英国新闻听力 71（在线收听）

BBC News with Neil Nunes.

A concerted diplomatic drive is getting into gear to bring an end to four days of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel. The Middle-East Diplomatic Quartet made of the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union has called for an immediate ceasefire. Marie Okabe is a United Nation spokeswoman.

The Quartet principals called for an immediate ceasefire that would be fully respected. They called on all parties to address the serious humanitarian and economic needs in Gaza and to take necessary measures to ensure the continuous provision of humanitarian supplies. They agreed on the urgent need for Israelis and Palestinians to continue on the road to peace. They intend to remain in close touch.

Despite the diplomatic moves, both sides continued their onslaught unabated. Israel, The Israeli forces continued to target installations run by Hamas, saying it will take whatever action was needed to protect its citizens from attack by Palestinian rockets. According to the Palestinians, more than 380 have been killed since the assault began on Saturday. Hamas has responded with more rocket fire, in all, four Israelis have been killed. And humanitarian agencies working inside Gaza say they are finding it is almost impossible to operate amid the Israeli airstrikes and emergency supplies have all but run out.

An investigation by the US Space Agency, NASA into the deaths of the crew of the space shuttle Columbia nearly six years ago has put forward a series of safety recommendations. However it had acknowledged that nothing could have saved the seven astronauts when the shuttle disintegrated as it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. From Washington, here is Andy Gallagher.

The report found that the crew knew for as long as 41 seconds that they didn’t have control of the orbit before investigators think they were knocked unconscious. It also concluded that their seat restraints, suits and helmets did not work well. NASA also found that the astronauts did not have the necessary training that may have increased their chances of survival. The tragedy happened on the 28th mission for the Columbia and is thought to be the most comprehensive investigation ever carried out into a shuttle accident.

The American President-elect Barack Obama says Democratic Party senators should reject the latest name put forward by the governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, to replace Mr. Obama in the Senate. Mr. Blagojevich who’s facing charges of trying to auction Mr. Obama’s seat to the highest bidder, defied pressure and appointed a former state attorney general of Illinois, Roland Burris.

He has had a long and distinguished career, serving the people of Illinois. He will be a great United States senator. Please don’t allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man.

World News from the BBC.

House prices in the Unites States have fallen by 18% in one year, the sharpest drop since records began. Figures released by the market analysts Standard and Poor show that house prices in 20 metropolitan areas declined by 2.2% in the month of October alone.

The Ukrainian government says its state gas company has paid off 1.5 billion dollar debt to Russia to avert a threatened cut in supplies from New Year’s Day. The government issued decree and instructed the company Naftogaz to borrow the money from banks in order to pay the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom. Russia says it is owned more than 2 billion dollars. Paul Leg has this report.

In a decree issued by the Ukrainian government, the state gas company Naftogaz has been ordered to borrow 2 billion dollars from state banks in order to meet Russia’s demands. The Russian gas monopoly Gazprom has refused to budge format position; unless the debt is repaid in full, there could be no basis for a new contract for supplies in 2009, in effect, threatening to cut off deliveries from New Year’s Day.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned what he described as the appalling atrocities allegedly carried out by Lord’s Resistance Army rebels in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo over the past few days. Mr. Ban demanded that the LRA respect the rules of international humanitarian law and he repeated his support for measures taken by Uganda, Congo and Sudan against the rebels. More than 400 people have been killed in the attacks.

The election commission in Ghana has decided to postpone the announcement of the result of Sunday’s presidential run-off election while it investigates allegations of the malpractice on both sides. Less than 1% of the vote separated the two candidates. John Atta-Mills of the opposition has 50.13% of the vote. Nana Akufo-Addo has 49.87%.