英国新闻听力 85（在线收听）

BBC News with Jonathan Izzard.

Hillary Clinton has outlined the foreign policy aims of the incoming United States government, speaking of the need for what she called "smart power" where diplomacy takes the lead and military force is used as a last resort. Addressing at Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing to confirm her as Barack Obama's Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton said America could not solve the most pressing problems on its own.

"Now in 2009, the clear lesson of the last 20 years is that we must both combat the threats and seize the opportunities of our interdependence. And to be effective in doing so, we must build a world with more partners and fewer adversaries. America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve them without America."

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has accused Israel of showing a manifest disrespect for the protection of children during its offensive in the Gaza Strip. It said more than 40% of those killed in Gaza were women or children although Israel had signed a UN protocol condemning attacks on places where children were likely to be present. Earlier, the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, said many injured were unable to get rapid medical assistance.

"It is not negotiable that a medical mission in such a conflict has to be protected. Wounded people, they cannot wait for days, or even many hours to be evacuated and cared for."

The European Union has told Russia it's disappointed that little gas has flowed through Ukraine to the rest of Europe today despite an agreement to resume deliveries. The European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, also complained about the limited access given to EU observers monitoring the pipelines. From Brussels, Ben Shore reports.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. No gas is flowing, the monitors who are supposed to inject a degree of trust into proceedings haven't been given access to the actual gas control rooms in either Russia or Ukraine, and EU citizens’ radiators are still cold in the middle of a bitter winter. As yet, there is no clear explanation as to why deliveries are still not being made. The Russians claimed Ukraine is blocking the transit of gas, the Ukrainians accused the Russians of sending gas on a technically impossible transit route."

An international campaign group, Physicians for Human Rights, has accused the Zimbabwean government of failing in its most basic duty to protect the health of its people. The group said President Robert Mugabe's government was responsible for the collapse of Zimbabwe's health, water and the sanitation systems. It's said there were no functioning public hospitals, and the number of deaths from a cholera epidemic was far higher than the official figure of just over 2,000. Physicians for Human Rights urged the United Nations to intervene and take control of Zimbabwe's health system.

World News from the BBC.

A research institute in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi has launched a digital map of African soils which it says will help to curb food insecurity across the continent. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture says the project will combine satellite data with on-the-ground research to create a detailed online map of soils in Sub-Sahara Africa. The map will help identify areas where farmers need help to preserve and improve soil fertility to boost food production.

The Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, says more action will be needed to help stabilize the global financial system. Mr. Bernanke was speaking in London. Our economics correspondent Andrew Walker reports.

Mr. Bernanke said that measures already taken have probably prevented a global financial meltdown which would have left the world economy in far worse condition than it is today. But more is likely to be needed, including perhaps extra government funds to strengthen the banks. Mr. Bernanke also revived the idea of government purchases of problem assets from financial firms, something which was considered last year, but not pursued. He said that the stimulus being considered by President-elect Obama could provide a boost, but he said it’s unlikely to promote a lasting recovery unless the financial system is strengthened.

The US Treasury says the American government has run up a record deficit of 485 billion dollars in the first three months of the current fiscal year. The figure exceeds the record shortfall for the whole of the previous budget year. The amount is in line with forecasts of a trillion-dollar deficit for 2009.

An Asian-born friend of the heir to the British throne has defended the Prince of Wales over his use of the nickname, Sooty. The man, Kolin Dhillon, said Prince Charles was not a racist and the nickname was used with affection. Mr.Dhillon also said that Prince's sons, William and Harry, had always been respectful towards him. Prince Harry has also apologized for referring to a fellow soldier as "our little Paki friend".

BBC News.