The former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik has been disqualified as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election. He was barred by the electoral commission under a law that prevents former senior officials of the Hosni Mubarak era from standing. Mr Shafik is the latest of a series of candidates to be disqualified from an original shortlist of 23 - only 12 remain in the race.

埃及前总理Ahmed Shafik失去即将举行的总统选举的候选人资格。选举委员会根据一项法律禁止了他的资格，该法不允许穆巴拉克时代的旧日高官参选。已有一批候选人从最初的候选人名单中被剔除，Shafik是最近被排除的一位。目前只有12位候选人。

The United States says it's concerned about reports that Israel has legalised the status of three settler outposts in the West Bank and is seeking further clarification from the Israeli government. A State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, said the Israeli move was unhelpful.

有报道称，以色列将西岸三处定居哨站的地位合法化，美国称对此很担忧，目前正与以色列就此事做进一步的澄清。国务院女发言人维多利亚·纽兰说，以色列此举是无益的。

"We are obviously concerned by the reports that we've seen. We have raised this with the Israeli government, and we are seeking clarification. You know where we are on settlements. We don't think this is helpful to the process, and we don't accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity."