英国新闻听力 123（在线收听）

The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attending her first meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels has called for a high-level conference on Afghanistan at the end of this month. Mrs. Clinton said it was clear that any solution to the problems of Pakistan and Afghanistan could be found only by getting all countries involved, including Iran, to work together.

"It's becoming obvious that Pakistan faces very serious internal threats and that Afghanistan faces continuing external threats that emanate out of Pakistan. Last week, I met with delegations from both countries, and I believe that both countries recognize that they share common threats and even common adversaries."

Earlier, Russia welcomed the decision by the NATO foreign ministers to resume high-level contacts which were cut following Moscow’s invasion of Georgia last year.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said Sudan’s decision to expel 13 aid agencies from the Darfur region will cause irrevocable damage to humanitarian operations there. The decision to expel the agencies followed the issue of an arrest warrant for the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court over the violence in Darfur. The UN’s Deputy Humanitarian Chief Catherine Bragg said it would be impossible to fill the gap left by the expulsions.

"It will be extremely challenging for the remaining humanitarian organizations and the government of Sudan to fill the operating gap. And we do not see how these gaps can be fully covered. We therefore urge the government of Sudan to seriously examine the implications of this action and to reconsider its decision to expel these 13 NGOs as a matter of urgency."

The Bank of England, Britain's central bank, has taken an unprecedented step to boost the struggling economy by increasing the money supply. It’s also cut the main interest rate by a further half percent to a new record low of 0.5%. Mark Gregory reports.

With borrowing costs almost as low as they can go, the Bank of England has turned to unconventional policy tools to stop an economic downturn becoming a slump. The bank will in effect create money with which it will buy more than 100 billion dollars of government bonds and other assets from commercial banks. The hope is they will use the extra funds to increase their lending, thus reviving the economy.

Auditors for the American car giant General Motors say they have substantial doubts about the company’s ability to continue. The firm itself said it may have to seek bankruptcy protection if it’s unable to carry out a huge restructuring plan. General Motors has received 13 billion dollars in US federal loans.

In the latest stage of a bitterly fought battle in California, the state’s Supreme Court is discussing whether to overturn a ban on same-sex marriage. Hundreds of people gathered outside the court before the hearing which comes ten months after the same court legalized gay marriage. That law was rejected in a referendum last November.

A Brazilian archbishop has said that all those involved in helping a nine-year-old rape victim secure an abortion are to be excommunicated by the Catholic Church. The girl became pregnant with twins after allegedly being sexually assaulted by her stepfather. Gary Duffy reports.

The Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, told Brazil’s TV Globo that the law of God was above any human law. He said the excommunication would not apply to the child because of her age, but would affect all those who ensured the abortion was carried out. However, doctors at the hospital said they had to take account of the welfare of the nine-year-old girl. While the action of the church in opposing an abortion for a young rape victim is not unprecedented, it has attracted criticism from women’s rights groups in Brazil.

Scientists from around the world have warned that drought in the Amazon Rainforest could lead to a rapid acceleration in climate change. In a joint report, researchers from 40 institutions said the ability of rainforests to absorb carbon emissions could go into reverse and create a devastating cycle of global warming.

The sale of personal belongings of the Indian independence leader, Mohandas Gandhi, including his spectacles, sandals and watch has gone ahead in a New York auction house amid scenes of confusion. At the last minute, the owner of the items told the auctioneers to withdraw them. He said the sale had provoked too much controversy, but the sale continued. And reports said the Gandhi belongings were sold for 1.8 million dollars. Many in India believe the articles are part of the national heritage and should be kept in a museum.