11-21-06

中国公路事故8名学生丧生 (Eight Children Die in Road Accident in China)

中国官方新华社报导，一辆运送学生的公交车在中国东北地区从桥上坠落，致使8名学生死亡，9人身受重伤。

新华社星期二报导，事故发生在中国黑龙江省距离哈尔滨市50公里的地方。出事的公交车上大约有50名学生。

新华社报导说，初步调查结果表明，这辆公交车的司机没有驾驶这类汽车的执照。中国公路死亡率居世界之高。中国政府报告显示，去年中国有将近10万人死于公路事故。

China's official Xinhua news agency says eight children were killed and another nine seriously injured when a bus carrying students plunged off a bridge in northeast China.

Xinhua said Tuesday that the crash happened about 50 kilometers from Harbin in China's Heilongjiang province. The bus was carrying around 50 students.

The Chinese news agency said initial investigations showed the driver did not have the proper license to operate a bus. China's roads are among the world's deadliest. Chinese government reports show almost 100 thousand people died last year in accidents on the country's roads.

中国回应欧盟猫狗皮交易禁令 (China Reacts to EU Ban on Dog, Cat Fur)

中国强调其保护动物的承诺，对欧盟计划禁止猫、狗毛皮交易做出回应。中国外交部星期二说，虐待猫、狗的现象在中国并不普遍。外交部说，近年来，保护动物的意识一直在提高。

欧盟委员会星期一宣布，计划禁止出售用猫、狗的真皮毛制造的玩具、服装和其他产品。这项提议出台前，动物权益保护活动人士去年在捷克共和国发现了一个猫、狗毛皮加工厂。欧洲的许多动物毛皮都来自中国。

China is stressing its commitment to the protection of animals, in response to a plan by the European Union to ban trade in cat and dog fur. China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that torture and cruelty against cats and dogs was not widespread in China. The ministry said awareness of protecting animals has been on the rise in recent years.

On Monday, the European Commission announced plans to outlaw the sale of toys, clothes, and other products made with real cat and dog fur. The proposal came after an investigation by animal rights activists last year uncovered a cat and dog production facility in the Czech Republic. Many of the animal skins that have turned up in Europe came from China.