VOA慢速英语2014 奥巴马谴责斩首美国记者行为

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Obama Condemns¹ US Journalist's Execution 奥巴马谴责斩首美国记者行为

President Barack Obama has condemned² the Islamic State militants³ who killed an American reporter and threatened to kill another one.

The militants executed James Foley and recorded the act on video. They released the video on the Internet Tuesday.  On Wednesday, Mr. Obama said, "the whole world is appalled⁴ by the brutal⁵ murder of James Foley.” He said the United States will continue to do what it must to protect its people.

The video also showed a second hostage, American reporter Steven Joel Sotloff, who the militants threatened to kill.

The Sunni extremist group said it had killed Mr. Foley in reaction to U.S. airstrikes in northern Iraq. The airstrikes helped Kurdish and Iraqi forces regain⁶ control of Mosul dam from Islamic State militants.

James Foley was 40 years old.  He disappeared on November 22, 2012, after gunmen kidnapped him in Syria. He had reported in the Middle East for five years, for organizations including the GlobalPost.

Joel Sotloff has been missing since August 2013. He reported for Time magazine and the Christian⁷ Science Monitor.

Peaceful Protests in Ferguson

Peaceful protests took place Tuesday night in Ferguson, Missouri. Demonstrators were protesting the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer on August ninth. Many of the almost nightly protests have turned violent.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder⁸ arrived in Ferguson on Wednesday to meet with community leaders, local officials and FBI investigators⁹.  Mr. Holder is to discuss the federal civil rights investigation¹⁰ of the shooting.

Liberia Uses Tear Gas to Remove Ebola Protestors

Police in Liberia's capital, Monrovia, fired tear gas Wednesday during demonstrations¹¹ about efforts to contain the Ebola virus. Protesters were angry about restrictions¹² on movement in their neighborhood. Protesters in the West Point neighborhood shouted and threw stones at security forces. The Liberian government had ordered the restrictions to help stop the spread of Ebola.  The World Health Organization has reported over 90 Ebola deaths around Monrovia.

Pakistani Crisis Continues

Pakistan's parliament met Wednesday as thousands of protesters gathered outside.  They demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Former cricket star Imran Khan and clergyman Tahir-ul-Qadri are leading the protests. They accuse Mr. Sharif of corruption¹³, including cheating in elections.