US news anchor Rather to retire


        美国哥伦比亚广播公司的当家主播丹·拉瑟宣布，他将于明年3月9日告别新闻主持人的岗位。

       One of America's most influential news presenters, Dan Rather, has announced that he is to give up his role as the face of CBS News early next year. The 73-year-old has presented the US network's main evening news broadcast for almost a quarter of a century. He has faced criticism over a recent report questioning President George W Bush's military service, based on evidence which turned out to be forged. Mr Rather has said he will continue to work as a correspondent for CBS. "I have been lucky and blessed over these years to have what is, to me, the best job in the world and to have it at CBS News," he said on Tuesday. The award-winning journalist has worked at CBS News for more than 40 years and made his name as a reporter covering President Richard Nixon's White House.

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Chirac makes historic Libya trip


    法国总统希拉克11月24日访问利比亚，这是50多年以来法国领导人首次访问利比亚。

French President Jacques Chirac is to go to Libya on Wednesday, in the first visit by a French leader since 1951. Mr Chirac wants to deepen ties with the oil-rich state and continue the process of normalising relations with Tripoli. The visit also confirms the gradual return of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi to international acceptance. It follows a similar trip earlier in the year by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and then the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder.

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Ukrainian prime minister wins runoff


      乌克兰第二轮总统选举结束，亲俄罗斯的现任总理亚努科维奇领先亲西方的反对派“我们的乌克兰”联盟领导人尤先科。

Ukraine's prime minister won the country's bitterly fought presidential runoff , elections officials said Monday. But election observers said the vote did not meet international standards and the opposition alleged fraud. With nearly more than 99 percent of precincts counted, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych had 49.42 percent, compared to Viktor Yushchenko's 46.69 percent, the Central Election Commission said. But exit polls showed Yushchenko ahead, and he accused authorities of vote fraud. He has urged his supporters to demonstrate against vote-rigging and called for an emergency parliament session.

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Clinton library open for business


      克林顿图书馆正式向公众开放，克林顿政府要员、前总统老布什和现任总统布什、演艺明星等人前往捧场。

Former US President Bill Clinton has opened his futuristic presidential library at a rain-soaked ceremony in Little Rock, Arkansas. The $165m (￡88m) Clinton Presidential Center houses archives from his White House years, with one area dedicated to the fall-out from the Lewinsky affair. Former US leaders George Bush and Jimmy Carter spoke, and the current President Bush praised his Democrat predecessor. Rock star Bono sang, and Nelson Mandela sent a video tribute.

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Powell announces his resignation


     布什总统接受国务卿鲍威尔、能源部长亚伯拉罕、教育部长佩奇和农业部长维尼曼递交的辞呈。

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell announced his resignation yesterday, ending four years of battles with Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld over the course of U.S. foreign policy. Administration officials said Powell, whose departure was announced by the White House along with three other Cabinet resignations, will be replaced by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, one of President Bush's most trusted confidants . Rice will be replaced by her deputy, Stephen J. Hadley, administration officials said. The Rice and Hadley announcements will be made as soon as today, the officials said.

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Japan's Princess Sayako to Marry in Tokyo


      日本明仁天皇和皇后惟一的女儿，35岁的公主敬宫莎亚子，即将嫁给在日本东京市政府工作的普通公务员，39岁的黑田庆树，成为平民。

Japan's Princess Sayako, the only daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, will announce her intentions to marry a 39-year-old city government official in the coming weeks, an official said Sunday. Sayako, 35, also known by her royal title Norinomiya, and her husband-to-be, Yoshiki Kuroda, have already received the blessings of the emperor and empress, public broadcaster NHK TV said Sunday. The national Asahi newspaper carried a similar report. The Imperial Household Agency said the couple, who were classmates at Tokyo's elite Gakushuin University, were initially to be engaged earlier this month. But they delayed the announcement out of respect for victims of last month's powerful earthquake in northern Japan and typhoons across the country earlier this year, an agency official, Shingo Haketa, told reporters.

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Rice picked to be top US diplomat


     美国总统正式提名原总统国家安全事务助理赖斯担任国务卿，接替已宣布辞职的鲍威尔。

US President George W Bush has announced that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice is his choice as the new secretary of state. Ms Rice, 50, a close confidante of Mr Bush, is to succeed Colin Powell. If confirmed in the post by the US Senate, she will be the first black female secretary of state. Mr Bush said that during the last four years, he had appreciated the experience, counsel and "sound and steady judgement" of Ms Rice. "The secretary of state is America's face to the world and in Dr Rice the world will see the strength, grace and decency of our country," Mr Bush said.

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Bush outlines plans for new term


      美国总统布什举行新闻发布会，初步阐述了他在第二个任期的施政纲领，其中包括对外继续推进反恐怖战争，对内大幅度改革美国的社会保障和税收系统。

US President George W Bush has been setting out the agenda for his second term, vowing to reach out to allies while continuing the war on terror. He told reporters it was a conflict in which every "civilised nation" and every American had a stake. He also spoke of the need for Middle East peace and said his administration would "achieve our objectives" in Iraq. The president was heading to his Camp David retreat later on Thursday to consider changes to his administration. The rare news conference came after Mr Bush held his first cabinet meeting for three months, and probably the last such meeting until his new term starts in January.

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Familiar faces make People Awards


     电影明星朱丽娅·罗伯茨和乔治·克鲁尼双双入围2004年度美国国民票选大奖最受欢迎男女电影明星奖。

Julia Roberts and George Clooney are among the nominees for the title of favourite male and female movie star at this year's People's Choice Awards. Roberts, who is pregnant with twins, has already won nine times. She is up against Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron. Nominees for favourite male movie star include Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and Tom Cruise. Roberts and Clooney will next be seen on screen together in Ocean's Twelve. The awards, which honour achievements in film, TV and music, are voted for by the American public.

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Liu promises to set new record


      中国飞人刘翔“承诺”将力争打破12秒91的世界纪录，并要让这项纪录一直为中国人所保持。

World record holder Liu Xiang of China defeated four-times world champion Allen Johnson to win the men's 110-metre hurdles at the Yokohama track and field meet on Thursday. And the 21-year-old Olympic champion wasted no time in declaring that he would set a new world record in his event. "My goal is to set a new world record. I believe I have potential. I'm still 21 and you will peak at around 25," said Liu. "I promise that I will break the world record some day and keep the record for China forever."

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Yeltsin fears for Russia freedoms


俄罗斯第一位总统叶利钦日前出面对俄现任总统普京提出的选举制度改革方案表示批评。

Former Russian president Boris Yeltsin has made a veiled criticism of his successor's decision to increase his powers after the Beslan tragedy. Mr Yeltsin said that the rolling back of democratic rights in Russia would be tantamount to victory for terrorists. President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced plans to abolish direct elections for regional governors and change voting rules for parliament. The proposals may need constitutional change, but Mr Putin denies such plans. However, he said the changes were important to bolster central authority after a series of terrorist acts in recent weeks culminating in the school siege in which more than 300 people died.

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