BBC英语中级听力过关精练之14
The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram says it carried out thewave of shootings and bombings in the northeast of thecountry, which left at least 65 people dead. Grant Ferrett reports.
In recent months, Boko Haram has become more brazen and deadly in its attacks. In Damaturu,gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades attacked apparently at will for severalhours, targeting police stations, government offices, churches and a bank. The wave of violencebegan on Friday in the city of Maiduguri when three suicide bombers blew themselves up at theheadquarters of the very security forces who’ve been deployed to tackle Boko Haram. The group,which says it wants to establish a Muslim state in northern Nigeria, has warned of further attacks.
A Pakistani security court has charged two senior police officers and five Taliban militants inconnection with the 2007 assassination of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She died in agun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi. One of the officers charged was police chief there at the time.Owen Bennett-Jones has been following the case.
There is no flow of evidence that people way above this police officer in the establishment ofPakistan had some involvement in her murder, and most Pakistanis believe that to be the case.This police officer, I’m sure, considered himself a fall guy. I mean what you have to consider is thatthe Taliban militants, so-called, who are being charged in this were children. I mean the person whokilled Benazir Bhutto is 15 years old, and some of these people who’ve been arrested and nowcharged, they were school dropouts. It’s actually inconceivable that they arranged thisassassination plot themselves.
The Greek cabinet says President Karolos Papoulias will summon all party leaders for talks on agovernment of national unity for the country that’s weighed down by its massive debts. The firstmeetings could reportedly take place on Sunday. The main task of the new administration is topush through the bailout and austerity deal agreed with the EU. Gavin Hewitt reports from Athens.
The Prime Minister George Papandreou, having survived a confidence vote, is trying to puttogether a government of national unity. He sees this as a necessary step to implement an EUbailout deal on which the country depends. The main opposition party has made it clear that itwould not join a coalition government with Mr Papandreou at its head. The opposition would like acaretaker government and quick elections. All of this raises the spectre of political deadlock. Seniorpolitical figures have said that Greece must choose a prime minister it can unite behind.
The Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has travelled to the camp where the leader of theFarc rebels, Alfonso Cano, was killed. He was shot dead during a battle with security forces afterthey bombed his mountain camp in Cauca province, in southwest Colombia. Officials sayoperations against the guerrillas are continuing.
World News from the BBC
The Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has urged voters to ignore a boycott of thepresidential election called by her rival Winston Tubman. In a radio address, she appealed toLiberians to cast their ballots on Tuesday and not to succumb to fear and intimidation. Mr Tubmanwithdrew from the presidential run-off on Friday, saying significant problems meant there couldn’tbe a transparent poll.
Reports from Nigeria say that an oil tanker seized by pirates off the coast of the Niger Delta lastweek has been released. The vessel, the Halifax, was attacked near Port Harcourt. There’s no wordon the condition of the foreign crew.
One of India’s most famous folk singers, Bhupen Hazarika, has died in a Mumbai hospital. He’d beensuffering from pneumonia. Joanna Jolly reports.
Bhupen Hazarika made his career interpreting the traditional music of Assam for a broaderaudience, which gave him a huge following in India and Bangladesh. Known as Bard of theBrahmaputra after the river that flows through Assam, he also recorded in Bengali and Hindi,singing the soundtrack for numerous Indian films. One of his biggest hits, Bistirno Dupare, was aBengali version of Ol’ Man River, made famous by the American civil rights singer Paul Robeson.
Bhupen Hazarika, who’s died at the age of 86
A Canadian dentist has bought what must rank as one of the rarest of pop mementos - ayellowing tooth said to have been extracted from John Lennon’s mouth more than 40 years ago.Michael Zuk paid more than $30,000 at auction for the molar. Mr Zuk, who’s written a book oncelebrities’ teeth, admits that some people will find the tooth gross, but believes others will befascinated by it and is planning to take it on a tour of dental schools.
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BBC News with Marion Marshall
The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram says it carried out the wave of shootings and bombings inthe northeast of the country, which left at least 65 people dead. Grant Ferrett reports.
In recent months, Boko Haram has become more brazen and deadly in its attacks. In Damaturu,gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades attacked apparently at will for severalhours, targeting police stations, government offices, churches and a bank. The wave of violencebegan on Friday in the city of Maiduguri when three suicide bombers blew themselves up at theheadquarters of the very security forces who’ve been deployed to tackle Boko Haram. The group,which says it wants to establish a Muslim state in northern Nigeria, has warned of further attacks.
A Pakistani security court has charged two senior police officers and five Taliban militants inconnection with the 2007 assassination of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She died in agun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi after an election rally. Jane Frances-Kelly reports.
The controversy surrounding Benazir Bhutto’s death continues to reverberate throughoutPakistan. The cause of her death became a matter of dispute since there was no autopsy and thecrime scene was cleaned before any forensic examination could take place. A British policeinvestigation requested by the government at the time concluded she was killed as a result of theexplosion. Her aides in the Pakistan People’s Party, however, insisted she died of gunshot wounds.Pervez Musharraf, who was president at the time, blamed the attack on Baitullah Mehsud, a pro-Taliban tribal leader. However, members of Ms Bhutto’s party say the killing couldn’t have takenplace without the collusion of senior figures in the military and political establishment.
The Greek cabinet says President Karolos Papoulias will summon all party leaders for talks on agovernment of national unity for the country that’s weighed down by its massive debts. The firstmeetings could reportedly take place on Sunday. The main task of the new administration is topush through the bailout and austerity deal agreed with the EU. Gavin Hewitt reports from Athens.
The Prime Minister George Papandreou, having survived a confidence vote, is trying to puttogether a government of national unity. He sees this as a necessary step to implement an EUbailout deal on which the country depends. The main opposition party has made it clear that itwould not join a coalition government with Mr Papandreou at its head. The opposition would like acaretaker government and quick elections. All of this raises the spectre of political deadlock. Seniorpolitical figures have said that Greece must choose a prime minister it can unite behind.
The Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has travelled to the camp where the leader of theFarc rebels, Alfonso Cano, was killed. He was shot dead during a battle with security forces inCauca province, in the country’s southwest.
World News from the BBC
The Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has urged voters to ignore a boycott of thepresidential election called by her rival Winston Tubman. In a radio address, she appealed toLiberians to cast their ballots on Tuesday and not to succumb to fear and intimidation. Mr Tubmanwithdrew from the presidential run-off on Friday, saying significant problems meant there couldn’tbe a transparent poll.
Reports from Nigeria say an oil tanker seized by pirates off the coast of the Niger Delta last weekhas been released. The vessel, the Halifax, was attacked near the main oil hub of Port Harcourt.There’s no word on the condition of the foreign crew.
A Canadian dentist has bought what must rank as one of the rarest of pop mementos - ayellowing tooth said to have been extracted from John Lennon’s mouth more than 40 years ago.Michael Zuk paid more than $30,000 at an auction for the molar that probably causedconsiderable toothache before being pulled out, judging by the sizable cavity in it.
"I was up all night worried about the auction and just wondering how crazy the bidding would bebecause I was prepared to spend a small fortune. I ran two dental practices, but I just sold one lastweek. So now, so I’m sort of a little rich so I’ve treated myself to this tooth."
Mr Zuk, who’s written a book on celebrities’ teeth, admits that some people will find the toothgross, but believes others will be fascinated by it. And to prove this, he’s planning to take themolar on a tour of dental schools and surgeries.
One of India’s most famous folk singers, Bhupen Hazarika, has died in a hospital in Mumbai. He was86 and had been suffering from pneumonia. Bhupen Hazarika made his career interpreting thetraditional music of Assam for a broader audience, which gave him a huge following in India andBangladesh. He also recorded in Bengali and Hindi, singing the soundtrack for numerous Indianfilms throughout his career.
BBC News
