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Chinese most concerned about quake
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五大風險國人最怕地震
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Regional and personal problems are more severe than global challenges to many people, according to a survey issued by RSA, a British insurance company, the International Financial News reported. It showed that people worldwide are most concerned about cost-of-living increases, followed by cancer, then speeding & irresponsible drivers, with climate change following drunk driving at fifth. It was noteworthy that the Chinese respondents are most worried about earthquakes. Unsafe food comes in second; cancer takes the third, and drunk driving and unsafe water comes fourth and fifth.
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據《國際金融報》報道，英國RSA保險集團發布的一份全球風險調查報告顯示：全球受訪者普遍認為，地區問題和個人問題比全球性風險更為嚴峻。其中，全球受訪者最擔心的是生活成本的不斷增加，以下依次是癌癥﹑超速/不負責任的司機﹑酒后駕駛和氣候變化；而中國受訪者最擔心的是地震風險，其次是食品安全﹑癌癥﹑酒后駕駛和不衛生的水。
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13,000 Chinese make pilgrimage to Mecca
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1.3萬穆斯林赴麥加朝覲
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A record 13,000 Chinese Muslims began leaving China on Monday on chartered flights for Islam's annual pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Xinhua reports. The number of Muslims making the pilgrimage from China has increased each year since the first chartered flight from Beijing to Jeddah in 1997. Last year, 12,700 people made the pilgrimage.
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據新華社報道，周一，約1.3萬中國穆斯林開始陸續乘坐包機，赴沙特阿拉伯圣城麥加進行一年一度的朝覲，朝覲人數創歷年新高。自1997年中國信徒第一次乘坐包機從北京飛抵吉達以來，中國赴麥加的朝覲的穆斯林人數逐年增加。去年，1.27萬人進行了朝覲。
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Strikes disrupt France
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大罷工致法交通癱瘓
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French oil workers defied the government's demand Monday to get back to work and end fuel shortages, stepping up their fight against President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the retirement age to 62, AP reports. Airlines, meanwhile, were told to drastically cut back their flights into France on Tuesday, when the next national street protests are planned, and severe disruptions to air travel, public transport, schools and other facilities are expected. Strikers have blockaded a dozen French refineries and numerous oil depots in the last week as part of the widespread protests over Sarkozy's pension reforms, which the French Senate will debate on Wednesday.
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據美聯社報道，周一，法國石油工人違抗政府命令，不但拒絕回去上班并恢復燃油供應，反而將罷工升級，以此對抗總統薩科奇將退休年齡延至62歲的改革法案。據悉，下一輪全國示威游行正在醞釀。屆時，航空運輸﹑地面交通﹑學校等場所將會受到嚴重干擾，各航空公司已被告知要大幅削減入法航班。為了抗議薩科奇的退休改革法案，示威者已經在過去的一周中封堵了12家煉油廠和眾多油庫，而法國參議院也將在明天就此法案進行辯論。
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Japan offers free trips for tips
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提建議就可免費游日本
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Japan is planning to recruit dozens of foreigners to visit the country and give advice on how to make things more travel-friendly for non-Japanese speaking visitors, Reuters reports. The government will pay travel allowances to about 100 native English, Chinese and Korean speakers to visit key cities and come up with ideas on how to make it easier for travelers to use public transport, stay at hotels and eat at restaurants. An official from the National Tourism Organization says one way to recruit these travelers could be over the Internet but that they would look at other methods, such as asking the relatives of foreign students studying in Japan. All expenses within Japan will be paid by branch offices of the Transport Ministry, which oversees the Tourism Agency. Part of plane fares to Japan may also be covered.
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據英國路透社報道，日本擬招募一組外國人到日本免費觀光，希望得到建議，讓不會說日語的外國人在赴日旅游時能感覺更輕松愉快。日本政府會為100位母語是英語、漢語及韓語的外國游客埋單，希望他們能夠針對大眾交通工具、當地旅館及餐廳如何讓外國人覺得更方便提出建議。日本觀光廳官員稱，招募觀察員的方式會通過網絡，同時也會有其它方式，如邀請留學生的親戚。所有在日本的花費都由日方交通部支付，旅游局監督，機票同樣可獲得部分補助。
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Bin Laden comfortable in Pakistan
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本·拉登還活得很滋潤
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Osama bin Laden is alive and well and living comfortably in a house in the north-west of Pakistan protected by local people and elements of the country's intelligence services, the Daily Telegraph reports. "Nobody in al-Qaeda is living in a cave," according to an unnamed NATO official quoted by CNN. He added that Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden's second in command, was also living in a house somewhere in the country's mountainous border regions.
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據英國《每日電訊報》報道，奧薩馬·本·拉登現藏身于巴基斯坦西北部，在當地居民和巴情報人員的保護下活得非常滋潤。美國有線電視新聞網援引一名北約官員的話報道稱："'基地'組織里沒有人住山洞"。他還透露，本·拉登的副手艾曼·扎瓦希里也住在邊界山區的一套房子里。
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