President Obama has scrapped proposals to tighten rules on air pollution. He ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to shelve the plans to reduce concentrations of ozone from factories and power companies - one of the main contributors to smog. From Washington, Marcus George.

奥巴马总统暂时废除了加强空气污染规则的提议。他下令环保署暂时搁置降低工厂和发电站向空气中排放的臭氧的浓度的计划。臭氧是造成雾气的主要因素之一。Marcus George在华盛顿报道。

It's an unexpected U-turn for President Obama that underscores how sensitive he is about America's economic woes. The Environmental Protection Agency had put forward the measures to help prevent thousands of premature deaths from heart and lung disease, and save billions of dollars in health costs. Industry groups and Republicans have welcomed the decision, saying the new standards would have been a further burden on the US economy, but it's been criticised by environmentalists and some Democrats, who accuse the president of caving in under Republican pressure.

奥巴马总统的态度出人意料地出现了180度的转弯，这再次强调了他对美国的经济困境非常敏感。环保署已经提出了一系列措施，帮助预防数千人因心脏病和肺部疾病而提早死亡，同时节省数十亿美元的医疗费用。工业组织和共和党人对该决定表示欢迎，称新的标准可能会对美国经济造成进一步的负担，但是此举受到环保人士和一些民主党人的批评。他们指控奥巴马总统在共和党人的压力下屈服。