10-27-2005

布希總統的最高法院大法官提名人選退出 President Bush's Supreme Court Nominee Withdraws

白宮表示，布希總統提名出任美國最高法院大法官的哈麗特.邁爾斯撤出提名。布希總統在星期四發佈的一個簡短聲明中說，他“不情願”地接受了邁爾斯退出的決定。

在白宮公佈的邁爾斯寫給布希總統的信中，邁爾斯說，她擔心她的提名聽證程式將給白宮帶來負擔，而這不符合國家的最佳利益。邁爾斯女士受到民主黨和共和黨的批評，他們擔心邁爾斯缺乏擔任法官的資格以及她的司法理念鮮為人知。

邁爾斯是經驗豐富律師，目前擔任總統的白宮法律顧問，但是從來沒有當過法官。布希總統和邁爾斯都提到，撤回提名的原因包括幾位參議員提出要查閱白宮內部文件。

The White House says President Bush's Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination. In a brief statement Thursday, President Bush said he had "reluctantly" accepted Ms. Miers' decision to withdraw.

In a letter to President Bush released by the White House, Miers said she was concerned that her confirmation process "would create a burden for the White House... that is not in the best interest of the country." Miers had faced criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for what many considered her lack of qualifications for the court and an unclear judicial philosophy.

Miers is an experienced lawyer who serves as the president's White House counsel but has never been a judge. Both the president and Ms. Miers cited a demand from several senators to view internal White House documents as a reason for the withdrawal.

法等待三禽流感病例化驗結果 French Await Results for 3 Bird Flu Tests

法國官員正在等待化驗結果，這項結果將證實印度洋法屬留尼汪島的3位居民是否感染了高致命的H5N1型禽流感病毒。同時，香港一家電視臺報導，對中國湖南省一名死於流感症狀的12歲女孩進行的禽流感化驗結果呈陰性。女孩死前在禽流感疫區吃過一隻病死的雞。

在亞洲其他地方，馬來西亞為了防止爆發禽流感，下令禁止進口寵物鳥。印尼表示對匈牙利的人類禽流感疫苗的樣品感興趣，並考慮為在當地生產這種疫苗申請許可證。

越南表示，如果不能和瑞士羅氏制藥公司達成生產“達菲”藥品協議的話，越南可能會自行生產抗禽流感病毒的“達菲”仿製品。

French officials are awaiting test results that would confirm whether three people on France's Indian Ocean island of Reunion are infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. Meanwhile, a Hong Kong TV report says a Chinese girl who died in Hunan province with flu symptoms has tested negative for avian flu. She fell ill after eating a sick chicken that died in an area stricken with bird flu.

Elsewhere in Asia, Malaysia has imposed a ban on imports of pet birds to prevent a bird flu outbreak. Indonesia says it is interested in Hungary's prototype human bird flu vaccine and is considering getting a license for local production.

Vietnam says it may produce a generic version of the antiviral drug Tamiflu if a licensing agreement cannot be reached with the drug's Swiss manufacturer (Roche Holding AG).