BBC News
, this is Mike Cooper.
美国路易斯安那州迎战密西西比河洪水
Army engineers in the American state of Louisiana have opened the first floodgate in an operation that will flood rural homes and large areas of farmland in order to protect cities on the Mississippi River. Heavy rain and melting snow have swollen the river to its highest level in decades. Opening a channel, the Morganza spillway, is meant to relieve pressure on the levees protecting the cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Colonel Ed Fleming of the US Army Engineer Corps said people in the area had been evacuated.
"Some parishes have mandatory evacuations, and some have had voluntary evacuations. And I think it's important to remember that at this point in time, not only is public safety our No. 1 priority, but family has got to be the No. 1 priority as well. And when you have an evacuation order from a local elected official or a local law enforcement official, you need to understand what's important to you. Pack up a few important things, get your family and heed their advice."
美控告一家6人协助塔利班 包括两名迈阿密阿訇
Six people, nearly all members of the same family, have been charged in the United States with providing financial and material support to the Pakistani Taliban. The US authorities say the investigation was prompted by suspicious financial transactions. Natalia Antelava has the details.