1．Blair to EU: Modernize or Fail
欧洲－布莱尔指出欧盟应改善其经济政策
Tony Blair's message to the European Union is that it must change the way it does business if it is to survive.
He told the European Parliament that the people of Europe are ahead of the continent's politicians in recognizing the need for change.
Tony Blair: It is time to give ourselves a reality check to receive the wake-up call. The people are blowing the trumpets around the city walls. Are we listening? Have we the political will to go out and meet them so that they regard our leadership collectively as part of the solution and not part of the problem?
Mr. Blair's message comes as the EU wonders how it can get out of a crisis caused by French and Dutch voters' rejection of its constitution and its failure at a summit last week to agree on a long-term budget.
Tony Blair: In every crisis there is an opportunity. There is one here for Europe now, if we have the courage to take it.
But for Mr. Blair, the issue is bigger than the constitution or the budget. It is that Europe must adapt itself to changing times in order to compete economically, not just with the United States but also with such rising giants as China and India.
Mr. Blair has been accused by the French and the Germans, among others, of wanting to destroy Europe's welfare state and impose unfettered capitalism across the continent. His critics also say Britain wants the EU to be a big common market and is not interested in closer political integration. Mr. Blair said those criticisms are unfair.
Tony Blair: The issue is not between a free market Europe and a social Europe, between those who want to retreat to a common market and those who believe in Europe as a political project. This is not just a misrepresentation. It is to intimidate those who want to change Europe by representing the desire for change as a betrayal of the European ideal.
The British leader said his aim is not to kill Europe's highly regulated social model but to change it.
Tony Blair: What type of social model is it that has 20 million unemployed across Europe? The purpose of our social model should be to enhance our ability to compete, to help our people cope with globalization, to let them embrace its opportunities and avoid the dangers.
Mr. Blair's first challenge is to try to secure a deal on the EU's budget for the six-year period that begins in 2007. He will have difficulty doing that because he has insisted on maintaining a special rebate Britain gets for not receiving as much as France and Germany in farm subsidies. He says he is prepared to negotiate about the rebate only if other EU members are willing to cut back on the agricultural handouts that take up 40 percent of the EU budget. And France is unwilling to do that.
But diplomats say that, even if Mr. Blair cannnot get a budget deal, he can at least start a Europe-wide debate over the economic policies Europe needs for the future.
Roger Wilkison, VOA news, Brussels.
注释：
trumpet [5trQmpit] n. 喇叭
unfettered [5Qn5fetEd] adj. 没有拘束的
misrepresentation [5mis7reprizen5teiFEn] n. 误传，误说
intimidate [in5timideit] v. 胁迫
betrayal [bi5treiEl] n. 出卖，辜负
handout [5hAndaut] n. 施舍物，救济品
2．Russia's President Hosts Chinese Counterpart for Summit
俄总统与中国领导人会晤
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Chinese President Hu Jintao to Moscow Thursday for a four-day official visit. The two leaders are expected to talk on strengthening bilateral relations, especially in the areas of energy and trade.
One day before President Putin was to host his Chinese counterpart, the Kremlin announced that 2006 would officially be named the Year of Russia in China, with the Year of China to follow in Russia in 2007.
The growing sense of accord between the two neighbors, is not lost on analysts. Many say that while this week's talks will not likely lead to any real breakthroughs, they will go a long way toward forging what officials on both sides are calling, a new relationship.
Key to that relationship is bilateral trade. It topped $21 billion last year and Russian government officials predict trade figures could triple over the next five years.
But a lot will depend on whether Russia grants China much wanted access to future Russian oil and gas projects, including a long-sought Trans-Siberian pipeline deal over its rival Japan. So far, Russia has only committed to boost its oil deliveries by rail to energy-starved China by 11 millions tons this year.
Both leaders have said they regret the collapse of the Soviet Union and, at present, find themselves looking for new ways to work together in the face of dramatic changes, perhaps nowhere more so than in Central Asia.
President Hu travels to Kazakhstan early next week for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The regional security body groups Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
The Russian and Chinese leaders will then meet again at the upcoming G-8 Summit in Scotland.
Lisa McAdams VOA news, Moscow.
注释：
bilateral [bai5lAtErEl] adj. 双边的
counterpart [5kauntEpB:t] n. 相对人物
breakthrough [5breik5Wru:] n. 突破
grant [^rB:nt] vt. 同意，准予，承认
rival [5raivEl] n. 竞争者，对手
3．Fate of the EU
欧盟的命运
The European Union is not on its knees, said Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg and President of the European Council at the recent summit in Washington. Yet, several days earlier, Mr. Juncker declared in Brussels the Continent is in a state of deep crisis over the failure of European leaders to agree on the Union's budget.
Failure to find common economic ground came just weeks after voters in France and the Netherlands dealt, what some observers call, a lethal blow to the Union's proposed new constitution. And they say the first casualty of Europe's latest crisis is EU's further expansion.
For years, European Union's enlargement was viewed as necessary for maintaining stability and prosperity of the Continent. Deeper political integration, promised by the new Constitution, was supposed to strengthen the bloc's coherence.
But many analysts say the process has met with unsustainable expenditures, institutional inefficiencies and an ever-expanding bureaucracy.
John Hulsman of The Heritage Foundation in Washington describes the recent Constitution setback as a vote against the rule of bureaucrats and a continent ordered from the top down. He argues that most Europeans resent turning over ever more aspects of their lives to technocrats who are detached from most people's concerns.
John Hulsman: There is a huge democratic deficit in Europe between the rulers and the ruled, both at the national level and the European level. The EU will continue to exist, but a notion of some strongly unified Europe, I think which was always a false one, has now been proven to be false. The European emperor is wearing no clothes.
Since the end of World War II, European countries have evolved into advanced welfare states with high taxes and generous vacation, unemployment and retirement benefits. But what many Europeans view as the stability of the system comes with a price.
According to analyst John Hulsman, a stagnating economy, deepening unemployment, cheap immigrant labor, an endangered social welfare system, and mounting competition from globalization are part of that price. He adds there is a feeling among many Europeans that their leaders can no longer guarantee upward mobility and economic security.
John Hulsman: The French, German, Italian core is in economically dire straits with 12% unemployment in Germany, ten percent unemployment in France and Italy with more than 106% of GDP debt. That would discredit any elite that says, don't worry about things and trust us when this is proven not to be very effective in managing economies.
But Stephen Szabo, Professor of European Studies at The Johns Hopkins University, recently visited several European capitals and says the EU's current crisis should not be over emphasized.
Stephen Szabo: I think the European movement will continue to go forward. It is based on very realistic interests, both political and economic. There is really no serious alternative to the European Union. None of these states can really contend anymore on the international stage as nation states. They need weight behind them and the EU provides that sort of weight.
Professor Szabo says the constitution setback may spark a much-needed debate over Europe's future that so far has been lacking. And it might save the EU from an open-ended commitment on expansion that could have been fatal to its own political unity.
And what does the EU crisis hold for US/European relations?
The US has consistently called for a strong, peaceful and democratic Europe that, along with America, would pursue a common global agenda in the war on terrorism, the promotion of freedom and democracy, and the containment of nuclear proliferation, something President Bush reaffirmed at the recent US/EU summit in Washington.
President Bush: The United States continues to support a strong European Union as a partner in spreading freedom and democracy and security and prosperity throughout the world. My message to these leaders and these friends was that we want Europe strong so we can work together to achieve important objectives and important goals.
Yet many analysts say if Europe's crisis continues, it could shake America's perception of the EU as a reliable partner.
According to John Hulsman of The Heritage Foundation, Europe matters to America. But he doubts whether Brussels can work in tandem with Washington.
John Hulsman: When the EU is unified on an issue, we will work with them at that level. But I think more and more, we are going to work with them at the state-to-state level, where very rarely do all Europeans agree on much of anything. We will have to get used to living in that much more complicated world.
Stephen Szabo: The problem the US is going to face now is that the EU will be so wrapped up with itself over the next ten years in terms of trying to deal with all of its issues.
Stephen Szabo of The Johns Hopkins University predicts a period of stagnation in which the US might view the EU as an ineffective partner. He adds the sooner the EU finds its way, the sooner the world's two richest, most democratic most powerful entities, Europe and the United States, can develop their shared goals.
For focus, I’m Jela De Franceschi.
注释：
Luxembourg [5luksEm7bE:^] n. 卢森堡公国（西欧国家）
lethal [5li:WEl] adj. 致命的
casualty [5kAVjuElti] n. 伤亡
political integration 政治一体化
coherence [kEu5hiErEns] n. 一致
expenditure [iks5penditFE] n. 支出，花费
inefficiency [7ini5fiFEnsi] n. 无效率，无能
bureaucracy [bjuE5rCkrEsi] n. 官僚作风，官僚机构
technocrat [5teknEkrAt] n. 专家政治论者
emperor [5empErE] n. 国王，君主
strait [streit] n. (pl) 困境，窘迫
reaffirm [5ri:E5fE:m] vt. 重申
in tandem with 同……合作
stagnation [stA^5neiFEn] n. 停滞
4．Londoners Joyous, Excited about City's
Olympic Bid Win
伦敦喜获奥运主办权
Everyone knew the final decision would be close. And when the official announcement from the International Olympic Committee came out from Singapore, Londoners exploded with exuberance.
Some 10,000 people crammed into London's Trafalgar Square for the important decision. All eyes were focused on a giant screen there as IOC President Jacques Rogge made the historic announcement. They stood in stony silence until he uttered the single word they were waiting to hear, "London."
The spontaneous reaction was one of joy and excitement.
Among those in the square, was British Olympic double Gold medallist, Kelly Holmes, who spoke on British television.
Kelly Holmes: It is absolutely amazing, I mean, really the feeling of it because the Olympic spirit is so passionate, you know. And I think the country is just going to do wonders for everybody and especially like the youth and them. I just think it is going to change our country around so much.
After two days of final persuasion in Singapore, Prime Minister Tony Blair had just flown to Scotland where he will host the Group of Eight summit at Gleneagles. There, he underlined his joy that the British bid had been successful.
Tony Blair: We have got a great chance now to develop sport in our country, to have a fantastic Olympic games and then to leave a legacy for the future.
A big part of that legacy will be the revitalization of the economically depressed east part of London.
It will mean jobs for many, increased business opportunities and a transformed landscape long after the games are over.
Winning the bid took two years, seven more tough years lie ahead, as London works to get every last detail right for the 2012 games.
The hard work will start almost immediately, but for right now, the British capital is pausing to celebrate. The games are returning here for the first time since 1948 and Londoners are in a party mood.
Tom Rivers for VOA news, London.
注释：
exuberance [i^5zjU:bErEns] n. 充沛，生气勃勃
passionate [5pAFEnit] adj. 充满热情的
revitalization [ri:7vaitElai5zeiFEn] n. 新生，复兴
landscape [5lAndskeip] n. 前景
Blasts Cause Massive Hunt in London
5．伦敦地铁连环爆炸死伤惨重
After the chaos of the morning when police tried to get those injured to the hospital, and bring an end to the pandemonium, the evening rush hour in London was orderly. With buses out of service and the underground trains at a halt, many people had no choice but to walk home.
One London Worker: I think I'm going to have a long walk home, actually. Going to set off in a couple of minutes. Hope to get home before midnight tonight.
The morning was a scene of horror after bombs exploded on three of London's underground trains. And destroyed a bus. Bloodied survivors spoke of their ordeal.
One Scene Commuter: None of us knew what happened and everything was mayhem and the driver came out of the carriage, which was quite scary, because he shone a red light. And we all thought, I just thought, I was dead.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair rushed back from the G8 summit of leading industrialized countries in Scotland. He said the British people would not be cowed by terrorists.
Tony Blair: I think we all know what they are trying to do. They are trying to use the slaughter of innocent people to cow us, to frighten us out of doing the things that we want to do, of trying to stop us from going about our business as normal, as we are entitled to do. And they should not. And they must not succeed.
London provided the perfect setting for a terrorist attack according to terrorism expert Raymond Tanter, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
Raymond Tanter: It takes about six months to carry out a terrorist attack with this kind of coordinated timing. So I suspect that they knew the G8 summit was coming and they decided that this would be a good place to hit, because guess what? The whole world is watching Scotland.
If the terrorist attack is the work of al-Qaida, it is the first such attack in Britain.
Carol Pearson, VOA news.
注释：
chaos [5keiCs] n. 混乱
pandemonium [7pAndi5mEunjEm] n. 喧嚣；大混乱
underground [5QndE^raund] n. [英] 地铁
halt [hC:lt] n. 暂停，中断
ordeal [C:5di:l] n. 痛苦的经验
mayhem [5meihem] n. 混乱
cow [kau] vt. 威吓
slaughter [5slC:tE] n. 残杀
6．Major Hunt on for London Bombers
搜捕伦敦爆炸案嫌疑犯
As police barked out orders to passersby, teams of armed officers conducted raids across London in the search for three men suspected of planting bombs that failed to explode on subway trains and a bus on July 21.
Police say there have been a number of arrests in the operations in London's Kensington and Noting Hill neighborhoods, and at the Liverpool Street train station in the city's financial district.
London media say one or more of the three would-be bombers could be among those arrested, but there was no official police confirmation of those reports.
In an earlier interview on British television, London police commissioner Ian Blair said he was sure police would capture the suspects.
Ian Blair: I'm confident that we will arrest the people responsible for the attempted bombings on the Tube and the bus last week. I'm confident about that. How soon it will be, I don't know. But I'm quite sure that the net is closing. I do think the investigation has proceeded at extraordinary speed and some extraordinary achievements have been made in it.
Police already have one of the four suspects in custody. The man, 24-year-old Yasin Hassan Omar, was captured in Birmingham on Wednesday. He is being questioned at a central London police station.
In another development, the British government says it wants consular access to a British national detained in Zambia who reportedly has connections to the July 7 London bombings that killed 56 people.
U.S. media outlets say the man, 31 years old Haroon Rashid Aswat, had placed some 20 phone calls to some of the four British Muslim men who authorities say set off the July 7 bombs in a series of suicide attacks.
Haroon Rashid Aswat is also wanted by U.S. authorities in connection with alleged efforts to establish a terrorist camp in the northwestern state of Oregon.
British authorities have not confirmed or denied the U.S. news reports, which are described as being based on information provided by U.S. officials familiar with the investigation.
Michael George, VOA news, London.
注释：
bark out 大声喊出
confirmation [7kCnfE5meiFEn] n. 证实，确认
commissioner [kE5miFEnE] n. 委员，专员
in custody 被拘留
consular [5kCnsjulE] adj. 领事的
Zambia [5zAmbiE] n. 赞比亚
7．EU Urges Iran Not to Resume Suspended Nuclear Activities
欧盟要求伊朗不可再重新开始已暂停的核活动
The European Union is urging Iran not to resume uranium processing, which western countries believe could help the Islamic Republic develop a nuclear bomb. The EU has told Iran that any such move could jeopardize the outcome of talks aimed at resolving a dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
Iran says that it plans to immediately resume the conversion of uranium ore, also known as yellowcake, into uranium hexafluoride gas at its nuclear facility in Isfahan. It also informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it is removing IAEA seals at the plant so as to restart such activity.
The gas can later be fed into centrifuges and enriched to be used as fuel in nuclear plants or, if highly enriched, in nuclear weapons. But Iran says it will keep its freeze on enrichment.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a news briefing in Teheran that his government is resuming uranium processing because the EU failed to meet a deadline Sunday to present new proposals. But Mr. Asefi says Iran does not want to interrupt its negotiations with the EU.
Mr. Asefi (through interpretation): We shall restart some nuclear activity, but we are ready to continue discussing other issues with the Europeans.
The EU denies that it agreed to a Sunday deadline to produce new proposals, and says it will offer a package of economic incentives intended to persuade Iran to end its nuclear activities later this week. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told reporters in Berlin that the EU, too, wants to continue negotiations.
Joschka Fischer (through interpretation): We want to keep talking, and we'll submit a proposal. I just hope Iran hasn't miscalculated.
France and Britain, which, along with Germany, are conducting the negotiations with Iran, also reacted negatively to Iran's decision to resume uranium conversion.
France said it is surprised and worried by Iran's move. Britain urged Iran not to take any unilateral steps that would contravene an agreement last November with the European Union, whereby Iran suspended its nuclear programs.
Iran maintains that, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has a sovereign right to produce enriched uranium for peaceful purposes. But the United States says Iran's intention is to build nuclear weapons.
The Europeans are trying to work out a deal whereby Iran would permanently end enrichment activities in exchange for security assurances, economic cooperation and a guaranteed fuel supply.
But the Europeans have also warned Iran that they will ask the IAEA to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions, if it resumes uranium enrichment.
注释：
resume [ri5zju:m] vt. 重新开始，恢复
uranium [juE5reiniEm] n. 铀
Islamic Republic 伊斯兰共和国
jeopardize [5dVepEdaiz] v. 危害，危及
outcome [5autkQm] n. 结果，成果
ore [C:(r)] n. 矿石
yellowcake [5jelEukeik] n.“黄饼”，核反应燃料重铀酸铵或重铀酸钠的俗称
uranium hexafluoride gas 六氟化铀气体
Isfahan [7isfE5hB:n] n. 伊斯法罕，伊朗城市
International Atomic Energy Agency 国际原子能机构
centrifuge [5sentrifju:dV] n. 离心分离机
Teheran [7tehE5rAn] n. 德黑兰，伊朗首都
incentive [in5sentiv] n. 动机
miscalculate [5mis5kAlkjuleit] vt. 判断错误，误算
negatively [5ne^Etivli] adv. 否定地
unilateral [ju:ni5lAtEr(E)l] adj. 单方面的
contravene [7kCntrE5vi:n] v. 违反
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 《不扩散核武器条约》
8．IRA Vows to End Its Armed Struggle against Britain
爱尔兰共和军立誓结束对英武力斗争
For the past 36 years, the Irish Republican Army has been waging an armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland. The IRA has been fighting the British Army and security forces as well as pro-British paramilitary groups as it tried to reach its ultimate goal, a united Ireland. More than 3,600 people have been killed during the past three decades that have come to be known as "The Troubles."
In a statement released at the end of July, the IRA said it has formally ordered an end to its armed campaign. It instructed its units, in the statement's words, "to dump arms" and said IRA members must now focus on "purely political and democratic programs through exclusively peaceful means." The statement also called on IRA volunteers not to engage "in any other activities."
The British and Irish governments welcomed the IRA decision, but in Northern Ireland, reaction was mixed, split along sectarian lines. Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA reacted positively while the largest pro-British party -- the Democratic Unionists -- urged caution.
Stephen O'Reilly is Deputy Editor of Belfast's Irish News, a newspaper reflecting the views of the Nationalist community that favors union with Ireland. He says the IRA decision to renounce violence is a very important development. However the reaction within his community has been far more muted compared to 1997 when the IRA declared a ceasefire.
Stephen O'Reilly: And if you were to compare it to what happened seven or eight years ago, we had cavalcades of cars, we had all sorts of celebrations, all sorts of protests from various other people. This time it's been slightly more muted and it's probably a little bit of war weariness, for want of a better word, if that's not too ironic -- war weariness in the sense that this has been a long, tortuous process and for every step forward, there appears to have been half a step backwards.
On the other side of the sectarian divide, there also appears to be a sense of war weariness. But the Unionist side -- those who favor Northern Ireland's continued union with Great Britain -- don't take the IRA's words at face value. Austin Hunter is Editor of the Belfast Newsletter, a newspaper with close ties to the pro-British community.
Austin Hunter: As far as the Unionists are concerned, they just want to see the words and the promises of the IRA turned into action, or I suppose, in a way turned to 'inaction'. The fact that they will stop their paramilitary activities, they will stop their criminality and we will all be allowed to have peace and prosperity.
Experts say monitoring the IRA's commitment to lay down its weapons will be crucial in reviving the Northern Ireland power-sharing agreement between Nationalists and Unionists, Catholics and Protestants.
Paul Bew is an expert on Northern Ireland, teaching at Queen's University in Belfast. He has written extensively on "The Troubles" and says while the IRA statement makes clear the armed struggle is over, it omits one essential point.
Paul Bew: The IRA is not disbanding. It is retaining its mission statement. It is maintaining still the right to launch a campaign of armed struggle. So, in some ways, it remains still a subversive organization. And therefore remains, as the Irish government has made clear since the statement came out, an illegal organization in Irish society. It has not moved itself to the point where it ceased to be illegal.
Mr. Bew says the crucial part of the IRA's statement is when the paramilitary group urges its members to refrain from engaging in what it broadly calls "any other activities." Mr. Bew says those activities have contributed in destabilizing the Northern Ireland political process.
Paul Bew: And the things that have harmed trust have been, for example, the FARC episode when some IRA people were convicted of associating in Colombia with FARC -- the FARC movement in Colombia, which the (U.S.) State Department regards as a terrorist movement. There was a gun running episode in Florida in which there were convictions. There was a massive bank robbery in Belfast in the last few months involving, I think you would say about 40-million dollars which the security forces on both sides of the border -- Dublin and Belfast -- say was carried out by the IRA.
Mr. Bew says once again, verifying that the IRA has indeed ended all those "other activities" will be a challenge.
Experts say the IRA's decision to publicly announce an end to its armed struggle against Britain comes at a very opportune time for Prime Minister Blair, when London has been the target of terrorist attacks from Islamic extremists. Mr. Bew says that permits the security forces to focus on the recent terrorist attacks and not face a war on two fronts.
Dana Allin is a security expert with the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. He says there is a difference between groups like the IRA and the al-Qaida network.
Dana Allin: One of the things that a famous terrorism analyst said about old terror groups like the IRA is that they were interested in having a lot of people watching, but not a lot of people dead: in other words, a kind of mass casualty campaign would work against their goals by undercutting any possibility of popular support. The kinds of statements and actions you have from bin Laden and groups that are affiliated with his al-Qaida network are sort of the language of total war -- and what's more, an almost genocidal war, in the sense that it is directed against killing civilians on the largest possible scale.
While in no way condoning IRA violence, Mr. Allin says the paramilitary group did provide coded warnings to security forces before beginning a bombing campaign. He says that is not the case with this new radical Islamic terrorism, making the work of security forces that more difficult.
For focus, I’m Andre de Nesnera.
注释：
sectarian [sek5teEriEn] adj. 宗派的；教派的；派别的
cavalcade [kAvi5keid] n. 骑兵队、车队等的行列
protest [prE5test] n. 抗议
muted [mju:tid] adj. 沉默的，微弱的
weariness [5wiErinis] n. 疲倦，厌烦
ironic [aiE5rCnik] adj. 讽刺的
tortuous [5tC:tjuEs] adj. 曲折的
Protestant [5prCtistEnt] n. 新教，新教徒
omit [Eu5mit] vt. 疏忽，遗漏
disband [dis5bAnd] v. 解散，裁减
subversive [sQb5vE:siv] adj. 颠覆性的，破坏性的
destabilize [di:5steibilaiz] vt. 使动摇
robbery [5rCbEri] n. 抢掠，抢夺
opportune [5RpEtju:n] adj. 正好的；适宜的
be affiliated with 与……有关系
9．Russian Politicians, Journalists Question How Terrorism Covered in Media
俄罗斯政客、记者质疑媒体庇护恐怖主义
An interview with Russia's most wanted terrorist suspect, Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev was broadcast in the United States on ABC television's Nightline program less than one month before public memorials to Beslan's more than 300 victims.
In the interview, Basayev acknowledged through a translator that he was "a bad guy, a bandit, a terrorist. But so too," he said, "are the Russians."
He also dismissed Russia's official version that the decades-old conflict in separatist Chechnya is a struggle against international terrorism. In Basayev’s words, we’ve got a colonial war going on now. Asked if attacks like the one in Beslan could be repeated, he replied, "Of course they can, we are thinking of new ways all the time."
The interview is thought to be Basayev's first direct meeting with a journalist in years, and was carried out by a reporter who works for the U.S. government-funded RFE/RL, Andrei Babitsky.
Outrage, was the word used by the Russian Embassy in Washington in response to the interview's airing. The reaction was much the same in Moscow, where the deputy head of Russia's foreign ministry, Boris Malakhov, swiftly severed all contacts with ABC television, declaring its staff persona non-grata.
In comments broadcast on Russian television, Mr. Malakhov says the airing of the Basayev interview contradicts current efforts, including those of Russia and the United States, in resisting global terrorism.
But the head of Russia's independent Glasnost Defense Fund, Alexei Simonov, says it is Russian government officials who are in the wrong.
Alexei Simonov: It was an informational act, and if politics goes into information, it makes informational acts political.
Mr. Simonov also takes issue with the government's claims that reporter Babitsky violated Russian law by interviewing Basayev, calling that view idiotic.
The head of Russia's Union of Journalists, Vsevolod Bogdanov, says he is concerned with recent trends to pressure journalists like Babitsky. He says it deflects attention from what should be the real issue, in his view, the dangers posed by global terrorism.
Mr. Bogdanov says journalists should not be made to be the scapegoats. As he pointed, everybody shares responsibility for fighting global terrorism.
Mr. Bogdanov also says that in many ways the reporters work may have even been helpful. He says it cut short idle gossip about whether Basayev is alive or dead and shed light, however chilling, on how he thinks. Alexei Simonov of the Glasnost Defense Fund agrees.
Mr. Simonov says even information from the most awful terrorist is useful if it sheds light on radical methods or ideology. And he advises all journalists to remember, as he put it, that not all things governments call terrorism, really qualify as such.
But with the lines so clearly blurred these days, many journalists in Russia are looking for clarification. Vsevolod Bogdanov of the Union of Russian journalists says it is important to pinpoint terrorism coverage standards exactly so no network, or reporter, ever has to fear being accused of supporting terrorism in trying to tell the news.
Mr. Bogdanov says firm rules and regulations are needed. But most of all, he says whatever the rules, they must unite journalists, politicians and ordinary citizens on the side of good over evil.
Moscow-based political analyst Masha Lipman of the Carnegie Center is skeptical. She says it is not only unnecessary, but downright unwise, to seek change for media standards on terrorism.
Masha Lipman: I think there are standards, and there have been standards, and media have worked according to these standards, and when journalists themselves ask for superior authority, quote-unquote, to tell them how to act this is bad for the media.
But Ms. Lipman says she and the other analysts do agree on one thing, that it is time for the Russian government to stop viewing the media as the enemy.
Lisa McAdams, VOA news, Moscow.
注释：
bandit [5bAndit] n. 强盗
outrage [5autreidV] n. 侮辱
airing [5eEriN] n. 公开；公开讨论
persona non-grata [pE:sEunE nRn 5^rB:tE] n. 不受欢迎的人
idiotic [idi5Rtik] adj. 白痴的
scapegoat [5skeip^Eut] n. 替罪羊
gossip [5^Csip] n. 闲话
awful [5C:ful] adj. 可怕的，非常坏的
clarification [7klArifi5keiFEn] n. 澄清
10．EU Faces Showdown with Turkey over Cyprus
欧盟在塞浦路斯问题上与土耳其摊牌
European Union foreign ministers are putting pressure on Turkey to recognize Cyprus if Ankara expects to ever join the 25-nation bloc.
Turkey is to begin negotiations on October 3 that could eventually lead to EU membership for the predominately Muslim nation of 70 million people.
But Ankara's refusal to recognize the government of Cyprus - an EU member - has cast a shadow over the process. Further complicating matters are recent referendums in France and the Netherlands, in which voters rejected an EU constitution, partly out of concern about Turkey joining the Union.
Officials from Britain, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, call the dispute with Turkey a difficult and divisive issue.
One suggestion is to offer Turkey something less than full EU membership, a proposal tacitly backed by Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.
Ursula Plassnik: We do not want to close doors to Turkey, quite the contrary, but we think we should be more realistic in working towards this goal. And we should also specifically mention an alternative.
However, Turkey rejects anything but full EU membership. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul says the idea of a so-called privileged partnership with the EU, is in his words, "illegitimate and immoral."
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 in response to an attempted coup by pro-Greek supporters. Turkish troops still occupy the northern third of the Mediterranean island.
Cyprus joined the EU last year along with nine other countries, mostly from the former Communist bloc.
The EU ministers in Wales are also considering the standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. EU diplomats say Iran could soon be referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions unless the dispute is resolved quickly.
Michael Drudge, VOA news, Newport, Wales.
注释：
Cyprus [5saiprEs] n. 塞浦路斯
Ankara [5ANkErE] n. 安卡拉（土耳其首都）
referendum [7refE5rendEm] n. 公民投票
tacitly [5tAsitli] adv. 肃静地，沉默地
illegitimate [7ili5dVitimit] adj. 违法的，不合理的
immoral [i5mCrEl] adj. 不道德的
Mediterranean [7meditE5reinjEn] n. 地中海
sanction [5sANkFEn] n. 制裁
11．US, European Officials Renew Efforts to Fight Terror
美国与欧洲官员再度联手打击恐怖主义
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff met with officials from Britain, Austria, and the European Commission to discuss ways to improve cooperation to combat terrorism.
After the meeting, Mr. Gonzales announced the United States will assign an FBI agent to Europol, the European Union's law enforcement organization that handles criminal intelligence.
He also says America and Europe will exchange threat assessments regarding terrorism and organized crime.
Alberto Gonzales: The strategies, action plans and practical recommendations that we discussed today will help protect Americans and Europeans from violence and terrorism in the future. Our work, of course, is never done, but the free exchange of ideas and the critical examination of joint proposals, examples of the work we have accomplished today, will help us achieve our goals together.
Secretary Chertoff told reporters the officials discussed how to be prepared for terrorist attacks and how to best protect critical infrastructure.
He says the issue of border security is significant to countries on both sides of the Atlantic.
Chertoff: Progress on border security, this is a matter of great importance to every country and particularly the countries of the European Union and the United States. We are trading partners, we are travel partners, we want to continue to have a robust set of relationships that is secure, but that is free.
The vice president of the European Commission, Franco Frattini, says the officials also discussed the importance of balancing security and individual rights.
He says collaboration is vital to creating a system that can fight terror at all levels.
Franco Frattini: One very important political message on which all agreed is the importance of building a true network of security against the network of terror. Network security means to get involved all the relevant actors in the security field, in industry and research in order to have operational cooperation in all fields of common concern.
The officials also discussed the protection of intellectual property rights and the need for more dialog between people of different religions and cultures.
Meredith Buel, VOA news, Washington.
注释：
assign [E5sain] vt. 分配，指派
Europol 欧洲刑警组织
significant [si^5nifikEnt] adj. 有意义的，重要的
collaboration [kE7lAbE5reiFEn] n. 协作
operational [7CpE5reiFEnl] adj. 操作的，运作的
12．Ukraine: Is the Revolution over?
乌克兰：革命是否结束？
During the Orange Revolution, Viktor Yushchenko's name echoed across Kiev's Independence Square as hundreds-of-thousands of Ukrainians reversed a fraudulent presidential election and put Mr. Yushchenko in office. But after just nine months, the President's Chief of Staff resigned, after leveling corruption charges against the highest levels of the new administration. The ensuing crisis has disenchanted many in Ukraine.
Expressing disappointment with politicians, however, is something ordinary Ukrainians did not have freedom to do in the past. For centuries, Ukrainian political rivalries were hidden from the public or led to bloody social upheavals. According to Ukrainian historian Orest Subtelny of York University in Toronto, Canada, the current crisis in is unusual in Ukraine's history, but not in the history of democracies.
Orest Subtelny: In parliamentary democracies, we often see governments falling, governments being dismissed. For example, we see a very serious crisis in Germany right now, which everyone knows will be resolved sooner or later and the system will go on.
President Yushchenko initially appointed Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister, despite the fact that her socialist economic views contradicted his own free market position. After abruptly dismissing Ms. Tymoshenko, the President, in need of votes for a new prime minister, signed a political agreement with Viktor Yanukovych, the man who allegedly tried to steal last year's presidential election.
Andriy Usov, a member of the Pora Party, which actively supported the Revolution, says the agreement was shortsighted.
Andriy Usov: Yanukovych has not led any political processes in Ukraine for a long time, I'm disappointed that Yushchenko's advisors and Yushchenko himself made such a move because they revived Yanukovych as a political leader in Ukraine.
At the same time, the dynamics of independent nationhood enable Mr. Yanukovych to advance his interests in Kiev, rather than in the capitals of former empires that once ruled Ukraine. From this perspective, historian Roman Szporluk at Harvard University's Ukrainian Research Institute says the Yushchenko-Yanukovych agreement promotes that country's political integration because it recognizes a substantial segment of voters in eastern and southern Ukraine who supported Mr. Yanukovych in the presidential election.
Szporluk: These people see that they do have a stake in Kiev, that their voice is heard there and that makes them, I think, more attached to the idea [and] reality of a single Ukrainian nation.
But with allegations of corruption even in the Yushchenko administration, some Ukrainians dismiss all politicians as dishonest. Pora Party activist Andriy Usov, however, notes that a certain level of corruption exists in virtually every country and calls upon ordinary Ukrainians to take an active interest in their government.
Andriy Usov: My fellow Ukrainians - you made a revolution, however, that was but the first and certainly not the last step. You should continue to closely monitor the actions of Ukrainian authorities and the situation in Ukraine.
Political observer Valeriy Chaliy at the Razumkov Center, a research group in Kiev, adds that politicians have a special obligation to institute reforms and to set an example of moral leadership.
Valeriy Chaliy: Today, the only important thing is that all politicians prepare not only to win a certain number of seats in Parliament, but also start thinking today about how they will compromise and how they will cooperate for the good of the country.
Mr. Chaliy warns that the failure of politicians to cooperate and to govern responsibly could have serious consequences.
Valeriy Chaliy: A desire could emerge for a return to an iron hand; to a strong form of presidential rule.
Many observers say that Ukraine's leaders reflect the country's corrupt social and economic system, which has forced even grandmothers to trade cigarettes on the black market. They say the ideals of the Orange Revolution appear trapped in a viscous cycle of corruption and poverty with deep roots in the Soviet and Tsarist past.
Opposition activist Andriy Usov says the first organized attempt to break that cycle -- the Orange Revolution -- demonstrated the emergence of civil society in Ukraine and a sense that people can control the nation's destiny. Asked about the political future of President Yushchenko, Mr. Usov says recent weeks have shown that it is pointless to make predictions for individual politicians.
Andriy Usov: I'm more interested in making political predictions for ideas rather than people. The ideals of the Orange Revolution will surely live on because they are timeless and universal. Our position is for or against ideas. The spirit of Independence Square should continue always regardless of politics or any kind of crisis in Ukraine.
The Orange Revolution is admired around the world as a remarkable display of democratic ideals. At the same time, hard political realities make it difficult to realize those ideals. Analysts say, to the extent that Ukrainians openly and actively seek to improve their society, they will be keeping their revolution alive.
For focus, I’m Peter Fedynsky.
注释：
fraudulent [5frC:djulEnt] adj. 欺诈的，欺骗性的
ensuing [in5sju:iN] adj. 跟着发生的
disenchant [7disin5tFB:nt] vt. 使清醒
upheaval [Qp5hi:v(E)l] n. 动乱；剧变
Toronto [tE5rCntEu] n. 多伦多（加拿大）
contradict [kCntrE5dikt] vt. 同……矛盾，同……抵触
shortsighted [FC:t5saitid] adj. 近视的，眼光短浅的
Kiev [5ki:ev] n. 基辅（乌克兰共和国首都）
obligation [Rbli5^eiF(E)n] n. 义务；职责；责任
destiny [5destini] n. 命运
Orange Revolution 2004年乌克兰的橘色革命
13．Azerbaijan Prepares to Hold Critical
Parliamentary Elections
阿塞拜疆在质疑声中准备召开议会选举
Azerbaijan's political opposition accuses incumbent President Ilham Aliyev's government of preparing to rig the poll, while the government accuses the opposition of trying to spark a political revolution.
President Aliyev's office says the country's political opposition has been accusing Azeri authorities of vote rigging for at least 12 years, but adds the opposition has failed to provide any substantive proof of the claims. The opposition says the record speaks for itself, with independent and western election monitors never once certifying an election in Azerbaijan as free and fair.
Against that backdrop, the campaign period ahead of the November 6 parliamentary elections has been fraught with tension. Over the past month, the government has used force to put down near weekly opposition protests calling for free and fair elections. Hundreds of government critics have been detained.
But government authorities are not only exerting pressure on the opposition. President Aliyev's government has also taken the unusual step of purging at least eight members of his own cabinet within weeks of the election, accusing them of working with the opposition to stage a coup.
Leading analyst Irina Kobrinskaya at the Moscow-based Institute of Europe, says the purges are more about President Aliyev's insecurities and weakness, than about any real threat to the government.
Irina Kobrinskaya: Any dismissals of this kind before the elections means that the power wants to stabilize itself, to get rid of people who are dangerous, at least from the point of view of the president.
Cabinet changes are a rarity for Azerbaijan, whose ruling structure has changed little since President Aliyev took over from his father in 2003. That was the last national vote in the country and it ended in days of protests and hundreds of arrests.
Analyst Kobrinskaya says the key thing needed now is stability. But she adds she is not optimistic, given the track record of democratic elections in Muslim countries.
Irina Kobrinskaya: ...the experience of Iraq, the experience of Uzbekistan -- there were no elections, but there was this unrest in Andijan -- they show that any insertion of democracy does not lead straight-forwardly to peace and democracy and welfare in the countries because they are poor and, well, the opposition there is in many respects, is not democratic.
All the same, Ms. Kobrinskaya says President Aliyev is under strong pressure from Europe and the United States to ensure a democratic vote.
President Aliyev says fairness is assured, given that more than 2,000 candidates have registered to compete for 125 seats in parliament and he boasts that in some districts, dozens of names are on the ballot.
Not everyone is convinced. This week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it would be "impossible" to hold a free and fair parliamentary election in Azerbaijan due to violence and intimidation of the opposition. HRW also expressed real concerns about the possibility of a violent crack-down against the opposition, if its members try to stage massive street protests after the election in the event of fraud.
The election is being watched closely in the West as Azerbaijan is a country of particular strategic significance, wedged between Russia and the Middle East, as well as one with considerable oil interests. As for investors, they'll be watching to see that the election provides a result that will ensure security in the Caspian region, not only for future investments, but for the long-anticipated opening of a multi-billion dollar U.S.-backed oil pipeline later this year.
Lisa McAdams for VOA news, Baku, Azerbaijan.
注释：
incumbent [in5kQmbEnt] adj. 在职的，现任的
substantive [5sQbstEntiv] adj. 真实的，真实存在的
backdrop [5bAkdrRp] n. （事件的）背景
fraught [frC:t] adj. 充满……的
coup [ku:] n. 出乎意料的行动；政变
rarity [5rZEriti] n. 稀有
intimidation [in7timi5deiFEn] n. 胁迫
fraud [frC:d] n. 欺骗，欺诈行为
14．Europe's Muslims
欧洲的穆斯林
European leaders are watching with apprehension the violence spread across districts of France that are heavily populated by disaffected Muslims, in what European media call the "French intifada". The riots that have shaken France and stunned the continent have been carried out mostly by African and Arab teenagers who see themselves as victims of racial and religious prejudice.
Most of France's Muslims live in poor neighborhoods separate from the white Christian mainstream, in suburbs often rife with crime and seething anger. Unemployment in these communities is 20 %, double the national average. It's more than 30 % among 21-to-29-year-olds.
Alienated Muslim Youth
But to most observers, young Muslims from the slums outside of Paris, Lyon and Marseilles are no more alienated than those living on the outskirts of many other European cities. In 2001, riots erupted in several towns in northern England. The following year, Muslim neighborhoods in Antwerp, Belgium swelled with violence. Since the unrest in France, suspected copycat torching of cars have taken place in Berlin and Bremen, as well as Brussels.
Western Europe is home to roughly 20 million Muslims. The largest concentration -- about five million -- live in France. Belgium, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Italy also have large populations of Muslims.
According to Charles Kupchan, Director of Europe Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, at the center of the problem is an uneasy relationship between primarily Muslim immigrant communities and the dominant white Christian populations. He says it stems from a long history in Europe of identifying nationhood with ethnicity.
Charles Kupchan: Even though in France on the books you have a civic definition of citizenship, there is still a tendency among the French and other European countries to believe that the national community has an ethnic component. And that has left immigrants feeling as if they are second-class citizens, somewhat isolated from the socio-economic mainstream. And you couple that sense of isolation with economic immobility and, I think, you get a huge amount of frustration that is now breaking out into violence.
Other analysts point out that unlike immigrants who flocked to resource rich continent-size America, Muslim newcomers to Western Europe risk crowding smaller, ethnically and culturally homogenous states.
Robert Leiken, Director of the Immigration and National Security Program at the Nixon Center in Washington, adds that the immigration of Muslims, which took place in the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s, created communities with customs, traditions and a religion that often did not fit seamlessly into Europe.
Robert Leiken: It is usually the second generation that is really the key. They are the kids who go to school and in the school learn to mix with other kids and become part of the French, or the American or the British nation. And that's not happening here. One thing is the schools are pretty much segregated. Not intentionally, but that's a result. The other is that sometimes the kids feel less of an identity than their parents. They often feel that they are not French, because the French society does not really accept them, nor are they Moroccan of Algerian. If they were to go back to Algeria, they would find a Third World country that they would not be comfortable in, that they would be considered a tourist in."
Polarized Society
Mr. Leiken contends that street-violence and intolerance threaten to further polarize immigrant Muslim and majority populations across Europe.
Robert Leiken: It is a huge crisis because it is not a problem that is going to be solved in any foreseeable future. You have societies, which are not immigrant societies. Not nations of immigrants the United States considers itself to be or Australia or some other places that are not used to absorbing immigrants and you have an immigrant cohort that has resistance in integrating. So you have the gravitational forces moving in the wrong direction.
Although most analysts agree there isn't evidence that radical Islam is influencing the rioting in France, they caution that unintegrated and unemployed Muslim communities in Western Europe could become incubators of Islamic extremism.
Islamic Revivalism
Dieter Dettke is Director of the Washington office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation that supports education, research and international cooperation. He says European nations have failed to find the right immigration policy, which would focus more on integration and less on welfare programs. But he adds worldwide Islamic revivalism is a daunting obstacle and notes the rejection of western democratic values by Islamic extremists like Mohammed Atta, the suspected ringleader of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States.
Dieter Dettke: We have to face the reality of a revitalization of Islam that reaches out to European societies and wherever people of Muslim faith are. Let's not forget that Mohammed Atta and others planned what they did in Germany, in a democratic surrounding and were radicalized in a totally democratic environment. But can you blame Europe for this? I doubt it. You have a phenomenon here with roots that are more in Islam than in Europe.
Still, most observers hope that Europe will be able to borrow from the American model of tolerance and inclusion for the successful assimilation of immigrants into mainstream society regardless of their religious, ethnic or national origin.
For focus, I’m Jela De Franceschi.
注释：
apprehension [Apri5henF(E)n] n. 忧虑；担心
disaffected [disE5fektid] adj. （对政府）；愤愤不平的
intifada [inti5fB:dE] n. 起义，暴动
prejudice [5predVudis] n. 偏见
rife [raif] adj. （与with连用）充满……的
seething [5si:TiN] adj. 沸腾的，火热的
Lyon [5laiEn] n. 里昂（法国城市）
Marseilles [mB:5seilz] n. 马赛（法国东南部港市）
alienated [5eiljEneitid] adj. 疏离的
outskirts [5autskE:ts] n. 边界，（尤指）市郊
Antwerp [5AntwE:p] n. 安特卫普（比利时省份）
swell [swel] v. （使）膨胀，增大
copycat [5kRpikAt] n. 盲目的模仿者
ethnicity [eW5nisiti] n. 种族划分
segregate [5se^ri^eit] v. 隔离
polarize [5pEulEraiz] v. （使）两极分化
foreseeable [fC:5si:Ebl] adj. 可预知的，能预测的
incubator [5inkjubeitE] n. 培养的器具
assimilation [E7simi5leiFEn] n. 同化，同化作用
15．Germany's Merkel Meets Chirac in Paris
希拉克在巴黎会见德国总理默克尔
Just a day after being elected as Germany's new chancellor, Angela Merkel was in Paris holding luncheon talks with French President Jacques Chirac. At a joint press conference at the Elysee presidential palace, Mr. Chirac declared the two leaders had a common vision of Europe. And Mrs. Merkel formally invited Mr. Chirac to Berlin for another meeting next month.
In remark, translated into French, Mrs. Merkel said French-German ties must be constantly supported, and she said traditional meetings Mr. Chirac had with her Socialist predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, would be pursued.
Mrs. Merkel's visit here has been closely watched, particularly by those who feared she would place less emphasis on the French-German relationship, which has traditionally been described as the motor of Europe. Before being elected chancellor, Mrs. Merkel said she wanted to pursue other ties, namely with other European countries and the United States.
And in a previous trip in July, Mrs. Merkel appeared to have a lot more in common with Mr. Chirac's political rival, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, than with the French president. Unlike Mr. Chirac, for example, both Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Sarkozy oppose Turkey being a full member of the European Union at some future date.
But Marco Incerti, a researcher at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels, says Mrs. Merkel's visit to France means bilateral ties between the two countries remain as critical as ever. But, he says, those ties are no longer enough.
Marco Incerti: And in this respect, it's interesting to see that Angela Merkel is traveling to Paris today, but immediately after she will be coming to Brussels to meet with the [European] Commission and the president of the Commission, [Jose Manuel Durao] Barroso.
Besides meeting with European Commission leaders, Mrs. Merkel will also be meeting with NATO's secretary-general. And on Thursday, she visits Britain for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Lisa Bryant for VOA news, Paris.
注释：
luncheon [5lQntFEn] n. 午宴，正式的午餐
Elysee [7eli5zei] n. <法>爱丽舍宫，巴黎的法国总统官邸
pursue [pE5sju:] vt. 继续
bilateral [bai5lAtErEl] adj. 两边的；双方的
French Ambassador: Religion Not Cause of Riots
法国大使：宗教不是导致暴乱的原因
Ambassador Levitte says last month's unrest was triggered by the accidental electrocution of two Muslim teenagers who fled into a power substation to avoid police. Mr. Levitte says anger over their deaths then spread from one neighborhood to another.
Though the vast majority of the rioters were Muslims, Mr. Levitte believes the violence was not motivated by religion.
Levitte: It was not about the role of Islam influence, it has nothing to do with the clash of religions or civilizations or cultures. I think it's very important to understand that. You may say, but are you so sure? Yes, I am. Religion played no role at all during these two weeks.
Mr. Levitte says the government has no information that the violence was organized by religious leaders. The ambassador acknowledges that in France there are mosques and houses where militant Islamic groups are recruiting teenagers, but says there is no evidence that any radical Islamic group had a role in the recent violence.
Levitte: Absolutely no link with al-Qaida, absolutely no link with events in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in the Middle East process.
The ambassador says the teenagers involved in the recent clash are from impoverished neighborhoods, where most of France's Muslims live separate from the rest of the society. He says many of these teenagers come from single-parent homes and are angry at what they consider racial and religious prejudice in the surrounding society.
Levitte: These teenagers feel alienated and discriminated both socially and economically. They don't want to affirm any difference, but they want to be considered as 100 percent French. They are not fighting to be recognized as a minority, either ethnic or religious, but on the contrary, they want to be accepted as full citizens of the French republic. They want to be part of the French dream.
Mr. Levitte says the government plans to spend $42 billion to improve educational opportunities for immigrants and build new, more welcoming housing developments.
Efforts also are under way to create more jobs to make Muslim immigrants a part of the social fabric of France.
Anthony Stokes, VOA news, Washington.
注释：
trigger [5tri^E] vt. 引发，引起
electrocution [i5lektrEkju:FEn] n. 电死
substation [5sQbsteiFEn] n. 变电站
motivate [5mEutiveit] v. 激发
impoverished [im5pCvEriFt] adj. 穷困的
single-parent [5siN^l5pZErEnt] adj. 单亲的
fabric [5fAbrik] n. 结构，构造
