VOA慢速英语2015 Ukraine, Rebels Continue Fight Over Town

Ukraine, Rebels Continue Fight Over Town

Ukraine’s military and pro-Russian rebels are both refusing to pull back weapons from a town in eastern Ukraine. The two sides have been fighting for control of the area, ignoring an internationally-negotiated ceasefire.

The ceasefire took effect on Sunday. The truce¹ has led to less fighting in eastern Ukraine. But fighting has continued in the town of Debaltseve. Ukraine’s military controls Debaltseve, but separatist fighters occupy nearby areas.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, both sides were to begin withdrawing heavy weapons from the town on Tuesday. But each side has said it would not be the first to make such a move.

A Ukrainian military official said the military will begin to withdraw its heavy weaponry as soon as the militants² honor the truce.

A rebel spokesman told Reuters the separatists have what he called the “moral” right to defend the town.

The Ukrainian military spokesman said at least five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and nine wounded in the fighting, mostly near the town.

Egypt calls for Military intervention⁴ in Libya

The president of Egypt wants the United Nations Security Council to approve a resolution calling for military intervention in Libya.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi made the comment on Tuesday to France’s Europe 1 radio. He spoke³ a day after Egyptian forces carried out airstrikes in the eastern Libyan city of Darna. The airstrikes targeted Islamic State militants. They were meant to answer the Islamic State’s execution of 21 Coptic Christians⁵ from Egypt.

The executions were the latest example of unrest in Libya since the death of former leader Moammar Gadhafi four years ago. Since then, competing governments and warring militias⁶ have been struggling for control of the country.

Attack targets police station in eastern Afghanistan

Afghan officials say a group of suicide bombers⁷ attacked a police station in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday. The attack killed at least 22 officers and wounded 18 others.

One attacker caused an explosion at the entrance to the police station in Pul-i-Alam, about 60 kilometers south of Kabul. A provincial⁸ government spokesman reported the attack.

At least one other attacker caused an explosion inside the building, where officers had gathered to eat.

A man claiming to represent the Afghan Taliban said the group carried out the attack.

On Monday, Taliban militants killed at least 13 policemen in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar.

Former Chinese Communist Party official investigated

Chinese government lawyers say the government plans to investigate a former top official of China’s Communist Party. The announcement comes a day after the party expelled the official, Su Rong, and ousted⁹ him from all his government positions. Su Rong was a former party leader in Jiangxi Province. He also served as vice¹⁰ chairman of the Chinese People’s Consultative Congress, the country’s top political advisory¹¹ group.

On Monday, Communist Party officials said they found he accepted “huge bribes” in return for approving appointments to government positions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched a campaign against corruption¹². The campaign has brought down at least 70 Communist Party officials.      

Words in This Story

military - n. the armed forces of a nation or group

rebel(s) - n. one who opposes or fights against the government of his or her country

weapon(s) - n. anything used to cause injury or to kill during an attack, fight or war

control – n. the act of controlling; having power over someone or something

1 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

5 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

9 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

12 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。