英国新闻听力 法国电信工会罢工抗议多起员工自杀事件（在线收听）

A week and a half into a concerted campaign of violence, militants in Pakistan have carried out a series of attacks on police buildings that left about 40 people dead. At least 26 died in Lahore, where police clashed with militants who’d attacked a federal security building and two police training centres. Aleem Maqbool reports.

These were brazen, coordinated attacks. It took three hours of gun battles between police and militants to finally bring the situation in Lahore under control. But civilians and security officers had already been killed and public confidence shaking further. Bombings in Kohat and Peshawar both in the northwest of the country left more dead and injured. Eleven days of what seems to be a concerted and audacious new militant campaign have left Pakistanis wondering what violence they will wake up to next and what their government can really do about it.

A short time ago Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the BBC that three suspected militants had been detained in Islamabad with grenades and suicide jackets.

A homemade helium balloon that broke free of its moorings in the United States, reportedly with a 6-year-old boy inside, has landed in a field after a flight across the Colorado countryside. The dramatic event was followed live on American television. Imtiaz Tyab reports.

For an hour or so, the homemade silver foil or mylar-coated helium balloon floated high above the countryside in southern Colorado State. It was earlier reported a 6-year-old boy was on board, but police on the scene where the balloon touched down say there was no one inside. Several US television networks have reported one of the small boy’s brothers saw the 6-year-old fall out of the balloon-like vessel shortly after it took off, but that hasn’t been confirmed by the authorities.

Residents of several South African townships have taken to the streets, demanding that the government provide basic services and sack corrupt officials. In three weeks of protests, roads have been blocked and municipal buildings set alight. Jonah Fisher reports.

Fifteen years after the end of apartheid, it is the ANC at local government level, not new President Jacob Zuma, that’s being blamed for the lack of basic service delivery. In Sakhile, burning tires blockaded the streets and the police responded by firing teargas and rubber bullets. Earlier this week, a spokesman for Jacob Zuma said that instead of demonstrating, those unhappy with the delivery of housing, electricity and water should call a telephone hotline set up to handle complaints.

Vaccination against swine flu will begin across Britain next week, following a sharp increase in cases including the death of a pregnant teenager on Thursday. Doctors will contact over 13 million people in priority groups like pregnant women and frontline health workers to encourage them to be immunized. A number of other countries have already started on their mass vaccination programmes.

Thousands of public sector workers have taken to the streets on the US island of Puerto Rico to protest against major government cuts and layoffs. The public sector union’s called a 24-hour strike to oppose the dismissal of more than 20,000 workers. The Governor Luis Fortuno said the layoffs were needed to cut government spending and would help avoid Puerto Rico having its credit rating downgraded again.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has included the country’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on a new list of wealthy people who’ve failed to pay back huge loans to banks. The list includes other prominent figures including Nigeria’s wealthiest man. The Central Bank says they owe more than 2 billion dollars. Caroline Duffield reports.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the most high-profile debtor named by Nigeria’s Central Bank. He was named as an individual in debt to Spring Bank. His office has issued a statement in which they say he’s done nothing wrong. The former vice president doesn’t deny that he owes the money, but he says it’s from an old and dormant bank account that’s lain untouched for years and he says he’ll pay the outstanding sum as soon as it is agreed upon.

Unions representing workers at the French communications company France Telecom have called for a day of protests following the latest in a number of suicides among staff. A 48-year-old employee was found hanged in his home on Thursday. He was the 25th France Telecom employee to commit suicide since February last year.

A letter written by a British serviceman during the Second World War has finally been delivered to its destination 60 years after Charles Fleming, who was serving in Italy, sent the 2-page letter to his dearest. It arrived at a British Royal Air Force base in England. Following some research and a lot of media attention, the author has been identified and the letter has been passed on to his surviving niece. It had been intended for Mr. Fleming’s mother.

经过一周半预定的暴力活动之后，巴基斯坦好战分子已经对警察局建筑实施了一系列袭击，导致大约40人死亡。在拉合尔，警方与袭击联邦安全建筑和两座警察训练中心的好战分子发生冲突，造成至少26人死亡。Aleem Maqbool报道。

这是极端猖獗，分工合作的暴力袭击。警方与好战分子之间进行了三个小时的枪战之后才最终将拉合尔的形势控制住。但是，冲突造成大量平民和安全力量伤亡，公众信心进一步动摇。巴基斯坦西北部克哈特和白沙瓦发生的爆炸事件导致更多的伤亡。为期11天看上去大胆妄为，协调一致的新一轮的激进运动让巴基斯坦人民思考，他们接下来会遭遇怎样的暴力事件，他们的政府能够采取怎样的措施来应对。

不久之前，巴基斯坦内政部长马利克告诉BBC，警方在伊斯兰堡逮捕了三名携带手榴弹和自杀式背心的好战分子嫌疑犯。

在美国，一个自制的氦气球意外升空，据报道，上面还有一个6岁的小男孩。随后，这个气球飞越科罗拉多的乡村之后在一个田野着陆。该戏剧性的事件由美国电视台追踪现场报道。Imtiaz Tyab报道。

大约1个小时的时间，这个自制的用银箔或聚酯薄膜包膜的氦气球一直高高的漂浮在科罗拉多南部乡村的上空。此前报道称，上面有一名6岁的儿童。但是，在气球着陆地点进行搜寻的警察称，气球上没有任何人。几家美国电视台网络报道称，这名小男孩的一个兄弟看到，在这个气球一样的飞船起飞后不久，那个6岁的小家伙就出来了。但是目前，该消息还没有得到官方确认。

南非许多城镇居民纷纷走向街头，要求政府提供基本的服务，解雇腐败官员。在为期三周的抗议中，道路被封锁，市政建筑被点燃。Jonah Fisher报道。

在种族隔离15年之后，被指责缺乏基本服务的不是南非总统祖马，而是当地政府水平的ANC(南非非洲人国民大会)。在Sakhile镇，人们用燃烧的轮胎堵塞道路，警方发射催泪弹和橡胶子弹予以回应。本周初，总统祖马的一名发言人称，那些对住房，电力和水力不满的人们应该致电专门处理投诉的热线，而不应该进行示威活动。

下周，英国将在全国范围内开展猪流感疫苗注射活动。此前，甲型H1N1流感病例急剧增加，其中，一名怀孕少女在周四死亡。医生将会联系1300万优先群体，例如孕妇和前线医疗工作者，鼓励他们接种疫苗。其他几个国家已经开始了大规模疫苗接种项目。

美国波多黎各岛数千名公共部门职员走向街头，抗议政府大规模的削减和裁员。公共部门工会呼吁进行24小时的罢工，反对政府解雇20,000多名职员的决定。波多黎各总督Luis Fortu?o称，裁员对于削减政府支出来说是必须的，将避免波多黎各信誉评定等级再次降低。

尼日利亚中央银行将其前副主席Atiku Abubakar列在未及时偿还银行巨额贷款的有钱人新名单中。该名单还包括尼日利亚有钱人的其他知名人物。中央银行称，他们的欠款超过20亿美元。Caroline Duffield报道。

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar是尼日利亚中央银行宣布的最为引人注目的债务人。他以个人名义欠Spring Bank贷款。他的办公室发表声明称，他没有做任何错事。这位前副主席并未否认他欠银行巨额贷款。但是他说，这笔帐目来自旧的，处于休眠状态的银行账户，已经几年没有处理。一旦最终确认，他一定会偿还这笔巨额贷款。

发生了最近的几起员工自杀事件之后，法国通讯公司法国电信工会呼吁进行一天的抗议活动。周四，一名48岁的雇员被发现在家中吊死。他是自去年2月份以来第25名自杀的法国电信雇员。

在第二次世界大战期间服役的英国士兵写的信终于抵达目的地。这是60年前在意大利服役的Charles Fleming写给其至亲的长达两页的信件。这封信抵达英国皇家空军基地。经过一系列研究和媒体大量关注之后，最终确认了写信者的身份，信件最终被交给在世的侄子。这封信是写给Fleming的母亲的。