ビジネス英語オンライン -TOEICリスニング聴解対策 -

The Executive Director of the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the re-election of Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has no legal effect on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) charges against him.

Georgette Gagnon says HRW has documentary evidence that shows the elections were marred by widespread irregularities and gross human rights violations that undermined the credibility of the vote.

“Our view is that the re-election of Bashir has no legal effect at all on the ICC charges pending against him, and he should be facing justice in The Hague. These elections have nothing to do with the ICC warrant and his legitimacy or his innocence or guilt or anything like that,” he said.

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The closure of airspace over Britain, Northern Europe and Scandinavia is having economic repercussions around the world. It has halted the transport of goods, stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers and dealt a severe economic blow to the airline industry.

Nearly 100,000 flights were canceled or delayed as volcanic ash forced the closure of European airspace. The International Air Transport Association says the crisis has cost airlines more than $1.7 billion and is devastating an already beleaguered industry.

British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh says his company lost between $20 million and $30 million a day.

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A statement issued by the Vatican after the meeting said he prayed with the men and assured them the Church will continue doing all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future.

The statement was one of the clearest yet from the Vatican that it wants local bishops to cooperate with civil authorities in prosecuting priests who abused children. It also stated the pope was deeply moved by the stories of the abuse victims and expressed his shame and sorrow over what they and their families have suffered.

Lawrence Grech was one of the abuse victims who met with the pope. He said he lost his faith 20 years ago, but this experience will change his life.

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Western China has been rocked by a powerful earthquake and strong aftershocks, which have claimed more than 500 lives. More than 10,000 people have been injured and many more people may be trapped in damaged buildings.

The earthquake struck the western Chinese province of Qinghai early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in villages around the region.

The China Earthquake Administration estimates the quake as being a 7.1 magnitude, while the U.S. Geological Survey puts it at 6.9.

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Poland is preparing for state funerals for President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, and is awaiting the repatriation of the bodies of many of its political and military elite – all killed in a plane crash in western Russia on Saturday. Many Poles are slowly coming to grips with this tragedy.

More vigils and tributes – hundreds of people crowded into the Church of Saint Anna in central Warsaw for a special mass for those killed in the crash.

Many mourners young people, mostly students who earlier had marched silently through the city carrying Polish flags and pictures of the President and his wife.

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Hollywood has rediscovered ancient Greek mythology with its gods and monsters, muscular men with shields and swords and the hero’s quest to save humanity in the 2010 version of “Clash of the Titans:”

With Zeus and his fellow gods ruling from Mount Olympus, the ancient world should be safe and secure. But the mortals have turned their backs on their creators.

As the storm clouds gather for a titanic battle, a young man named Perseus is thrust into the middle. What he does not know, but is about to learn, is that he is a demi-god: the child of a human mother and a god …and not just any god.

“Is it true? Am I the son of Zeus?”
“Yes.”
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