1.英语文化知识
浅谈英语文化知识渗透于英语教学内容摘要语言是文化的载体，是文化的主要表现形式。
它是随着民族的发展而发展的，是社会民族文化的一个组成部分。不同民族有着不同的文化、历史、风俗习惯和风土人情等，各民族的文化和社会风俗又都在该民族的语言中表现出来。
语言离不开文化，文化依靠语言，英语教学是语言教学，当然离不开文化教育。随着我国对外交往与民族接触的日益迫切的需要，英语教学要重视交际能力的培养和随之而来的要求对所属文化有所了解的呼声越来越高。
在英语教学中，教师应努力培养学生的文化习得意识，使文化规范的教学与语言技能的培养同步进行。关键词 语言 文化 文化差异 文化意识在美国有这样一个尽人皆知的句子："When you're down, you are not necessarily out."但是许多English learners却对其含义不甚了了。
原因是不了解这句话的文化背景。这原是一句拳击术语，在拳击比赛中拳击手若被对方击倒，裁判数到10还不能起来则被判输。
但在很多情况下不等裁判数到10，倒地的拳击手便能爬起来再战。因此，这句话的表层意思是：当你被人击倒，并不意味着输了这场比赛。
其寓意为：当你遇到挫折，并不一定丧失了成功的机会。由此我们可以得到启示：在英语教学中要注重语言和文化的关系，应提高对中西文化差异的敏感性和适应性，应树立文化意识并注重文化知识的传授。
一、语言和文化语言和文化是密不可分的。语言不仅仅是一套符号系统，人们的言语表现形式更要受语言赖以存在的社会/社团（community）的习俗，生活方式，行为方式，价值观念，思维方式，宗教信仰，民族心理和性格等的制约和影响。
长期以来，在英语教学中语言和文化的这种关系一直未得到足够的重视。在教学实践中，似乎认为只要进行听，说，读，写的训练，掌握了语音，词汇和语法规则就能理解英语和用英语进行交际。
而实际上由于不了解语言的文化背景，不了解中西文化的差异，在英语学习和用英语进行交际中屡屡出现歧义误解频繁，语用失误迭出的现象。如：用How much money can you earn a month？来表示对外国人的关心，殊不知这是一句冒犯的问话，侵犯了别人隐私（privacy），会激起对方的反感。
中国人以谦逊为美德，如当外国人称赞中国人某一方面的特长时，中国人通常会用You are overpraising me （"过奖"）来应酬，这往往会让说话者感到你在怀疑他的判断力；抑或是用"Where? Where？"来回答，弄得外国人莫名其妙，不知所云。美国社会学家G.R.Tucker 和W.E.Lambet对于外语教学中只教语言不教文化有这样的看法："我们相信，任何这类企图都会使学生失去兴趣，使他们不仅不想学习语言符号本身，而且也不想了解使用这一符号系统的民族。
相反，帮助学生在学习语言时提高对文化的敏感性，就可以利用他们发自内心的想了解其他民族的兴趣和动力。
从而提供了学习该民族的语言的基础"。二、中西文化的偶合现象与文化差异 不同民族的文化有可能存在某些相同或相似的地方，这被称为文化的偶合现象。
这主要是由于不同的民族在与大自然作斗争的过程中会有相同或相似的生活体验和经历。这种相似性必然会反映到语言中来。
因而在英语和汉语中，我们不难发现许多相同或相似的表达。例如："披着羊皮的狼"，英语为wolf in sheep's clothing；"同舟共济" ，英语为in the same boat；"破土动工"，英语为break earth；"三思而后行"，英语为 think twice before you act；"蓝图"，英语为blue print，等等，这样的偶合现象不胜枚举。
文化的这种偶合现象，可以促进English learners在目的语（target language）学习中的"正迁移"（positive transfer）。 但是，不同的民族所处的地理环境和历史环境不同，因而对不同的事物和经历有着不同的编码（code），分类；不同的民族因不同的宗教信仰，也导致了他们独特的笃信，崇尚和忌讳心态；不同的民族因其发展的特殊历史过程也产生了本民族自己的历史典故，传说轶事。
如：汉语中的"龙"，"生死轮回"，"八卦"，"阴阳"，"气功"等，对不了解中国文化的外国人来说必然是云里雾里，不知何物。同样，当我们看到英语中He is a wolf这个句子时，还以为是"这个人很凶"，实为"他是个好色之徒"。
中西两种文化的差异还可以从动物的"文化附加义"的差异窥见一斑。 对于狮子的勇猛（brave），绵羊的温顺（gentle），狐狸的狡猾（sly），乌龟的迟缓（slow），猪的贪婪（greedy），英语和汉语的文化附加义基本相同。
但在老鼠，骡子和猫头鹰的习性上，英语和汉语的文化附加义则大相径庭。在汉语中有"贼眉鼠目"，"鼠目寸光"等成语，用以形容鬼鬼祟祟和目光短浅。
而老鼠在英语俚语中可指女人，怕羞的人。更由于迪斯尼先生创造了Mickey Mouse这个尤物，从而使得老鼠的形象大放异彩，成为千家万户所喜爱的动物，尤其在儿童心目中，更是机智，智慧的象征。
至于骡子，在汉语中，"寿命长，体力大"是它的特征。而英语中骡子是"顽固（stubborn）"的代名词。
2.英语文化知识具体指什么
浅谈英语文化知识渗透于英语教学内容摘要语言是文化的载体，是文化的主要表现形式。
它是随着民族的发展而发展的，是社会民族文化的一个组成部分。不同民族有着不同的文化、历史、风俗习惯和风土人情等，各民族的文化和社会风俗又都在该民族的语言中表现出来。
语言离不开文化，文化依靠语言，英语教学是语言教学，当然离不开文化教育。随着我国对外交往与民族接触的日益迫切的需要，英语教学要重视交际能力的培养和随之而来的要求对所属文化有所了解的呼声越来越高。
在英语教学中，教师应努力培养学生的文化习得意识，使文化规范的教学与语言技能的培养同步进行。关键词 语言 文化 文化差异 文化意识在美国有这样一个尽人皆知的句子："When you're down, you are not necessarily out."但是许多English learners却对其含义不甚了了。
原因是不了解这句话的文化背景。这原是一句拳击术语，在拳击比赛中拳击手若被对方击倒，裁判数到10还不能起来则被判输。
但在很多情况下不等裁判数到10，倒地的拳击手便能爬起来再战。因此，这句话的表层意思是：当你被人击倒，并不意味着输了这场比赛。
其寓意为：当你遇到挫折，并不一定丧失了成功的机会。由此我们可以得到启示：在英语教学中要注重语言和文化的关系，应提高对中西文化差异的敏感性和适应性，应树立文化意识并注重文化知识的传授。
•一、语言和文化语言和文化是密不可分的。语言不仅仅是一套符号系统，人们的言语表现形式更要受语言赖以存在的社会/社团（community）的习俗，生活方式，行为方式，价值观念，思维方式，宗教信仰，民族心理和性格等的制约和影响。
长期以来，在英语教学中语言和文化的这种关系一直未得到足够的重视。在教学实践中，似乎认为只要进行听，说，读，写的训练，掌握了语音，词汇和语法规则就能理解英语和用英语进行交际。
而实际上由于不了解语言的文化背景，不了解中西文化的差异，在英语学习和用英语进行交际中屡屡出现歧义误解频繁，语用失误迭出的现象。如：用How much money can you earn a month？来表示对外国人的关心，殊不知这是一句冒犯的问话，侵犯了别人隐私（privacy），会激起对方的反感。
中国人以谦逊为美德，如当外国人称赞中国人某一方面的特长时，中国人通常会用You are overpraising me （"过奖"）来应酬，这往往会让说话者感到你在怀疑他的判断力；抑或是用"Where? Where？"来回答，弄得外国人莫名其妙，不知所云。美国社会学家G.R.Tucker 和W.E.Lambet对于外语教学中只教语言不教文化有这样的看法："我们相信，任何这类企图都会使学生失去兴趣，使他们不仅不想学习语言符号本身，而且也不想了解使用这一符号系统的民族。
相反，帮助学生在学习语言时提高对文化的敏感性，就可以利用他们发自内心的想了解其他民族的兴趣和动力。
从而提供了学习该民族的语言的基础"。二、中西文化的偶合现象与文化差异 不同民族的文化有可能存在某些相同或相似的地方，这被称为文化的偶合现象。
这主要是由于不同的民族在与大自然作斗争的过程中会有相同或相似的生活体验和经历。这种相似性必然会反映到语言中来。
因而在英语和汉语中，我们不难发现许多相同或相似的表达。例如："披着羊皮的狼"，英语为wolf in sheep's clothing；"同舟共济" ，英语为in the same boat；"破土动工"，英语为break earth；"三思而后行"，英语为 think twice before you act；"蓝图"，英语为blue print，等等，这样的偶合现象不胜枚举。
文化的这种偶合现象，可以促进English learners在目的语（target language）学习中的"正迁移"（positive transfer）。 但是，不同的民族所处的地理环境和历史环境不同，因而对不同的事物和经历有着不同的编码（code），分类；不同的民族因不同的宗教信仰，也导致了他们独特的笃信，崇尚和忌讳心态；不同的民族因其发展的特殊历史过程也产生了本民族自己的历史典故，传说轶事。
如：汉语中的"龙"，"生死轮回"，"八卦"，"阴阳"，"气功"等，对不了解中国文化的外国人来说必然是云里雾里，不知何物。同样，当我们看到英语中He is a wolf这个句子时，还以为是"这个人很凶"，实为"他是个好色之徒"。
中西两种文化的差异还可以从动物的"文化附加义"的差异窥见一斑。 对于狮子的勇猛（brave），绵羊的温顺（gentle），狐狸的狡猾（sly），乌龟的迟缓（slow），猪的贪婪（greedy），英语和汉语的文化附加义基本相同。
但在老鼠，骡子和猫头鹰的习性上，英语和汉语的文化附加义则大相径庭。在汉语中有"贼眉鼠目"，"鼠目寸光"等成语，用以形容鬼鬼祟祟和目光短浅。
而老鼠在英语俚语中可指女人，怕羞的人。更由于迪斯尼先生创造了Mickey Mouse这个尤物，从而使得老鼠的形象大放异彩，成为千家万户所喜爱的动物，尤其在儿童心目中，更是机智，智慧的象征。
至于骡子，在汉语中，"寿命长，体力大"是它的特征。而英语中骡子是"顽固（stubborn）"的代名词。
汉语中人们用猫头鹰象征不祥之兆，如"猫头鹰进宅，无事不来"。
3.各国的文化和历史常识内容范围比较广,我举几个例子,比如：《老人
there have thirteen cross lines and fifty stars constitutes the american flag,and the thirteen cross lines represents early independent states and fifty stars represents the whole states.the author of the book is Ernest Miller Hemingway.the famous building in america i think is the Empire building ,world trade and business center,and the white house.。
4.有谁知道关于英语的知识、文化风俗、故事等啊
or it to be made up entirely from within the continent, the Americans among others had argued that Africa does not have enough trained soldiers to make up a credible and effective force. Here's David Bamford.Mr. Konare's comments, following talks with President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan, are likely to raise eyebrows on the UN Security Council, which has been battling with the Sudanese leader for months on a compromise resolution that would specifically allow non-African peacekeepers to join the revamped Darfur force. There is already an African Union force in Darfur, but it's poorly trained, ill-equipped and only 7,000 in number. The UN is talking about something much more robust, able to stand up to the Janjaweed and rebel militias in Darfur. A foreign man who had been kidnapped in the oil producing region of southern Nigeria has died shortly after being set free. Officials said the man was released by the hostage takers near the town of Yenagoa. Election observers in Sierra Leone have said Saturday's presidential and parliamentary elections were free, fair and credible. They said the ballot went smoothly and the presence of police had given confidence to voters. The European Union's Chief Election Observer Marie-Anne Isler Beguin said she was satisfied with how the election was conducted. "Of course we have a good view now, a good picture of what happened yesterday and we at this moment can be satisfied of the global participation and the global organization." It was Sierra Leone's first election since the departure of the United Nations' peacekeepers who had steered its recovery from years of civil war. The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called on leaders of the main parliamentary factions to hold talks within the next two days to try to resolve a political crisis. Two factions have recently withdrawn from the national unity cabinet saying it had failed to end sectarianism. The cabinet is now narrowly based on Shiite Muslim religious parties and Kurdish groups and it has almost no Sunni Arab members. United Nations Children's Fund is making an urgent appeal for women in Iraq to breastfeed their children rather than use infant formula milk. Infant formula needs to be mixed with water and UNICEF says diarrhea caused by water contamination is one of the biggest killers of Iraqi children.A senior Afghan official says he now expects two South Koreans being held by Taliban militants will be released within the next 24 hours. A Taliban spokesman said on Saturday the two Korean women who are said to be unwell had already been released, but this was not confirmed. The authorities in Guatemala say they've rescued 46 more children and babies they think may have been taken from their parents for illegal adoption by foreigners. Police say the infants were found at a house in the city of Antigua after neighbors reported seeing foreigners collecting children there every day. Daniel Schweimler reports.The authority is now investigating whether the children were stolen or their parents were coerced into giving them up. The attorney general's office said that few of the children had the necessary paperwork and the house did not have permission to operate as an adoption center. Last year couples in the United States adopted more than 4,000 infants from Guatemala where it can take half the time and cost considerably less than it does elsewhere. International diplomats leading the latest talks on the future of Kosovo say the partition of the province which is still technically part of Serbia might be possible if both Serbs and Albanians agree. The comments appeared to mark a change in policy. Until now, the international community had insisted that the province stay as one. Nick Thorpe reports.The United States, Russia and the European Union have the unenviable task of trying to broker a deal for Kosovo acceptable to all sides after all other efforts have failed. Wolfgang Ischinger, the EU envoy, told reporters that all options were open to resolve the deadlock, which has reined since the aerial bombing campaign by NATO forced the Serb police and army out of the province eight years ago.A court in China has given a one-year prison sentence and a fine about 130 dollars to a television journalist Zi Beijia who made up a recent report about street vendors in Beijing selling meat buns stuffed with chemicals and cardboard. Mr. Zi's report received wide circulation abroad, embarrassing the government at a time when China is facing international criticism over the quality of some of its exports.。
5.英国的文化地理知识
英国（The United Kingdom）是由英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰组成的联合王国，一统于一个中央政府和国家元首。
该国社会安定、生活稳定，犯罪率低并极少有暴力行为发生。英国的气候温和，无严寒酷暑，四季如春。
这里交通便捷、公路和铁路系统既安全又高效，电讯业也属世界上最发达者之列。大城市并未随着时间的推移而迅猛崛起，这就使许多历史建筑和遗迹得以保存，并确保了大量的公园和绿地未被占用。
作为欧洲最大和最具国际特色的城市，伦敦是英国的政治文化中心，是不折不扣的国际大都市，也是众多国际组织和企业的总部所在地。 伦敦塔桥英国是一个具有多元文化和开放思想的社会。
英国的艺术、音乐、文化和饮食一直受到来自世界各地不同国家的人民和民族习惯的影响，并与许多国家有着悠久而密切的联系。直到现在，它仍与美国、加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰等英语国家保持着牢固的关系。
英国是欧盟成员国，25年来，在维护和发展欧盟与中国的关系方面，它是始终不渝和热心的支持者。英国是欧盟国家在中国最大的投资者。
英国是世界上第一个工业化国家，有许多科学发现和发明，如青霉素、脱氧核糖核酸（DNA）、第一部计算机和喷气式发动机等等。英国的经济在世界上占第五位，而且是欧洲最大的金融中心。
伦敦的金融市场吸引着世界各地的众多公司来此利用英国的商业契机。二百多年来，英国的各类学校和大专院校随着该国举世瞩目的技术、工业和金融革命而发展起来。
但是，其一流的教育历史更为悠久，可追溯到500多年前牛津大学和剑桥大学成立的时代。 英国海外领土分布图地理 英国位于欧洲，是由大不列颠岛（包括英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士）以及爱尔兰岛东北部的北爱尔兰和一些小岛（海外领地）组成。
英国本土位于欧洲大陆西北面的不列颠群岛，被北海、英吉利海峡、凯尔特海、爱尔兰海和大西洋包围。24.36万平方公里（包括内陆水域），英格兰地区13. 04万平方公里，苏格兰7. 88万平方公里，威尔士2. 08万平方公里，北爱尔兰1. 36万平方公里。
位于欧洲西部的岛国。由大不列颠岛（包括英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士）、爱尔兰岛东北部和一些小岛组成。
隔北海、多佛尔海峡、英吉利海峡与欧洲大陆相望。它的陆界与爱尔兰共和国接壤。
海岸线总长11450公里。全境分为四部分：英格兰东南部平原、中西部山区、苏格兰山区、北爱尔兰高原和山区。
水文 塞文河（354公里）和泰晤士河（346公里）。北爱尔兰的内伊湖（Lough Neagh），面积396平方公里，居全国之首。
气候 属海洋性温带阔叶林气候，终年温和湿润。通常最高气温不超过32℃，最低气温不低于-10℃，平均气温1月4~7℃，7月13~17℃。
多雨雾，秋冬尤甚。所以，伦敦有雾城之称。
年平均降水量约1000毫米。北部和西部山区的年降水量超过2000毫米，中部和东部则少于800毫米。
每年二月至三月最为干燥，十月至来年一月最为湿润。全国气候类型为温带海洋性气候。
资源 英国主要的矿产资源有煤、铁、石油和天然气。硬煤总储量1,700亿吨。
铁的蕴藏量约为38亿吨。西南部康沃尔半岛有锡矿。
在柴郡和达腊姆蕴藏着大量石盐。斯塔福德郡有优质粘土。
康沃尔半岛出产白粘土。奔宁山脉东坡可开采白云石。
兰开夏西南部施尔德利丘陵附近蕴藏着石英矿。在英国北海大陆架石油蕴藏量约在10~40亿吨之间。
天然气蕴藏量约在8,600~25,850亿立方米左右。 领土纠纷 英国与西班牙之间对直布罗陀的宗主权存有争议；与阿根廷之间对福克兰群岛与南乔治亚与南桑威奇群岛的宗主权存有争议。
虽然因为历史因素，自从1949年爱尔兰共和国独立之后，英、爱两国之间就一直对北爱尔兰的归属存有争议甚至演变成暴力冲突。但在1998年两国签署《贝尔法斯特协议》之后，局势就已从对立逐渐转变为区域合作。
英属南极领地与智利和阿根廷在南极大陆所宣称的领土范围有多处重叠。但根据《南极公约》，目前各国于南极的声称领土权处于永久冻结的状态。
毛里求斯和塞舌尔也对英属印度洋领地声称占有主权。 古迹 为数众多的城堡和乡村宅邸是长期以来英国的土地房产都为贵族家庭所拥有的历史见证。
大量珍贵的古式建筑都被完好地保留了下来，其中包括当今仍然为人所用的马尔伯勒公爵的布莱尼姆宫、德文郡公爵的察兹沃斯宫（CHATSWORTH）、巴斯侯爵的朗利特庄园（LONGLEAT HOUSE），这些王公贵族在乔治王朝、都铎王朝、伊丽莎白王朝及其它历史时期修建的私人庄园和宅邸是英国历史建筑的典型代表。散布在城镇乡村的很多私人庄园和宅邸以及古老的城墙、城楼、独特的建筑物和其它有纪念意义的建筑物都作为英国的历史遗产而得到了积极的保护，受到保护的历史建筑中还包括古老的采矿场塔楼、工业革命时期的磨房和工厂、托马斯·特尔福德修建的铁桥及其它桥梁、钢铁建筑的杰作-福斯大桥、以及造型优美的克里夫敦悬索桥等等。
伦敦大本钟园林 英国国家信托组织和苏格兰国家信托组织在英国照管大约240个园林，并对公众开发。英国遗产保护组织也是部分英国最重要的风景胜地的监护人，其照管的园林中包括肯特郡唐豪斯的查尔斯·达。
6.【英语手抄报写什么内容呢
这是西方饮食文化的Apart from the beautiful and varied landscape,the heat of the andalucian sunshine and the passion of the people,Andalucia is well known throughout the world as a very social and friendly place especially when it comes to enjoying food.Andalucia,the largest and southernmost region of Spain is famous for its gastronomic culture which involves long lazy lunches and many hours socialising over a tapa.It is said that the andalucians and indeed the Spanish eat more food than their European counterparts.This may be true,but it is the manner in which the local people approach their meals that is so special.Spanish breakfast 。
First up is of course breakfast.However unlike the British where breakfast traditionally involves a large fry up or cereal topped with fruit followed by toast,the Spanish breakfast is the smallest of the day.Usually the day begins with a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of milk or a batido (chocolate milk drink).This is often accompanied by biscuits of some sort.In the 'desayuno' or breakfast section of the supermarket you will find all manner of biscuits from the healthy high in fibre ones to the kid's varieties packed with calcium and chocolate for good measure.Spanish lunch 。Lunch is typically between 2 and 3pm but can go on until at least 4 or 5pm.This is especially true in Andalucia during the summer months as it really is too hot to do anything much and lunch time is an opportunity to have a good meal,get out of the sun and enjoy a siesta.Spanish dinner 。
Due to the late lunch and seemingly constant snacking in between,dinner doesn't usually happen before 9pm.Although smaller than lunch,the Spanish evening meal is still a social affair with the family sitting down together.Dinner can consist of two or three courses,or a bbq in the summer but sometimes it is just a yoghurt and fruit or something light such as a bowl of rice with vegetables or a bowl of soup.A light evening meal or supper is often the case during the winter months when children and parents have to get up early for school and work.。
7.请给出一些有关中国古文化及传统的英文知识.要英文
呵呵，中国上下五千年历史博大精深，有太多了，我简单说一些哦，是常识哦：）~~
上面是中文意思，下面是英文对照。
中国古文化常识
古代主要节日
(01)元日：正月初一，一年开始。
(02)人日：正月初七，主小孩。
(03)上元：正月十五，张灯为戏，又叫“灯节”
(04)社日：春分前后，祭祀祈祷农事。
(05)寒食：清明前两日，禁火三日（吴子胥）
(06)清明：四月初，扫墓、祭祀。
(07)端午：五月初五，吃粽子，划龙（屈原）
(08)七夕：七月初七，妇女乞巧（牛郎织女）
(09)中元：七月十五，祭祀鬼神，又叫“鬼节”
(10)中秋：八月十五，赏月，思乡
(11)重阳：九月初九，登高，插茱萸免灾
(12)冬至：又叫“至日”，节气的起点。
(13)腊日：腊月初八，喝“腊八粥”
(14)除夕：一年的最后一天的晚上，初旧迎新
英文版的：）~
Chinese classical Chinese literature general knowledge
Ancient times main holiday
(01) 元日： In first lunar month first day, a year start.
(02) person date: In first lunar month seventh day, main child.
(03) 上元： In first lunar month 15, Zhang Dengwei the play, is called "lantern festival"
(04) the sacrifices to the god of the land: Around the vernal equinox, the sacrificial offering prays the farming.
(05) cold food festival: Pure Brightness previous on second， 禁火 on third （吴子 assists）
(06) Pure Brightness: At the beginning of April, sweeps the graves, the sacrificial offering.
(07) fifth day of the fifth lunar month: In May fifth day, eats the steamed rice dumpling, delimits the dragon (Qu Yuan)
(08) the seventh night of the seventh lunar month: In July seventh day, woman 乞巧 （牛郎织女） （09） center Yuan: In July 15, the sacrificial offering ghosts and gods, are called "the ghosts' festival"
(10) midautumn festival: In August 15, enjoys looking at the moon, homesickness
(11) Double Ninth Festival: In September ninth day, the climb up, inserts the fruit of a medicinal cornel to exempt the disaster
(12) the winter solstice: Also calls "the solstice", solar terms beginning.
(13) eighth day of the twelfth lunar month: In December eighth day, drinks "the Laba gruel"
(14) the lunar New Year's Eve: A year last day-long evening, initially old welcomes a newcomer
8.英语文化小知识
or it to be made up entirely from within the continent, the Americans among others had argued that Africa does not have enough trained soldiers to make up a credible and effective force. Here's David Bamford. Mr. Konare's comments, following talks with President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan, are likely to raise eyebrows on the UN Security Council, which has been battling with the Sudanese leader for months on a compromise resolution that would specifically allow non-African peacekeepers to join the revamped Darfur force. There is already an African Union force in Darfur, but it's poorly trained, ill-equipped and only 7,000 in number. The UN is talking about something much more robust, able to stand up to the Janjaweed and rebel militias in Darfur. A foreign man who had been kidnapped in the oil producing region of southern Nigeria has died shortly after being set free. Officials said the man was released by the hostage takers near the town of Yenagoa. Election observers in Sierra Leone have said Saturday's presidential and parliamentary elections were free, fair and credible. They said the ballot went smoothly and the presence of police had given confidence to voters. The European Union's Chief Election Observer Marie-Anne Isler Beguin said she was satisfied with how the election was conducted. "Of course we have a good view now, a good picture of what happened yesterday and we at this moment can be satisfied of the global participation and the global organization." It was Sierra Leone's first election since the departure of the United Nations' peacekeepers who had steered its recovery from years of civil war. The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called on leaders of the main parliamentary factions to hold talks within the next two days to try to resolve a political crisis. Two factions have recently withdrawn from the national unity cabinet saying it had failed to end sectarianism. The cabinet is now narrowly based on Shiite Muslim religious parties and Kurdish groups and it has almost no Sunni Arab members. United Nations Children's Fund is making an urgent appeal for women in Iraq to breastfeed their children rather than use infant formula milk. Infant formula needs to be mixed with water and UNICEF says diarrhea caused by water contamination is one of the biggest killers of Iraqi children. A senior Afghan official says he now expects two South Koreans being held by Taliban militants will be released within the next 24 hours. A Taliban spokesman said on Saturday the two Korean women who are said to be unwell had already been released, but this was not confirmed. The authorities in Guatemala say they've rescued 46 more children and babies they think may have been taken from their parents for illegal adoption by foreigners. Police say the infants were found at a house in the city of Antigua after neighbors reported seeing foreigners collecting children there every day. Daniel Schweimler reports. The authority is now investigating whether the children were stolen or their parents were coerced into giving them up. The attorney general's office said that few of the children had the necessary paperwork and the house did not have permission to operate as an adoption center. Last year couples in the United States adopted more than 4,000 infants from Guatemala where it can take half the time and cost considerably less than it does elsewhere. International diplomats leading the latest talks on the future of Kosovo say the partition of the province which is still technically part of Serbia might be possible if both Serbs and Albanians agree. The comments appeared to mark a change in policy. Until now, the international community had insisted that the province stay as one. Nick Thorpe reports. The United States, Russia and the European Union have the unenviable task of trying to broker a deal for Kosovo acceptable to all sides after all other efforts have failed. Wolfgang Ischinger, the EU envoy, told reporters that all options were open to resolve the deadlock, which has reined since the aerial bombing campaign by NATO forced the Serb police and army out of the province eight years ago. A court in China has given a one-year prison sentence and a fine about 130 dollars to a television journalist Zi Beijia who made up a recent report about street vendors in Beijing selling meat buns stuffed with chemicals and cardboard. Mr. Zi's report received wide circulation abroad, embarrassing the government at a time when China is facing 。
