NPR 2012-03-15

 Secretary of State Leon Panetta is reported to be safe following a security breach¹ as his plane was landing at a British airfield² in southern Afghanistan today. An Afghan national stole a car and sped onto a runway before it crashed into a ditch. NPR's Larry Abramson tells us the driver was found on fire in the car around the time the secretary's plane was landing.

 

“There's no firm evidence that this was an attack on the secretary, although the timing³ is very suspicious. It happened right at the time the secretary was landing, and it was known to members on the base the secretary of defense⁴ was coming to visit them.”

 

NPR's Larry Abramson's report underscores the security concerns confronting the secretary he is on the war front, the trip planned months ago to discuss the US troop drawdown by 2014. But today the visit is more pressing in light of the rising anger against US troops, including the service member who allegedly massacred Afghan villagers on Sunday. That still-unidentified service member reportedly was flown out of Afghanistan today.

 

NPR's Tom Bowman reports from Washington that President Obama says US forces will shift to a support role next year in Afghanistan, and NATO is still on track to turn over full responsibility to Afghan troops by the end of 2014.

 

The president said he doesn't foresee any sudden immediate⁵ changes to the plan that NATO already has agreed to for Afghanistan.

 

“If we maintain a steady, responsible transition process, which is what we’ve designed, then I am confident that we can put Afghans in a position where they can deal with their own security.”

 

Mr. Obama appeared with British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House. Both men said NATO allies would look at how to continue reducing troops after the summer fighting season. US troops will drop by 23,000 by September. That will still leave 68,000 American troops in Afghanistan. Tom Bowman, NPR News, Washington.

 

The Senate is backing legislation overhaul⁶ transportation programs. The bill passed 74-22, putting pressure on the GOP-led House to also act quickly when it returns from recess⁷ next week.

 

In Ohio, several people have been stabbed at the downtown offices at Miami-Jacobs Career College in Columbus. Mandie Trimble of member station WOSU reports a suspect attacked four people then fled before he was shot by police.

 

When the initial stabbing occurred in the admissions office, that suspect fled into the lobby where bystanders wrestled⁸ away a knife. However, police say the suspect had an additional knife on him. A good Samaritan who wrestled away the knife was stabbed.

 

Mandie Trimble reporting.

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 16 points at 13,194.

 

This is NPR.

 

The Jefferson County Courthouse in Texas had to be evacuated⁹ today after multiple shootings. According to various news reports, at least one person was killed and three others were injured. 

 

Russia's foreign minister is defending his country's sales of weapons to Syria, where the military continues its deadly crackdown on political dissent¹⁰. But as NPR's Martha Wexler reports from Moscow, the diplomat¹¹ says Russia will not intervene militarily to keep Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power.

 

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the weapons that Russia is shipping¹² to Damascus are intended to protect Syria against external threats. They cannot be used, he said, against anti-government protesters. The UN estimates more than 7,000 Syrians have been killed since the Syrian uprising began last year. Russia has used its veto power in the Security Council to block UN sanctions against the Syrian government. But Foreign Minister Lavrov says it would not be in Russia's interest to intervene militarily on behalf of President Assad. Lavrov said Russia’s been urging him to take steps to calm the situation. But he says Russia's advice hasn’t always been taken promptly¹³. Martha Wexler, NPR News, Mexico.

 

There’ve been no reports of new problems at Japan’s nuclear plants from two strong earthquakes today. The first one had a magnitude of 6.9. It struck the southern coast of Hokkaido and caused a small tsunami¹⁴ in the same area where a quake and tsunami caused a nuclear plant crisis a year ago. A second temblor measuring 5.7 struck hours later. Again there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

 

US stocks closing mixed.

 

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

1 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

2 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

3 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

7 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

8 wrestled   

v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤

参考例句：

• As a boy he had boxed and wrestled. 他小的时候又是打拳又是摔跤。
• Armed guards wrestled with the intruder. 武装警卫和闯入者扭打起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

10 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

11 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

12 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

13 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

14 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。