http://192.168.2.6/english/20061225BBC.mp3

【整理】BBC 2006-12-25
The Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has acknowledged for the first time that his troops are fighting Islamist forces in neighbouring Somalia. Mr. Meles said his country was forced to go to war to defend its sovereignty against what he called terrorists and anti-Ethiopian elements.

Our patience was considered as weakness and we were forced to go to war and the alternative left to us is to speedily bring the war to success.

Mr. Meles was speaking as Ethiopian ground forces and planes attacked the Islamist militias in at least four centres in southern Somalia. There are no confirmed casualty figures. But The Red Cross described the fighting as the worst in years. Ethiopia backs the weak transitional government in Somalia.

As Palestinian Christians celebrated Christmas at the birthplace of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, the leading Roman Catholic clergyman in the holy land has appealed for an end to conflict there. Hundreds of worshippers packed into Saint Catherine's Church in Manger Square, from where Nick Kwela reports.

Christmas day arrived clear and cold, but peaceful in Bethlehem. Hundreds of Christian pilgrims packed into the Saint Catherine's church on Manger square to celebrate midnight Mass. The services were attended by various dignitaries including the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. For one night at least the hotels here are full. The guests are not tourists though, most are Palestinian Christians here to celebrate Christmas at Christ's birthplace. But despite the economic hardship caused by the drop in tourism, Bethlehem's mayor Dr. Victor Batarsheh remains optimistic. "We're defying these obstacles", he said, "Joy to the citizens of Bethlehem. "

Pope Benedict has been celebrating Christmas midnight Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. The service was broadcasted to more than forty countries around the world. Although it was conducted in Latin, the worldwide reach of the Roman Catholic Church was represented by readings and prayers in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Arabic and Tagalog spoken in the Philippines.

The Cuban authorities are reported to have flown in a leading Spanish surgeon for consultations on the health of President Fidel Castro. A Spanish newspaper reported that the head of the surgery at the Madrid hospital, Hose Luis Garcia Sabrido, had arrived in Havana several days ago. Stephen Gibbs reports from Havana.

The Barcelona-based newspaper says the Doctor Garcia flew to Havana last Thursday on a jet chartered by the Cuban government. It says he came to give his professional advice on whether President Castro should undergo further surgery. There has been no confirmation from the Cuban government of any aspect of the report. Doctor Garcia is however understood to have been in Havana just last month, on that occasion to take part in an international conference on surgery.

This is BBC world news.

Georgia says it has agreed to buy eight hundred million cubic meters of gas from Turkey next year almost half of its needs. The price has not been disclosed, but the announcement follows Georgia agreeing last week to buy slightly larger amount from the Russian state-controlled Gazprom at double its previous price.

The Iranian parliament has described the United Nation Security Council decision to impose sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear programme as unjust and illegal. The big majority of Iranian deputies have approved a bill, instructing the government to review cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The former Chilean military ruler General Augusto Pinochet who died earlier this month has left a posthumous letter. The letter was published by a group of his supporters who said it had been received in 2004. Simon Watts reports.

General Pinochet saw himself as a warrior hero, but he was pursued to the last by investigations into alleged human rights abuses. Trying to salvage his reputation from beyond the grave, the general says he was proud of stopping a Marxist dictatorship. Referring to the estimated three thousand deaths during his rule, he says tough measures were needed but he was more flexible than generally realized. The letter reveals how unappreciated General Pinochet felt in his final days. He says there was a kind of banishment and unimagined loneliness.

A contact of a former Russian agent who died in British after contracting radiation poisoning has been arrested in Naples. The man Mario Scaramella met the Russian Alexander Litvenenko on the day he became ill. Mr. Scaramella who has also been affected by radiation was arrested on his return from London. The BBC correspondent in Italy says the arrest is connected with the long-running investigation into arms trafficking and is not related to the death of Mr. Litvenenko.

BBC world news.

Words and Expressions:
posthumous - Posthumous is used to describe something that happens after a person's death but relates to something they did before they died.
banishment - Banishment is the act of banishing someone or the state of being banished.