12-21-2005

對薩達姆審判在巴格達重新開庭 (Saddam Trial Resumes in Baghdad)

對前伊拉克獨裁者薩達姆.侯賽因的審判星期三在巴格達重新開庭。一名目擊者當庭作證，談到薩達姆個人如何介入1980年代發生的一次屠殺村民事件。對薩達姆及其7名助手被告的審判因伊拉克議會選舉休庭了兩個星期。

在上一輪庭審期間，這位被推翻的前伊拉克總統拒絕出庭，但是他星期三來到法庭。旁觀審判的記者說，這位68歲的被告看上去比前幾次出庭時顯得要克制一些。

薩達姆和同案被告被指控23年前下令和執行對杜傑勒村的140多名什葉派穆斯林酷刑折磨和屠殺。當地曾是一次刺殺薩達姆未遂事件的發起地。如果被定罪，他們會面臨死刑。

當年只有14歲的證人阿裏.哈桑.海達裏在法庭上描述他本人所目睹情況以及他的家人所經歷的慘劇時候，薩達姆一邊聽，一邊做著筆記。

The former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's trial resumed in Baghdad Wednesday, where a witness is testifying about Saddam's personal involvement in a village massacre during the 1980s. Proceedings against Saddam and seven of his lieutenants had a two-week break for Iraq's parliamentary elections.

The ousted Iraqi president had refused to attend the trial's previous session, but he was in court Wednesday. Correspondents watching the trial say the 68-year-old defendant appeared more subdued than he was during previous court appearances.

Saddam and his co-defendants are accused of ordering or carrying out the torture and killing of more than 140 Shi'ite Muslims 23 years ago in the village of Dujail, which was the launching point for an unsuccessful attempt to kill Saddam. If convicted, they could be sentenced to death.

Saddam listened and took notes today as witness Ali Hassan al-Haidari, who was 14 years old at the time of the Dujail massacre, described the carnage that he saw and his family experienced.

紐約公交員工被判罰每日百萬 ($1 Million-a-Day Fine for New York Subway Strike)

紐約市一名法官判處罷工的紐約市地鐵和公共汽車系統員工每天交罰款100萬美元，直到結束非法罷工為止。罷工致使這座美國最大的城市陷入混亂。紐約市公交系統工會說，法官判罰過份，將提出上訴。但是，市政府說，罷工致使紐約的商家和民眾每天損失多達4億美元。

星期二清晨開始的罷工使紐約市的公共交通全面停頓。紐約公共汽車和地鐵每天運送的乘客是美國每天所有民航乘客總數的4倍。許多人走路上班，還有些人留在家裏。商家擔心今年的聖誕和新年節日前的銷售會一落千丈。每年這段時間是全年當中生意最興隆的時節。

A judge in New York has fined striking city subway and bus workers one million dollars a day until they end the illegal work stoppage that has thrown the United States' biggest city into chaos. The transit workers' union says the judge's penalty is excessive and that it will appeal the ruling. The city government, however, says the strike is costing businesses and the people of New York up to 400 million dollars a day.

The walkout early Tuesday shut down all public transit in New York -- a subway and bus network that carries four times as many passengers each day as all the nation's airlines. Many people walked long distances to reach their workplaces, while others remained at home. Merchants are concerned about plummeting sales before the Christmas and New Year holidays -- normally the busiest shopping days of the year.