苏丹总统被国际刑事法庭通缉

Sudan’s President, Wanted by ICC, Leaves South Africa 苏丹总统被国际刑事法庭通缉

The president of Sudan flew home from South Africa Monday, ignoring a court order to remain in the country. The court had told President Omar al-Bashir to wait until it decided¹ whether he should be arrested.

Mr. Bashir has ruled Sudan for 25 years. The International Criminal Court has charged him with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The charges resulted from his sending the Sudanese army and supporting Arab militias² to suppress a rebellion in the Darfur conflict in 2003.

The Sudanese leader was in South Africa for a meeting of the African Union. His plane was seen leaving Johannesburg on Monday.

Earlier, both the United Nations and the United States called for his arrest.

US investigating whether airstrike in Libya killed militant³ leader

The U.S. military says it is investigating whether an American airstrike in Libya killed a militant leader said to be linked to al-Qaida.

Libya’s internationally recognized government said the strike happened Saturday in the eastern part of the country. It said the attack killed militant leader Mokhtar Belmonkhtar.

Late Sunday, the U.S. military released a statement. It did not confirm the death of Mokhtar Belmonkhtar. But it said officials believed the airstrike was successful.

American officials say the militant led a terrorist attack on a gas center in Algeria two years ago. The attack killed 37 people, including three Americans

Animals Escape from Zoo in Tbilisi after Flooding

The president of Georgia declared Monday a day of national mourning for victims of flooding in the capital, Tbilisi. City officials say at least 12 people have died and more than 20 others are missing. The Vere River flooded the center of Tbilisi on Sunday after a day of heavy rains.

On Sunday, people were warned to stay at home because wild animals from the city’s zoo had escaped. A displaced hippopotamus⁴ was later discovered in a flooded street in front of a store. The animal was returned to the zoo after it was drugged. Witnesses said some animals were killed when they could not be captured.

The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church described the human and animal losses as “a terrible tragedy.”

Kurdish militias close to a Syrian town controlled by Islamic State

Kurdish militias are moving closer to a Syrian town near the border with Turkey. The town of Tal Abyad is currently under the control of militants⁵ calling themselves the Islamic State.

Taking back control of Tal Abyad would cut off transportation links and supplies for IS fighters.

Thousands of Syrian civilians⁶ have fled the area because they are afraid of fierce fighting between the Kurds and the militants.

Hillary Clinton urges President Obama to talk to Democrats⁷ about trade plan

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is calling on President Barack Obama to work with Congress to rescue a free-trade bill.

Ms. Clinton is hoping to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee⁸. She spoke⁹ during a campaign visit to the state of Iowa on Sunday.

She said Mr. Obama should listen to Congressional Democrats who rejected part of a free-trade bill on Friday. She said they are worried that a weak agreement will hurt American workers. She said if the US does not get a good deal, there should be no deal.

Labor¹⁰ unions, consumer groups, food safety activists¹¹ and environmental groups oppose the bill. They say earlier free-trade agreements have caused job losses and lower pay for American workers.

Republican Congressman¹² Paul Ryan says free-trade agreements have helped small US businesses. He said the agreements often result in higher wages being paid to workers.

Words in the News

genocide – n. the deliberate killing¹³ of people who belong to a particular racial, political or cultural group

displaced – adj. describing people or animals forced to leave the area where they live

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 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

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 hippopotamus   

n.河马

参考例句：

• The children enjoyed watching the hippopotamus wallowing in the mud.孩子们真喜观看河马在泥中打滚。
• A hippopotamus surfs the waves off the coast of Gabon.一头河马在加蓬的海岸附近冲浪。

5 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。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

9 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。

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

13 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。