[CNN与你同行] 中东峰会

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's Wednesday, and we're glad to have you with us for this brand new edition of CNN Student News. Hi, everyone. From the CNN Center, I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Mideast Summit

AZUZ: First up, the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority make a big announcement at the start of a multinational summit. Now, if you've been with us this week, you know that dozens of nations took part yesterday in a conference that was designed to kick-start the peace process between the two groups. And it looks like that's just what happened. Ed Henry fills us in on what they've agreed to and what challenges might still be ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED HENRY, CNN REPORTER: Against the odds, President Bush brokered this handshake; with a written "joint understanding". The Israeli and Palestinian leaders vowing to reach a Mideast peace accord by the end of Mr. Bush's time in office.

U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations, and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008.

HENRY: The first serious stab at Mideast peace in seven years, and yet this is really just an agreement to agree, not peace itself.

AARON MILLER, WOODROW WILSON CENTER: The real question is, will this process have legs? Three months from now will, in fact, we be looking at a situation which has been transformed?

HENRY: The parties acknowledged they did not address any of the divisive issues that have killed so many deals before.

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS: With great hope, but it is accompanied with great worry that this new opportunity might be lost.

HENRY: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared any final agreement should make East Jerusalem the capital of a Palestinian state, a possible deal-breaker for Israel. While Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wants his nation recognized as a Jewish state, a potential stumbling block for the Palestinians.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD OLMERT: The time has come to end the boycott, the alienation and the obliviousness toward the state of Israel.

HENRY: And protests, all the way from the West Bank to outside the gates of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, show it will be difficult for both sides to make tough compromises. But the talks could gain strength from over 40 nations being at the table, especially Saudi Arabia and Syria. And the parties now have an American president pledging full engagement, though even Mr. Bush offered a dose of reality.

BUSH: America will do everything in our power to support their quest for peace, but we cannot achieve it for them.

HENRY: The tough work begins Wednesday at the White House.h Mr. Bush holding meetings with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And then Olmert and Abbas hold intense, biweekly meetings from here on out to try and get this deal done. Ed Henry, CNN, Annapolis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Why Annapolis?

AZUZ: That summit yesterday was held in Annapolis, Maryland. Don Lemon tells us a little bit about the history of the town and why it was a good choice for the meeting.

Fact Check

DON LEMON, CNN REPORTER: Annapolis was founded in 1649 on the banks of the Severn River on the Chesapeake Bay. If not for religious intolerance, that event may never have taken place. Puritans living in 17th century Virginia faced threats of severe punishment if they didn't bow to the dictates of the Anglican church. Before matters could reach a boiling point, the Puritans accepted an offer to move to Maryland in return for freedom of worship. They settled in the area of present day Annapolis. The city was named in honor of Britain's Queen Anne and became the capital of Maryland in 1694. During the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, Annapolis thrived as a political, social and economic hub of Maryland. For about one year, it served as the new nation's first peacetime national capital. In 1784, the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolution was ratified in Annapolis. It may seem a little odd to hold the latest Middle East peace conference at the U.S. Naval Academy, the place where future Navy and Marine officers learn to wage war. But the academy's tight security and the fact that Washington is only 30 miles away made it a logical choice.

ID Me

AZUZ: See if you can I.D. Me! I'm the biggest country in Africa. You'll find me on the northern part of the continent, bordering the Red Sea. I got my independence in 1956 from the United Kingdom and my northern neighbor, Egypt. If you identified Sudan, you got it! It's a nation of about 39 million.

Teacher Jailed

AZUZ: And a British teacher is in jail in that nation right now. You see, the legal system in the northern part of Sudan is under Sharia, or Islamic, law. That means everyone in the region, regardless of their religion, is subject to it. So, why was this teacher arrested? Because of complaints that something that happened in her classroom may have broken part of that law. Phil Black fills us in on the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN REPORTER: Gillian Gibbons' plight is now a matter of concern for the British Prime Minister.

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I feel very sorry about what has happened to Gillian Gibbons. She's as you know a British citizen. I understand she's not yet been charged with any offense by the authorities.

BLACK: But some British Muslims are even more outspoken in condemning the 54-year-old teacher's arrest.

MASOUD SHADJAREH, ISLAMIC HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION: We call on the Sudanese government to actually resolve this immediately and stop this stupid circus, which is being created around something which is so innocent and really should never have come this far.

BLACK: Gillian Gibbons went to Sudan less than three months ago to teach seven-year-old children at the Christian-run Unity School in Khartoum. She now stands accused of blasphemy under Sudan's strict Islamic law because of a classroom project involving a teddy bear. She invited her students to vote on a name for the toy. They chose Muhammad; a common name in Sudan, it is also the name of the Muslim prophet. Islamic law prohibits anything that might be considered an insult to the prophet. Sudan's government says some of the Muslim students' parents were offended. Outside observers say it was likely the result of a new teacher's naivety.

SHADJAREH: I don't think there is any suggestion that this was supposed to be representing the prophet. It was just a name that was used. And indeed it wasn't even an animal, it was a cuddly teddy bear. And I think really it was out of all proportion.

BLACK: Sudan's government has indicated Gillian Gibbons could be released if it is determined her intentions were good. But there's no word on how long it will take to decide that.

BROWN: We've been in contact and we'll continue to be in contact with the Sudanese police authorities and the Sudan government to make sure we can ascertain that she's safe and well, and to clarify the position so that she can be released soon.

BLACK: A teddy bear, a classroom excerise in democracy and a teacher who could be jailed or receive 40 lashes as punishment. Human rights activists describe this case as "ridiculous." But they say hopefully it will raise awareness of Sudan's record on human rights. Phil Black, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Promo

AZUZ: Republican White House hopefuls are hitting the stage tonight to tackle questions from YouTube users. You can watch the debate on CNN. But before you tune in, check out our Debate Viewing Guide. It'll get you ready to watch and help you interpret the event after it's finished. This free resource is waiting for you at !

To The Rescue

AZUZ: And finally today, we want you to meet a 12-year-old boy who's being called a hero. He heard a weird noise coming from near his house and decided to check it out. Now, you might be thinking, "Strange noise, I'm not going anywhere near that." Well as Christi Lowe of affiliate WRAL tells us, this young man's decision likely saved someone's life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN POUNDERS, SAVED FARMER'S LIFE: Yeah, I was scared.

CHRISTI LOWE, REPORTER: It was a sound unlike any other that caught Jonathan Pounders' attention; a painful cry for help coming from a nearby field.

POUNDERS: Like someone's getting hurt.

LOWE: Jonathan's family ignored the screams.

PENNI MCKEE, JONATHAN'S MOTHER: We just thought the donkeys got loose and one of the helpers was screaming for someone to help.

LOWE: But this 12-year-old, who has ADHD and bi-polar disorder, begged them to investigate.

MCKEE: He was insisting we had to go down there.

LOWE: What they found was a gruesome scenario.

POUNDERS: He was hanging by his arms, like that.

LOWE: A farm worker had both arms caught in a corn combine, and the machine was still running. The worker had reached in to knock down a pile of corn when the rollers grabbed hold and pulled him in.

POUNDERS: It was gross.

LOWE: Jonathan ran for help, while his mom called 911 and grandma turned off the machine. It took two Jaws of Life and at least a dozen firefighters to free the worker, who was airlifted to UNC Medical Center. The man wound up losing half his right arm, but he will survive, thanks largely to the alert ears of this young boy.

MCKEE: I think God spoke to him to get him down there.

LOWE: Jonathan refuses to take credit. He just wants to meet that man again and make sure he's all right.

POUNDERS: I just want to see how he's doing.

LOWE: Christi Lowe, WRAL News, Sampson County.

(END VIDEO CLIP)