英语写作课报纸20130105.docVIP

Scattered Thoughts① -Life likes an adventure. The United Nations Security Council has condemned two suicide car bombings which left at least 55 people dead in the Syrian capital Damascus. The council members acknowledged the international peace plan for Syria was under strain, but they insisted there was no alternative. Barbara Plett at the UN headquarters has more. The Security Council issued a strong condemnation of the attacks, but gave no sign it was ready to admit the failure of peace efforts. Instead, it called on all parties to keep their commitments to stop the violence and reaffirm support for the peace plan of the special envoy, Kofi Annan. Syrias ambassador, Bashar al-Jaafari, told the council his country had evidence that foreign fighters and groups linked to al-Qaeda were behind a growing number of terrorist operations. He repeated accusations that some regional countries were arming and financing Syrian rebels, and he urged the council to exert maximum pressure on those states to end such support. Millions of Egyptians are watching their countrys first live television debate between presidential candidates. Two front-runners, the former head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, and the moderate Islamist, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, are going head-to-head. Yolande Knell has been watching. Several polls suggest that Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh are closely leading the presidential race. This high-profile debate, shown on two private TV networks, was a chance for the two to confront each other – in a style thats new to the Arab world. Each was asked a wide range of questions, including how their powers should be limited as president to ensure they did not turn into a dictator. They were also allowed to challenge each other. Amr Moussa attacked the record of his rival as a former leading member of the