11-21-07

印度、中国下月将举行联合军演 (India, China to Hold Joint Military Exercise Next Month)

印度国防部官员说，印度和中国下月将首次举行两国联合军事演习，显示曾在1962年打过一场短暂边境战争的两个亚洲邻国双边关系的改善。有关官员说，印度和中国各派大约100名军人参加在中国云南省举行的演习。

官员们说，两国高层军事官员下星期将前往印度东部城市加尔各达共同筹划联合演习。两国上星期在北京举行年度国防对话期间批准了这次联合军事演习。中印国防对话是两国去年签署的谅解备忘录的一项内容。

Indian Defense Ministry officials say India and China will hold their first joint military exercise next month -- a sign of warmer relations between the Asian neighbors that fought a brief border war in 1962. Officials say about 100 soldiers from each country will participate in the exercise in China's Yunnan province.

Officials say top army officials from both sides are to meet in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata next week to plan for the war games. The joint military exercise was approved at last week's Beijing meeting of the annual Defense Dialogue between the two nations. The Defense Dialogue is part of the memorandum of understanding China and India signed last year.

法国前总统接受正式腐败调查 (Former French President Under Formal Investigation for Corruption)

法国一名法官对法国前总统希拉克正式展开调查，作为一起腐败调查的一部分。希拉克的律师韦伊星期三说，法官调查这位前总统是怀疑他在担任巴黎市长期间贪污公款。案件围绕有关指称说巴黎市政厅对希拉克领导的保守党的同情者提供虚职。

正式调查是为了确定希拉克是否应该受审或者是否因缺乏证据而取消案件审理。一名法官7月就希拉克1977年到1995年担任市长期间的这个案件询问了希拉克4个小时。希拉克担任总统期间享受免于起诉的豁免权。他的总统任期于今年5月结束。

A French judge has placed former President Jacques Chirac under formal investigation as part of a corruption probe. Mr. Chirac's lawyer, Jean Veil, said Wednesday that the judge placed the former president under investigation for suspected embezzlement of public funds when he was mayor of Paris. The case revolves around an allegation that the Paris city hall gave fake jobs to sympathizers of Mr. Chirac's conservative party.

The formal investigation is to determine whether Mr. Chirac should stand trial or the case should be dismissed for lack of evidence. In July, a magistrate questioned Mr. Chirac for four hours in the case dating back to his time as mayor from 1977 to 1995. Mr. Chirac was immune from prosecution while he was president. His term ended in May.