讓他們參與到和平進程中。
據巴基斯坦官員稱，所有獲釋人員為塔利班前司法部長圖拉比及赫爾曼德省前省長Abdul Bari。據悉圖拉比健康欠佳，但巴基斯坦最受關注的塔利班囚犯即前副領袖阿卜杜勒·加尼·巴拉達目前仍在拘留中。上月，就在阿富汗和平委員會主席訪問伊 斯蘭堡后，巴基斯坦釋放了至少另外9名阿富汗塔利班。
美國政治家在最后時刻仍努力達成協(xié)議以避免所謂的“財政懸崖”，新的一年將同時實施重大的開支削減和增稅措施。總統(tǒng)奧巴馬很樂觀，他認為可以達成協(xié)議。Paul Adams在華盛頓報道。
據悉協(xié)議已有眉目，奧巴馬來到白宮講臺試圖再次說服眾人。奧巴馬身后站著兩排中產階級人員，他說，阻止對最富有者之外美國人增稅的協(xié)議已有眉目，但 尚未最終敲定。年收入在40萬以上的美國人將按比爾·克林頓在位期間的稅率。這項協(xié)議還將原定于當地時間午夜開始實施的苛刻的自動開支削減政策往后推遲。
葡萄牙總統(tǒng)席爾瓦簽署了明年的預算，內容包括被批評者成為“財政地震”的大幅度增稅政策。預算將于新年年初開始實施，政府稱如果葡萄牙希望按照與國際債主簽署的協(xié)議來削減債務，那么增稅政策就很有必要。
中非共和國叛軍已朝首都班基方向快速挺進，他們沒有接受總統(tǒng)弗朗索瓦·博齊澤周日提出的讓步條件。叛軍稱無法信任總統(tǒng)，因為其安全部隊仍在襲擊叛軍在班基的支持者。BBC駐西非記者Thomas Fessy報道。
叛軍聯(lián)盟警告說，如果總統(tǒng)博齊澤不停止對其支持者的襲擊，那么將快速反擊。叛軍稱仍愿意和談，但指責博齊澤表達了相反的信息。駐中非共和國的人權組織告訴BBC，數十名有支持叛軍嫌疑的人已在首都班基被捕。目前尚無辦法確定這些報道的真實性，政府也對此否認。
加納發(fā)布禁令禁止進口二手冰箱，因為這些冰箱里含有為西方國家禁止的有害環(huán)境的化學物質。加納能源委員會稱那些處理舊冰箱的人也可以折價購買新冰箱。加納能源委員會主席Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkora告訴BBC，他希望此舉能提供新的就業(yè)機會。
我知道有的投資者已經準備來加納了解情況，但這并非是要阻止一些商業(yè)活動，而是鼓勵制造業(yè)的發(fā)展。我想與進口二手冰箱相比，制造者可以創(chuàng)造更多就業(yè)崗位。
以色列稱將允許一些建筑材料進入加沙地帶，長期以來由于以色列的封鎖，這些材料一直被禁運輸到此地。這是?；饏f(xié)議的一部分，該協(xié)議結束了11月份以色列和哈馬斯控制的巴勒斯坦領地之間為期8天的沖突。
伊朗前總統(tǒng)阿里·阿克巴爾·哈什米·拉夫桑賈尼之女進入德黑蘭一所監(jiān)獄進行單獨拘禁，她將在那里接受6個月的監(jiān)禁。伊朗司法部發(fā)言人稱法伊澤因參與抗議監(jiān)獄環(huán)境而被單獨拘禁。法伊澤本人曾是議員，9月份她因反政府宣傳獲刑。
緬甸首次在公眾場合點燃煙花以慶祝新年，這是政治放松對日常生活控制的最新跡象。軍事統(tǒng)治期間禁止公眾集會，但組織者稱今年數萬人集會仰光來觀看煙花。煙花燃放點設在緬甸最神秘的地點仰光大金塔。
