sabotage
are increasing in Nigeria. In a statement, the company said it had suffered at least three separate incidents of sabotage on its pipelines in the Niger Delta this month. Shell added that it had placed containment booms into the surrounding waterways to stop the flow of oil. Thieves known as bunkerers often try to cut into the pipes to extract oil and sell it on. Militants in the Delta have also carried out repeated attacks against oil installations.
Two South African political parties have agreed to merge to challenge President Jacob Zuma’s African National Congress. The leader of the official opposition, Helen Zille, welcomed the leader of the Independent Democrats, Patricia de Lille, into her party, the Democratic Alliance. All members of the Independent Democrats have been asked to join the Democratic Alliance over the next four years.
That’s the latest BBC News.
联合国秘书长潘基文敦促国际社会增加对巴基斯坦洪水围困地区的支持。潘基文表示,他永远不会忘记亲眼目睹的这次洪水造成的痛苦和破坏,他宣布联合国将从紧急基金中再次拨付1000万美元,增加对巴基斯坦的援助。他亲自查看了受灾最严重的一些地区之后发表了这番讲话。我们的记者Lyse Doucet陪同潘基文和巴基斯坦总统扎尔达里一起前往。
潘基文和扎尔达里总统乘坐直升机在空中查看了产粮区旁遮普省的四个地区。从空中看下去,就好象是一片布满了不规则的湖泊的土地。甘蔗和小麦等有价值的作物全部被水浸泡。土坯房也被浸泡在水中,数百万人逃难。联合国表示,只有不到一半的灾民获得救援。潘基文呼吁国际捐赠者采取更多行动。他说,前所未有的洪水要求我们提供前所未有的援助。