09-20-07

联合国安理会延长北约在阿富汗使命 (UN Security Council Extends NATO Mission in Afghanistan)

联合国安理会将北约领导的部队阿富汗行动的授权延长一年。安理会15个成员中有14个国家星期三晚间对这项决议表示赞成，但是俄罗斯弃权，表示对决议内容有不同意见。

俄罗斯常驻联合国代表丘尔金表示，莫斯科方面支持北约在阿富汗的行动，但是对决议中提到感谢日本做出贡献表示异议。日本的反对派政治人士威胁阻止议会批准日本对北约在阿富汗行动的海上后勤支持。

丘尔金说，联合国的决议不应当着重考虑日本国内的情势。

星期三早些时候，英国领导的部队对聚集在阿富汗南部动荡不安的赫尔曼德省的塔利班分子展开了一轮新的攻势。

The U.N. Security Council has extended its authorization of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan for one more year. Fourteen of the Council's 15 members approved the resolution late Wednesday, but Russia abstained, citing a disagreement about the text.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow supports the NATO mission in Afghanistan, but voiced concern about a clause thanking Japan for its support. Japanese opposition politicians have threatened to block parliamentary approval of Japan's naval support of operations in Afghanistan.

Churkin said the U.N. resolution should not give priority to "domestic considerations" in Japan.

Earlier Wednesday, British-led forces launched a new offensive against Taleban fighters in Afghanistan's violent southern province of Helmand.

缅甸僧侣第三天举行反政府示威 (Burmese Monks Hold Third Day of Anti-Government Marches)

缅甸数百名佛教僧侣星期四走在仰光街头举行示威，这是至少10年来爆发的最无视军政府的示威活动之一。

目击者说，僧侣星期四进入神圣的大金塔时大声诵经。这个星期早些时候，有关当局关闭了大金塔。随后，僧侣冒雨向另一个寺塔进发。星期四是僧侣连续在仰光街头进行和平游行的第三天。

上个月，政府将燃油价格提升一倍，造成许多贫困的缅甸人交通困难之后，僧侣率先举行抗议示威。在示威活动中，有关当局逮捕了至少50名活动分子，但一直避免对僧侣采取强硬措施。

Hundreds of Buddhist monks have marched through Rangoon in one of the most defiant protests against Burma's military government in at least a decade.

Witnesses say the monks chanted prayers Thursday) as they entered the revered Shwedagon pagoda, which authorities had locked earlier this week. The monks then marched through the rain to another pagoda. Today is the third straight day the monks have marched peacefully through Rangoon.

They have taken the lead in demonstrations that began last month after the government doubled the price of fuel, making transportation difficult for many of Burma's impoverished citizens. Authorities arrested at least 50 activists in those demonstrations, but have refrained from taking strong action against the monks.