英语听力精选进阶版 8193

President Obama has said nearly 10,000 American troops will remain in Afghanistan next year,following the end of combat operations. He said the troops would advise the Afghan army andsupport counter-terrorism operations against Al-Qaeda. Here's Ali McBull.

The number of US troops President Obama says he wants to stay in Afghanistan after the endof this year is a little less than a third of the number there now. He says the combat missionwould be over and the remaining 9,800 American military personnel would be involved in twomain tasks: training the Afghan security forces and supporting them in their fight against theremnants of Al-Qaeda. But it's not all a done deal yet. The incoming Afghan President to bedecided in the elections in mid-June has to agree to US troops' staying, while President Obamadoesn't want, as what happened in Iraq, what was a failure to come up with such an agreement,and what security has deteriorated 1 alarmingly, since the American withdrawal 2.

European Union leaders are meeting for the first time after elections that saw populous 3 and far-right parties strengthened their position in the parliament of the 28-nation bloc 4, leading tocalls for a rethink of the EU. Chris Morris reports from Brussels.

Too big and too bossy 5, said David Cameron of the EU; pay attention to what happened here inFrance, said President Hollande. EU leaders who suffered electoral defeats in the Europeanelections say the union has to change. But how? Reforming Europe means different things todifferent people. Less regulation is popular in many quarters, but so is less austerity inothers. There are a variety of reasons anti-establishment parties made gains in theseelections, and there is no simple solution.

Ukraine has summoned the Russian charge d'affaires to protest against what it called anincursion by armed terrorists from Russia. Border guards had earlier reported that a convoy 6 ofarmed militants 7 had crossed into the country. President Putin has meanwhile called on Kiev tostop its operations against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country and start talkwith them.

Cameroon has deployed 8 about 1,000 troops to its border with Nigeria, in response to thegrowing threat from the Islamic group Boko Haram. Will Ross reports from Abuja.

Security sources have told the BBC that a group of well-armed Boko Haram fighters attackedthe town of Buni Yadi in Yobe State overnight. Civilians 9 were apparently 10 told not to panic bythe insurgents 11 who targeted the security forces. Ten soldiers were killed and 14 policemen.Buni Yadi is a notoriously volatile 12 area; it's where dozens of school boys were killed in theirdormitory last February. The almost daily attacks in northeast Nigeria show the massive taskthe Nigerian military faces.

BBC News.

The Egyptian election commission has told the BBC that voting in the presidential electionhas been extended by a day and will continue on Wednesday. The decision comes after alower-than-expected turnout over two days of polling. Despite a national holiday in Tuesdayand free public transport, many polling stations remained empty for parts of the day. Theformer army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is widely expected to win the vote.

Officials in Somalia say at least 36 people have been killed in a fighting between the Islamicgroup Al Shabaab and government troops backed by Ethiopian forces. The governor of thetown of Ato said al Shabaab fighters attacked a military camp at dawn on Tuesday. He saidfierce fighting ensued with Ethiopian and government troops suffering heavy casualties.

The governor of the Bank of England has warned against the dangers of what he calledunchecked market fundamentalism. Speaking at a London conference about inclusivecapitalism, Mark Carney said increasing inequality was posing a threat to the unappealingsociety. He called for a more ethical 14 culture in the financial sector 15.

The combination of unbridled faith in financial markets prior to the crisis and the recentdemonstrations of corruption 16 in some of these markets has eroded 17 our social capital. Whencombined with the longer-term pressures of globalization and technology on the basic socialcontract, an unstable 18 dynamic of declining trust in the financial system and a growingexclusivity of capitalism 13 threatens. In order to counter this, rebuilding social capital isparamount.

The Brazilian city of Manaus which will host four matches in June's Football World Cup hasinstituted a state of emergency because the fears of flooding. The decision was made after thewater level in the Rio Negro reached more than 29 meters. The authority says the situationshould not affect World Cup matches.