**澳大利亚反恐行动: 逮捕15人**
澳大利亚警方在一次覆盖三座城市的大规模反恐行动中逮捕了15人。
大约800名警员星期四早间在悉尼、布里斯班和洛根的几十处地点进行了突击行动，摧毁了警方所说的一次企图针对公众实施暴力活动的阴谋。
拘捕行动几天前，面对伊斯兰国支持者发出的威胁，澳大利亚警方提升了反恐警戒级别。
联邦警察署署长安德鲁•考尔文对记者表示，这些被捕的人“已经开始策划在澳大利亚本土实施暴力行动”。
上个星期，澳大利亚警方在布里斯班逮捕了两名正在准备前往叙利亚的男子。这两个人从事了招募激进分子等活动，并为基地组织的分支机构胜利阵线（al-Nusra Front）筹募资金。
Australia anti-terrorism raid: 15 arrests
Australian police have arrested 15 people in a massive anti-terrorism raid across three cities.
Around 800 police officers swept through dozens of locations in Sydney, Brisbane and Logan early Thursday, thwarting what officials called a domestic plot to "commit violent acts" against the public.
The arrests come days after Australia elevated its terror warning amid threats by Islamic State supporters.
Federal Folice Chief Andrew Colvin told reporters the group targeted by the raids "had started to carry out planning to commit violent acts here in Australia."
Last week, Australian police arrested two men in Brisbane suspected of preparing to fight in Syria, recruiting militants and raising money for the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front.
**西方制裁或导致俄经济收缩**
欧洲经济分析师预测，由于西方对俄罗斯采取的经济制裁，俄罗斯经济可能在明年出现收缩，并陷入一场较为轻微的衰退。
欧洲重建和发展银行星期三发布的报告预测，俄罗斯经济可能会在2015年收缩0.2%。而今年5月，该银行曾预测俄罗斯经济会在明年增长0.6%。
负责追踪中东欧地区经济走势的欧洲重建和发展银行认为，今年俄罗斯GDP将出现零增长。
该银行在最新的展望报告中说，已经遭受重创的乌克兰经济将在今年大幅收缩9%。而四个月前，该行预计乌克兰经济将收缩7%。
星期二，经济制裁使得俄罗斯卢布对美元的汇率创下新低。俄罗斯副财长莫斯耶夫呼吁俄罗斯公众不必恐慌。
他把卢布贬值归咎于美欧切断了俄罗斯银行从西方长期借贷市场获得融资的能力。但是他强调，俄央行正在寻求对策。
Russian Growth Forecast Slashed as Western Sanctions Squeeze Economy
Leading European analysts say Russia - hit by Western sanctions for its role in Ukraine - will see its economy contract next year and slip into a mild recession.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development forecast on Wednesday a 0.2 percent Russian downturn for 2015, after predicting in May a 0.6 percent expansion for the same period.
The bank, which monitors economies of Central and Eastern Europe, maintained its forecast of zero Russian growth this year.
In its latest outlook report, the bank also predicted that Ukraine's already battered economy will plunge a full 9 percent this year. That prognosis comes just four months after analysts projected a 7 percent drop.
On Tuesday, as the sanctions drove the ruble currency to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar, Deputy Russian Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev urged the Russian public not to panic.
He attributed the currency plunge to European and U.S. moves to deny Russian banks access to long-term borrowing markets in the West, and said talks are under way with Russia's central bank to ease the crisis.
