联合国难民署准备应对科特迪瓦可能出现的难民潮

　　The United Nations Refugee Agency says 14,000 Ivoirians have fled to neighbouring Liberia to escape violence that followed last month’s disputed presidential election in Ivory Coast. Peter Miles has the details.

　　A spokesman for the UNHCR told the BBC it has so far counted 14,000 refugees from Ivory Coast in Liberia. Most of them came from villages in the west of the country and the vast majority were supporters of Alassane Ouattara, the presidential contender backed by the international community. A spokeswoman said the refugees had been walking for days to escape a situation they feared could explode into violence. And the flow was continuing. Meanwhile, the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo is clinging on in defiance of growing international calls for him to hand over power.

　　奥巴马代表国际谴责巴基斯坦发生的自杀性爆炸事件

　　President Obama has led international condemnation of a suicide bombing in Pakistan, which killed at least 40 people and injured another 60. The bomber, reported to be a woman, attacked a large gathering of displaced people in the town of Khar in Bajaur district in the northwestern tribal region. The victims, who mostly belong to a tribe opposed to the Taliban, had been waiting for the United Nations food rations. Mr Obama said the United States would strongly support Pakistan’s efforts to ensure peace, security and justice for its people. Pakistani helicopter gunships backed by artillery later killed 40 suspected insurgents in the neighbouring region of Mohmand.

　　我国央行年内第二次加息 存贷款利率各上调25基点

　　The second rise in interest rates in China in just over two months is coming into effect as the government steps up its fight against inflation. Here’s Vivien Marsh of our Asia-Pacific desk.

　　A brief statement on the website of the People’s Bank of China said the one-year lending of deposit rates would go up by a quarter of a percentage point. Inflation is at its highest level in more than two years and taming is at the top of Beijing’s policy agenda. Over the past two years, loans have been easy to come by as China rebounded quickly from the global economic crisis. But the new tightening indicates the sensitivity of inflation in a society in which poor families spend up to half their incomes on food.

　　荷兰称逮捕12名涉嫌发动恐怖活动的索马里人

　　Twelve Somalis have been arrested in Rotterdam in the Netherlands on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities. Geraldine Coughlin reports from the Hague.

　　Prosecutors said in a statement that the tipoff from the Dutch security service reports that a number of Somalis were planning to carry out a terrorist attack in the Netherlands relatively soon. A telephone shop and four houses in Rotterdam were searched by around 20 armed police officers as well as two motel rooms in a village in the south of the country. But no weapons or explosives were found.

　　太平洋瓦努阿图附近发生7.6级地震

　　There’s been a strong earthquake measuring 7.6 near the west Pacific nation of Vanuatu. There are no reports of damage or injury so far. The quake triggered a tsunami warning in the region. It was later canceled.

　　BBC News

　　尼日利亚总统声明对平安夜连环爆炸事件全力调查

　　The Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says his government will do all it can to bring into justice the perpetrators of Friday’s bomb blasts in the city of Jos. The authorities say 32 people were killed and more than 70 were injured in a series of explosions.

　　英国国教精神首脑指责现代人对经济危机的感受不够

　　The spiritual head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has accused the wealthy of failing to share the pain caused by the financial crisis and spending cuts. Delivering his Christmas Day sermon, Dr Williams said that with hardship ahead for so many, confidence was low and it would grow only if there were more sign of solidarity. In her traditional Christmas speech, Queen Elizabeth has focused on sport as a unifying force. Delivering her speech at the Hampton Court Palace on the Thames, she said sport and games were a powerful way of engendering team spirit, building communities and bringing people from different backgrounds together.

　　奥巴马希望美国人在圣诞期间支持美国军队与其家人

　　President Obama has urged Americans to support US troops and their families during the Christmas holiday period. In his Weekly Address, Mr Obama was joined by his wife Michael, who said American didn’t need to be experts on military life to make a contribution. Rajini Vaidyanathan reports from Washington.

　　The Christmas message comes at the end of a busy week for the president, which saw him score key legislative victories. The senate approved the nuclear arms treaty with Russia and the president won his battle to repeal the military’s ban on openly gay and bisexual service members. But Mr Obama faces a challenging year ahead with his party losing control of the House of Representatives and the economy struggling to get back on track.

　　斯里兰卡圣诞节释放100名前猛虎组织成员

　　And Sri Lanka has released 100 former Tamil Tiger rebels to mark Christmas Day. It’s the latest group to be freed from the camps where they’d been held since the Tamil Tigers were defeated by government forces last year. The government says 5,000 former rebels are still being held. But international human rights groups and the media haven’t been given access.

　　BBC News