Cricket fans who are eagerly awaiting Monday's clash between Sri Lanka and England are furious about a 10-fold increase in ticket prices. Fans who want to go to the opening game in Galle will now have to pay up to $60. A Sri Lankan cricket official told the BBC it was because of the high demand to see England.
BBC News
第二页:中英双语听力稿
The Russian president has warned that a mission to Syria by the UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan may be the last chance to avoid civil war. Dmitry Medvedev was speaking after talks in Moscow with Mr Annan, who wants Russia to take a firmer stance against President Bashar al-Assad. Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow.
俄罗斯总统警告说,由联合国阿盟和平使者科菲·安南率领的赴叙利亚使团,可能是避免内战的最后一次机会。梅德韦杰夫是在与安南莫斯科会谈后发表这番言论的,安南希望俄罗斯对阿萨德总统采取更加强硬的立场。Steve Rosenberg在莫斯科报道。
Russia had already declared its support for Kofi Annan's peace initiative. Today, Dmitry Medvedev explained why. This, President Medvedev said, was perhaps the last chance to avoid a protracted bloody civil war in Syria. Moscow is a long-time ally of the Syrian government, a key supplier of arms. The Russians have some influence there. Will they use that to put pressure on President Assad to end the fighting? That's something which President Medvedev did not say.