An agency that funds scientific research in the United States says black scientists are significantly less likely to be awarded funding than their white

counterpart

s. The National Institutes of Health said that out of every 100 funding applications it considered, 30 were granted to white applicants, compared with 20 to black applicants. The gap couldn't be explained by education or experience. It suggested small differences in access to resources and mentoring early in a scientist's career could leave black researchers at a

disadvantage

.

BBC news

叙利亚暴力镇压了反对总统领导的抗议活动，美国，英国，法国和德国要求阿萨德总统辞职。这是美国及其盟国首次明确要求阿萨德下台，尽管华盛顿方面此前也曾经表示如果没有阿萨德，叙利亚会更好的发展。美国首都，Jonny Dymond报道。

美国曾经引用阿萨德作为改革者与缔造和平者的典范，但是经过五个月的血腥镇压活动之后，华盛顿和叙利亚总统之间的关系宣告结束。奥巴马总统周四签署命令，冻结叙利亚的资产，切断商务联系，经过几个月的强硬态度之后，奥巴马呼吁阿萨德总统下台。英国，法国和德国领导人也迅速效仿。但是美国明确表示，他们不会采取军事方式试图推翻阿萨德总统。奥巴马说，应该取决于叙利亚人民来选择他们自己的领袖。