BBC News:聯(lián)合國安理會討論敘利亞問題
There has been heavy fighting in Syria for control ofthe ancient Christian town of Maaloula despitereports that government forces had retaken it fromIslamist rebels. Jeremy Bowen has been in Maaloulawhose residents still speak Aramaic, the language spoken at the time of Jesus Christ.
They planted a Syrian flag on the round above but the fight is still going on. For the rest of thevillagers have been a hard one. They say they came in about 7 this morning, it's going for 5 inthe afternoon, now it's still going on. In the short time I've been here, I've seen a fair numberof wounded being brought back in pickups. So it's going on here in quite a big way they’refighting hard and while the Syrian army and the national defenses in pretty well-armed and well-organized. They are facing clearly some pretty formidable adversary too, up to now after 10hours of fighting are still in Maaloula.
Ambassadors from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are tomeet later today in New York to discuss Syria's chemical weapons. Russian media say Moscowhas already given the United States, its plans for placing Syria's chemical arsenal underinternational control. The American Secretary of State John Kerry and the Russian ForeignMinister Sergei Lavrov are expected to discuss the details in Geneva on Thursday.
A car bomb explosion near a Shiah mosque in the Iraqi capital Baghdad has killed at least 30people and wounded many others. The bomb went off as worshippers were leaving the mosquein Kasra in northern Baghdad after evening prayers.
Scientists in the United States have tested a vaccine on monkeys that appears to be effectivein preventing the equivalent of HIV. Research published in the journal Nature suggested thatabout half of the vaccinated monkeys were able to clear infection. The researchers have nowcreated a form of vaccine that could be tested on humans. It's hoped within the next twoyears. Rebecca Morella reports.
The researchers looked an aggressive form of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus that up to 100times more deadly than HIV while infected monkeys usually die within two years, the scientistshave developed the vaccine that can stop the virus from taking hold. After inoculating rhesusmacaque monkeys, the US team then exposed them to SIV, they found that at first theinfection began to establish and spread. But then the immune system spurred into actionsearching out and destroying all signs of the virus.
A group of 160 Somali religious scholars has issued a religious edict or fatwa against theIslamist group al-Shabab which controls much of the country. At a meeting on religiousextremism held in the Somali capital Mogadishu, the scholars said al-Shabab had no place inIslam partly because of its use of violence. A BBC correspondent in the city says that it's thefirst senior religious figures have issued such a statement.
World News from the BBC.
An aid worker for the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres in the Central African Republicsays bodies still laid to the streets of the town of Bouca after fighting earlier this week. The aidworker told the BBC that hundreds of properties have been burnt down leaving many familieswithout shelter.
President Sebastian Pinera of Chile has called for national reconciliation on the 40thanniversary of the coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. Mr. Pinera said that the currentgeneration of Chileans had no right to pass the hatreds of the past down to their children andgrandchildren. However, the daughter of the late-deposed president Salvador Allende said shedid not believe in force to reconciliations.
Hundreds of thousands of people in northeastern Spain demanding independence forCatalonia have joined hands to form a human chain across the region. Many Catalanscomplained that the region which has its own language and its wealthy as many parts of Spainin effect subsidizes the government in Madrid. Tom Burridge reports.
This was another strong show of popular support in Catalonia for the idea of a vote onindependence from Spain. A human chain stretched from Catalonia's border with France inthe north along motorways and through villages and the Catalan capital ofBarcelona eventuallyreaching the regional border with Valencia in the south. The Catalan President Artur Mas sayshe wants a referendum on independence next year but conceded that the Spanishgovernment is unlikely to change its position, Madrid is strongly opposed.
Celebrations have taken place in the Afghan capital Kabul after the national football team won itsfirst international trophy. Fans took to the streets to wave Afghan flags and fire guns into theair to mark the team's 2-0 victory over India in the final of the South Asian Football FederationChampionship in Kathmandu.
BBC News.
