以色列前领导人西蒙·佩雷斯去世
曾经担任过以色利前总统和总理的西蒙·佩雷斯去世，终年93岁。他从政的一生贯穿了以色列建国后的整个时期。
两个星期前，佩雷斯遭受严重中风，星期三，他在特拉-哈绍梅尔的一家医院病逝。
在他漫长的职业生涯中，他担任过以色列几乎所有重要的政治职务，除了两次担任以色列总理外，他还担任过总统、国防部长和外长等。
他是以色列历史上任期最长的国会议员，担任议员长达48年。
以色列总理内塔尼亚胡说，佩雷斯把自己的一生献给了以色列人民的主权诉求。
美国总统奥巴马说，在建立美以联盟方面，没有人比佩雷斯作出的贡献更大，并形容他是一个激励人们更多挖掘自身能力的人。
美国前总统克林顿说，因为佩雷斯的去世，中东失去了一个和平与和解的积极倡导者。
佩雷斯的主要成就是，他在担任外长期间签署了给予巴勒斯坦人自治权的奥斯陆协议，为此他和当时的以色列总理拉宾以及已故巴勒斯坦领导人阿拉法特分享了1994年诺贝尔和平奖。拉宾1995年遇刺身亡。
Former Israeli Leader Shimon Peres Dies
Former Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres, whose life of public service spans the life of the Israeli nation itself, has died at age 93.
Peres suffered a severe stroke two weeks ago and died Wednesday in the hospital in Tel HaShomer.
He held nearly every major Israeli political post during his long career, including prime minister twice, the presidency, defense minister and foreign minister.
He was the longest serving member of parliament in Israeli history, holding a seat in the Knesset for 48 years.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Peres devoted his life to the sovereignty of the Israeli people.
U.S. President Barack Obama said no one did more than Peres to build the alliance between the United States and Israel and described him as someone who forced people to expect more from themselves.
Former President Bill Clinton said that with the death of Peres, the Middle East "has lost a fervent advocate for peace and reconciliation."
His major achievement was as foreign minister with the Oslo Accords -- a deal for Palestinian self-rule for which Peres, then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. Rabin was assassinated in 1995.
奥巴马任命资深外交官为古巴大使
美国总统奥巴马提名美国在古巴的最高级别外交官为逾50年来美国驻古巴的第一位大使。
但是，杰弗里・德劳伦蒂斯的提名仍有待参议院批准，而且有可能引发与反对同古巴建交的共和党人的激烈争执。
自去年7月以来，德劳伦蒂斯一直在哈瓦那新设的美国大使馆工作。奥巴马总统表示，没有比他更合格的公仆了。
来自佛罗里达州的古巴裔联邦参议员卢比奥和来自得克萨斯州的联邦参议员克鲁兹试图限制給美国驻哈瓦那大使馆的资金，他们表示将反对奥巴马提名的任何大使。
美国和古巴曾经是冷战时期的敌人，如今开启了一段新的关系，双方在华盛顿和哈瓦那互设大使馆，并且已经恢复有限的旅行和贸易活动，在这个重大的过渡期间，作为职业外交官的德劳伦蒂斯一直在哈瓦那工作。
德劳伦蒂斯将是继邦萨之后的美国第一位驻古巴大使，邦萨由已故总统艾森豪威尔任命，1960年末被召回美国。
Obama Appoints Veteran Diplomat as Cuba Ambassador
U.S. President Barack Obama has tapped the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat in Cuba to be the first ambassador to the island in more than 50 years.
But the appointment of Jeffrey DeLaurentis, which still must be confirmed by the Senate, is likely to set up a fierce fight with Republicans opposed to the normalization of relations with the communist nation.
DeLaurentis has been working at the new U.S. Embassy in Havana since it opened in July last year. Obama said there is "no better qualified public servant."
Cuban-American Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, both Republicans, tried to limit funding for the U.S. Embassy in Havana and said they would oppose any ambassador named by Obama.
DeLaurentis, a career diplomat, has served in Havana during the major transition of the one-time Cold War foes to a new relationship that includes re-opening embassies in Washington and Havana, and resuming travel and trade on a limited basis so far.
He would be the first U.S. envoy since Philip Bonsal, an appointee of President Dwight Eisenhower, left the post vacant in late 1960.
