NPR 2009-12-28

Federal criminal charges have been filed against Abdul Farouk Mutallab, the Nigerian man, accused of trying to trigger an explosion aboard a Northwest Airliner's jet bound for Detroit yesterday. He was arraigned¹ at the University of Michigan Hospital today where he's being treated for burns he suffered in the failed attack.  Abdul Mutallab reportedly was brought to the attention of US authorities several weeks ago by his father, but his name had not yet made it onto the government's no-fly list. More from NPR's Dina Temple-Raston.

 The suspect of Northwest flight 253 tried to ignite some sort of device as the plane circled to land above Detroit. Passengers said there was a popping noise and then smoke and flames. Flight attendants put out the flames with the fire extinguisher. Officials are trying to determine if he has any terrorist ties. They tell NPR that he claimed to have been sent by al-Qaeda to blow up the plane but they aren't sure those claims are true. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

 Tighter security measures have been implemented² at the nation's airports and by a number of airlines following the failed bomb attack. American Airlines says it will be screening carry-on items again at the gate before boarding, Air Canada's barring passengers from accessing carry-on bags or having any item on their laps during the last hour of a flight. Air travel expert Terry Trippler says passengers can help with the process.

"Let's do whatever we can to get through that checkpoint as quickly as possible, and if it means checking all your bags except the personal item like a handbag or laptop, then do so."

Trippler says travelers should also refrain from carrying any liquids, or gels and carry-ons, even the small size that is currently permitted.

Travelers in the Midwest experienced flight delays and cancellations today not because of security but because of the snow that's been blitzing parts of that region. Gregg Cunningham is the spokesman for Chicago's Department of Aviation.

"Our snow removal teams are out and doing the best they can to keep up with the snow that's coming down, but it looks like through the remainder of the day, we will be seeing delays at all airports from Chicago.

Cunningham says hundreds of flights at Chicago's busy O'Hare Airport were canceled or delayed today.

Israeli soldiers killed a total of six Palestinians in two separate incidents this morning in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Sheera Frenkel reports from Jerusalem.

In the predawn raid in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli soldiers opened fire on a house killing³ three men from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs⁴ Brigade. Israeli officials said the men were responsible for a shooting attack that killed an Israeli settler Thursday. Later an Israeli air strike on Gaza killed three additional Palestinian men that Israel said were trying to infiltrate⁵ the border. Hamas officials denied the claim and said the men had been collecting scrapped⁶ metal. Palestinian President Salam Fayyad accused Israel of purposely trying to escalate⁷ violence. For NPR News, I'm Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem.

Five years ago today, a powerful tsunami⁸ swept across Asia. There were observances today to remember the more than 200,000 people who were killed in the tragedy.

This is NPR News from Washington.

A suspected US missile strike has killed three people and wounded two others in a tribal⁹ region of northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border. The area targeted is a base for militants¹⁰ battling US and NATO forces. In Afghanistan, the New York Times reports branches of the US military's special operations forces have stepped up their counter-terrorism missions against some of that country's most dangerous groups.

Divers¹¹ have expanded their search in the waters off Manila for two dozen people missing since a crash of a ferryboat and a fishing vessel¹². Doualy Xaykaothao has more.

Since Thursday, search and rescue teams have been coming Manila Bay in hopes of finding a sunken ferry and its 24 missing passengers. The 79-ton ship collided with a fishing vessel two days ago in relatively¹³ calm waters and clear skies. Today the Philippine Coast Guard began to use deep-sea equipment to help look for any sign of the wreckage¹⁴ or possible survivors¹⁵. Government ships and aircrafts are now assisting with weekend rescue operations. A spokesman for the Coast Guard said the ferry has yet to be located. The cause of the crash is still under investigation¹⁶ but officials say preliminary reports suggest the accident may have been caused by human error. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao.

A string of attacks against Shiite pilgrims has killed five people in eastern Baghdad. The attacks are the latest targeting worshipers during a time of solemn religious observance. Dozens of Shiites have been killed this week and more than 100 wounded. Police say today's attacks began with a bombing near a tent offering food and drinks to Shiite pilgrims. Hours later, a bomb exploded near a line of minibuses carrying pilgrims to the holy city of Karbala.

I'm Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.

1 arraigned   

v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责

参考例句：

• He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
• She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 martyrs   

n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）

参考例句：

• the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
• They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

6 scrapped   

废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架

参考例句：

• This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧，快报废了。
• It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。

7 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

8 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 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。

11 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

12 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

13 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

14 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

15 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

16 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。