スクリプト対象範囲：　▼から▲まで
It is zero hour thirty Universal Time. I'm Jim Tetter in Washington.
▼
Voters in the northeastern American state of <Pennsylvania> have voted in an important presidential primary contest. Experts say Senator <Hillary Clinton> must win to stay in the race. She is expected to win. However, she needs to win by a large number of votes if she is to narrow the lead of her opponent, Senator <Barack Obama>. He is ahead in the popular vote and in the number of the nominating delegates. Ms. <Clinton> says a victory in <Pennsylvania> along with her wins in <California> and <New York> will prove that Mr. <Obama> cannot win in states with large numbers of delegates. Mr. <Obama> said that he does not expect to win <Pennsylvania>. But, he believes he has already cut into her once large lead.

Former United Nations chief <Kofi Annan> is warning that climate change is making the food crisis worse. He said this threatens political security. Mr. <Annan> spoke Tuesday in <Geneva> for the Global Humanitarian Forum, a new group that examines the effects of climate change. The former U.N. secretary general predicted more food strikes and demonstrations. Severe and unpredictable weather he says has hurt the ability of many areas to grow crops. He said poorer farmers are the most effected. Mr. <Annan> said countries that produce the most pollution should help poorer farmers deal with climate change. The United Nations food agency says rising food prices threaten more than one hundred million additional people around the world. The head of the world food program, <Josette Sheeran>, said the additional one hundred million people facing hunger within the past six months. She says a major and long-lasting action is needed to prevent a crisis. Such action she said should be like the emergency effort after a huge wave in the Indian Ocean destroyed many coastal communities in two thousand four.

Hundreds of people, angry about the rising cost of food, have demonstrated in eastern <Afghanistan>. The protesters blocked a main road between the town of <Jalalabad> and the capital, <Kabul>. They demanded the government quickly act to decrease food prices. Earlier, the Afghan government announced it is putting aside fifty million dollars to buy wheat from other countries. Many protesters expressed anger at <Pakistan> for slowing, restricting its food exports. <Pakistan> did so because of its own worries over rising food prices.

Countries near <Iraq> and other nations say they support efforts by the Iraqi government to increase security and expand the political process. The statement came at the close of talks in <Kuwait>. The statement also expressed support for <Iraq's> national unity, territorial claims and the right to freely decide its political future. Delegates at the talks also praised Iraqi Prime Minister <Nouri al-Maliki> for taking steps against militias loyal to clergyman <Muqtada al-Sadr>. American Secretary of State <Condoleezza Rice> praised <Iraq> on its progress. She said <Iraq> needs the support of its neighbors and countries around the world to succeed.

You are listening to the news in VOA Special English.

A bomb explosion has killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded four others in the northern city of <Mosul>. The bomb was attached to a vehicle that Iraqi soldiers were inspecting. Earlier, a suicide bomber killed six people in an attack near a police station in <Diyala> province. Twelve others were wounded. Most of the victims were policemen. And, the United States military says two other bombs killed two American marines near the western city of <Ramadi>.

The Chinese government says a ship carrying weapons meant for <Zimbabwe> may be returning to <China>. The ship has been waiting in the waters near the coast of southern <Africa>. It was permitted to enter the South African port of <Durban> last week. But, workers there refused to unload the weapons. Officials in <Mozambique> have also turned away the ship. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says the contract for the weapons was signed last year as part of normal military trade. She said the shipment is not connected to <Zimbabwe's> political crisis.

<China> and <France> are working to ease tensions. Their relations worsened after pro-<Tibet> activists demonstrated during the running of the Olympic torch in <Paris> earlier this month. Since then, some Chinese citizens have boycotted French goods and companies. Chinese officials on Tuesday praised how the French company <Carrefour> does business in <China>. The officials also thanked the company for supporting the Olympic games in <Beijing>.

<Sudan> has begun a count and study of its population for the first time in fifteen years. The census is part of a peace agreement that ended the country's twenty-one year civil war. The Sudanese government and the United Nations are paying for the census. It will help show how wealth and power is divided in the country. It will also set up voting areas before Sudanese elections are held next year. They will be the first democratic elections in the country in twenty-three years.

President <Bush>, Mexican President <Felipe Calderon> and Canadian Prime Minister <Stephen Harper> have ended a two-day meeting in <New Orleans>, <Louisiana>. President <Bush> said the three countries have each gained from the North American Free Trade Agreement. He said now is not the time to renegotiate the agreement. President <Calderon> agreed with Mr. <Bush's> comments saying this is a time to make the agreement stronger, not change or cancel it. Prime Minister <Harper> had similar comments. Critics of <NAFTA>, including both Democratic party presidential candidates, say the United States has lost manufacturing jobs because of the agreement.
▲
Briefly, here again is the major news of the hour.

Voters in the northeastern American state of Pennsylvania have voted in an important presidential primary contest. Hundreds of people angry about the rising cost of food have demonstrated in eastern Afghanistan. And, countries near Iraq say they support efforts by the Iraqi government to increase security and expand the political process.

And, that's the news in VOA Special English. From Washington, Jim Tetter reporting.

Source: VOA Special English April 23, 2008 0030UTC

http://www.voa-study.net/