12-06-06

救援努力在越南南部和菲律宾展开 (Rescue Efforts Underway in Southern Vietnam, Philippines)

强台风星期三在越南南部和菲律宾部份地区造成严重破坏，救援工作目前正在进行当中。菲律宾上星期遭受台风榴莲袭击，大约20万人流离失所，国际援助机构正设法向灾民运送救援物资。

台风引发的大规模泥石流埋没了阿尔拜省的很多村庄，造成至少一千人丧生。这是今年9月下旬以来菲律宾遭受的第四次强大风暴。

与此同时，台风榴莲在越南南部沿海地区造成约50人失踪，搜救人员一直在寻找他们的下落。有关官员说，还有至少50人丧生。榴莲已经降级为热带风暴，正穿过泰国湾向西移动。

Rescue efforts are underway in southern Vietnam and parts of the Philippines Wednesday, after a powerful typhoon devastated both areas. International relief agencies are working to get supplies to 200-thousand people left homeless when Typhoon Durian lashed the Philippines last week.

At least one thousand people died after the storm triggered a massive mud flow that buried entire villages in Albay province. It was the fourth major storm to hit the nation since late September.

Meanwhile, rescuers in southern Vietnam are searching for around 50 people missing since Typhoon Durian swept the country's coastal region. Officials say at least 50 people were killed. Durian has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is heading west across the Gulf of Thailand.

澳议会解除克隆人类胚胎从事干细胞研究禁令 (Australia Lifts Ban on Cloning Human Embryos for Stem Cell Research)

尽管受到总理霍华德的反对，但是澳大利亚议会仍然解除了对为从事干细胞而克隆人类胚胎的禁令。众议院星期三经过一下午的激烈辩论，批准了这项法案。参议院已经在11月通过了这项法案。

澳大利亚的议员这次罕见地被鼓励按照自己的意愿投票，而不是遵循党派立场。投票结果推翻了2002年的一项禁令。这项禁令只允许对体外受精项目剩余的胚胎进行研究。

刚刚通过的法案使研究人员能够进行治疗性克隆。治疗性克隆是利用皮肤细胞和卵子一起培养干细胞。这些细胞能够形成人体组织。科学家希望这些细胞能够有助于治疗诸如帕金森症、痴呆症和脊髓损伤等疾病。反对者说，这种方法不道德。

Australia's parliament has lifted a ban on cloning human embryos for stem cell research despite opposition from Prime Minister John Howard. The House of Representatives approved the legislation Wednesday after an afternoon of emotional debate. The Senate passed the bill last month.

In a rare move, Australian lawmakers were encouraged to vote according to their consciences, rather than the stance of their party. The vote overturns a ban imposed in 2002 that only allowed research on embryos left over from in vitro fertilization programs.

The bill enables researchers to conduct therapeutic cloning, a procedure that combines skin cells with eggs to produce stem cells. These cells are capable of forming human tissues, and scientists hope they will help to find cures for debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's, dementia and spinal cord injuries. Opponents have called the process immoral.