10-27-2005

布什总统的最高法院大法官提名人选退出 President Bush's Supreme Court Nominee Withdraws

白宫表示，布什总统提名出任美国最高法院大法官的哈丽特.迈尔斯撤出提名。布什总统在星期四发布的一个简短声明中说，他“不情愿”地接受了迈尔斯退出的决定。

在白宫公布的迈尔斯写给布什总统的信中，迈尔斯说，她担心她的提名听证程序将给白宫带来负担，而这不符合国家的最佳利益。迈尔斯女士受到民主党和共和党的批评，他们担心迈尔斯缺乏担任法官的资格以及她的司法理念鲜为人知。

迈尔斯是经验丰富律师，目前担任总统的白宫法律顾问，但是从来没有当过法官。布什总统和迈尔斯都提到，撤回提名的原因包括几位参议员提出要查阅白宫内部文件。

The White House says President Bush's Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination. In a brief statement Thursday, President Bush said he had "reluctantly" accepted Ms. Miers' decision to withdraw.

In a letter to President Bush released by the White House, Miers said she was concerned that her confirmation process "would create a burden for the White House... that is not in the best interest of the country." Miers had faced criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for what many considered her lack of qualifications for the court and an unclear judicial philosophy.

Miers is an experienced lawyer who serves as the president's White House counsel but has never been a judge. Both the president and Ms. Miers cited a demand from several senators to view internal White House documents as a reason for the withdrawal.

法等待三禽流感病例化验结果 French Await Results for 3 Bird Flu Tests

法国官员正在等待化验结果，这项结果将证实印度洋法属留尼汪岛的3位居民是否感染了高致命的H5N1型禽流感病毒。同时，香港一家电视台报导，对中国湖南省一名死于流感症状的12岁女孩进行的禽流感化验结果呈阴性。女孩死前在禽流感疫区吃过一只病死的鸡。

在亚洲其它地方，马来西亚为了防止爆发禽流感，下令禁止进口宠物鸟。印尼表示对匈牙利的人类禽流感疫苗的样品感兴趣，并考虑为在当地生产这种疫苗申请许可证。

越南表示，如果不能和瑞士罗氏制药公司达成生产“达菲”药品协议的话，越南可能会自行生产抗禽流感病毒的“达菲”仿制品。

French officials are awaiting test results that would confirm whether three people on France's Indian Ocean island of Reunion are infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. Meanwhile, a Hong Kong TV report says a Chinese girl who died in Hunan province with flu symptoms has tested negative for avian flu. She fell ill after eating a sick chicken that died in an area stricken with bird flu.

Elsewhere in Asia, Malaysia has imposed a ban on imports of pet birds to prevent a bird flu outbreak. Indonesia says it is interested in Hungary's prototype human bird flu vaccine and is considering getting a license for local production.

Vietnam says it may produce a generic version of the antiviral drug Tamiflu if a licensing agreement cannot be reached with the drug's Swiss manufacturer (Roche Holding AG).