11-21-07

印度、中國下月將舉行聯合軍演 (India, China to Hold Joint Military Exercise Next Month)

印度國防部官員說，印度和中國下月將首次舉行兩國聯合軍事演習，顯示曾在1962年打過一場短暫邊境戰爭的兩個亞洲鄰國雙邊關係的改善。有關官員說，印度和中國各派大約100名軍人參加在中國雲南省舉行的演習。

官員們說，兩國高層軍事官員下星期將前往印度東部城市加爾各達共同籌劃聯合演習。兩國上星期在北京舉行年度國防對話期間批准了這次聯合軍事演習。中印國防對話是兩國去年簽署的諒解備忘錄的一項內容。

Indian Defense Ministry officials say India and China will hold their first joint military exercise next month -- a sign of warmer relations between the Asian neighbors that fought a brief border war in 1962. Officials say about 100 soldiers from each country will participate in the exercise in China's Yunnan province.

Officials say top army officials from both sides are to meet in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata next week to plan for the war games. The joint military exercise was approved at last week's Beijing meeting of the annual Defense Dialogue between the two nations. The Defense Dialogue is part of the memorandum of understanding China and India signed last year.

法國前總統接受正式腐敗調查 (Former French President Under Formal Investigation for Corruption)

法國一名法官對法國前總統希拉克正式展開調查，作為一起腐敗調查的一部分。希拉克的律師韋伊星期三說，法官調查這位前總統是懷疑他在擔任巴黎市長期間貪污公款。案件圍繞有關指稱說巴黎市政廳對希拉克領導的保守黨的同情者提供虛職。

正式調查是為了確定希拉克是否應該受審或者是否因缺乏證據而取消案件審理。一名法官7月就希拉克1977年到1995年擔任市長期間的這個案件詢問了希拉克4個小時。希拉克擔任總統期間享受免於起訴的豁免權。他的總統任期於今年5月結束。

A French judge has placed former President Jacques Chirac under formal investigation as part of a corruption probe. Mr. Chirac's lawyer, Jean Veil, said Wednesday that the judge placed the former president under investigation for suspected embezzlement of public funds when he was mayor of Paris. The case revolves around an allegation that the Paris city hall gave fake jobs to sympathizers of Mr. Chirac's conservative party.

The formal investigation is to determine whether Mr. Chirac should stand trial or the case should be dismissed for lack of evidence. In July, a magistrate questioned Mr. Chirac for four hours in the case dating back to his time as mayor from 1977 to 1995. Mr. Chirac was immune from prosecution while he was president. His term ended in May.