VOA慢速英语2015 阿富汗塔利班 袭击监狱释放数百囚犯

Taliban Free Hundreds of Prisoners in Afghanistan 阿富汗塔利班 袭击监狱释放数百囚犯

Taliban fighters have raided a prison in eastern Afghanistan. Hundreds of prisoners escaped in what Afghan officials are calling a well-organized attack.

Officials say the attack began with a suicide car bombing. They said the explosion enabled Taliban fighters to enter the prison grounds.

Afghan officials said there were a total of 436 prisoners in the complex. At least 355 are said to have escaped during the attack. The government said 148 of the escapees "were threats to national security."

An Afghan interior ministry¹ statement says seven security guards were killed, with seven others wounded. It said that five militants² also were killed.

Egyptian forces kill two Mexicans

Egyptian security forces have killed 12 people, including Mexicans, in Egypt's western desert. Officials say the forces mistakenly opened fire on the visitors while the soldiers were chasing terrorists.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry said at least two of the dead were Mexican nationals.

Egypt said in a statement the dead were Mexican and Egyptian, but did not identify the number killed by their nationalities. The statement also said the area the visitors were in was "off limits to foreign tourists." 

Malaysia arrests three people in connection with Bangkok bombing

Malaysian officials say they have arrested three people in connection with the deadly bombing last month in Bangkok, Thailand.

The head of Malaysia's national police force announced the arrests of a Pakistani man and two Malaysians - one of them a woman - in Kuala Lumpur Monday. He also said that the Malaysian government has no plans to send the three to Thailand for legal action.

Twenty people were killed when the bomb exploded on August 17 at the Erawan Shrine³ in the Thai capital. The explosion wounded many other people, including several Chinese. 

Okinawa governor to cancel permits for new US military base

The governor of Japan's southern island of Okinawa says he will cancel permits for building a new United States air base on Okinawa. Governor Takeshi Onaga made the announcement after talks broke down between his administration and Japan’s central government.

His decision was announced just days after work on the base restarted near a coastal⁴ village on the island. The building project had been suspended for one month to give the two sides time to negotiate. 

Mr. Onaga was elected governor last year after promising⁵ to block the relocation of the U.S. Marine⁶ Corps⁷' Futenma Air Base. The base was to be moved from a heavily populated area of Okinawa to a village called Henoko. Instead, Mr. Onaga wants the facility to be moved to another island. Over 19,000 U.S. Marines are stationed in Okinawa in order to rapidly respond to regional threats, provide disaster assistance and defend the interests of the United States and Japan. 

However, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Monday that work on the new base on Henoko will continue. The central government could bring legal action against Mr. Onaga to block his action.

Words in the News

complex – n. a group of buildings that are close to each other and used for a particular purpose

facility – n. something such as a building or large piece of equipment that is used for a specific purpose

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

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 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。