11-21-06

中國公路事故8名學生喪生 (Eight Children Die in Road Accident in China)

中國官方新華社報導，一輛運送學生的公交車在中國東北地區從橋上墜落，致使8名學生死亡，9人身受重傷。

新華社星期二報導，事故發生在中國黑龍江省距離哈爾濱市50公里的地方。出事的公交車上大約有50名學生。

新華社報導說，初步調查結果表明，這輛公交車的司機沒有駕駛這類汽車的執照。中國公路死亡率居世界之高。中國政府報告顯示，去年中國有將近10萬人死於公路事故。

China's official Xinhua news agency says eight children were killed and another nine seriously injured when a bus carrying students plunged off a bridge in northeast China.

Xinhua said Tuesday that the crash happened about 50 kilometers from Harbin in China's Heilongjiang province. The bus was carrying around 50 students.

The Chinese news agency said initial investigations showed the driver did not have the proper license to operate a bus. China's roads are among the world's deadliest. Chinese government reports show almost 100 thousand people died last year in accidents on the country's roads.

中國回應歐盟貓狗皮交易禁令 (China Reacts to EU Ban on Dog, Cat Fur)

中國強調其保護動物的承諾，對歐盟計劃禁止貓、狗毛皮交易做出回應。中國外交部星期二說，虐待貓、狗的現象在中國並不普遍。外交部說，近年來，保護動物的意識一直在提高。

歐盟委員會星期一宣佈，計劃禁止出售用貓、狗的真皮毛製造的玩具、服裝和其他產品。這項提議出臺前，動物權益保護活動人士去年在捷克共和國發現了一個貓、狗毛皮加工廠。歐洲的許多動物毛皮都來自中國。

China is stressing its commitment to the protection of animals, in response to a plan by the European Union to ban trade in cat and dog fur. China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that torture and cruelty against cats and dogs was not widespread in China. The ministry said awareness of protecting animals has been on the rise in recent years.

On Monday, the European Commission announced plans to outlaw the sale of toys, clothes, and other products made with real cat and dog fur. The proposal came after an investigation by animal rights activists last year uncovered a cat and dog production facility in the Czech Republic. Many of the animal skins that have turned up in Europe came from China.