VOA慢速英语2014 耶路撒冷犹太教会堂遇袭 4名以色列人死亡

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Palestinians Kill Four Rabbis in Jerusalem Synagogue 耶路撒冷犹太教会堂遇袭 4名以色列人死亡

Israeli police say two Palestinians have killed at least four rabbis and wounded six others in an attack at a Jewish holy place in Jerusalem. Police killed the two attackers.

The attack took place at a synagogue in West Jerusalem. The synagogue is in a Jewish neighborhood with a large number of Western immigrants.

Israeli police identified the dead as Israelis with double nationality, three Americans and one Briton.

 An Israeli police spokesman said the attackers used knives and a gun. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to strongly answer the attack. He blamed what he called incitement² by the militant³ Palestinian group Hamas and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. 

 Abbas condemned⁴ the attack. He said he condemns⁵ the killing⁶ of civilians⁷ by any and all people.

Hamas praised the attack, calling it an answer to continued Israeli crimes.

Kerry “hopeful” about reaching deal with Iran

Secretary of State John Kerry says he is hopeful the U.S. and five other nations can reach a deal with Iran on its nuclear program. But he said Tuesday that he will not make any predictions.

Negotiators from Iran and the so-called P5+1 group that includes the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany are meeting again Tuesday in Vienna, Austria.  The two sides are trying to reach a deal that guarantees that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful.

They have less than a week to reach an agreement before the end of a temporary agreement reached last year.

Secretary Kerry called this week's talks "critical."

Iranian media reported Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Tuesday that a deal is still possible.  He reportedly warned the international side to not make "excessive demands" of Iran.

Ukraine readies for possible Russian-backed attack

Ukraine's military is preparing for a possible Russian-backed rebel attack. Recent reports have said Russian soldiers have been crossing the border into eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko spoke¹ Monday with the German newspaper Bild. He said that his country is ready for total war.

Ukraine's military is increasing its defenses a few kilometers from rebel-held territory in the Luhansk region. Rebels have been firing at the Ukrainian position.

Moscow has repeatedly denied directly supporting the rebellion in eastern Ukraine. It says Russian troops fighting alongside pro-Russian separatists are serving as volunteers.

The rebels said they fear it is the Ukrainian forces who are planning an offensive.

In Brussels, Belgium, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

State of emergency declared in Ferguson

The governor of the central U.S. state of Missouri has declared a state of emergency. Jay Nixon made the call as a jury decides whether a police officer will be charged in the deadly shooting of an unarmed teenager.

Mr. Nixon said the emergency order requires the National Guard to assist state security forces in case of violence in the town of Ferguson.  That is where police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed the teenager, Michael Brown. Protests, some violent, have followed the killing. Officials are especially concerned that a decision in support of Mr. Wilson could lead to more violence.

Hong Kong police cleared protest area

Workers in Hong Kong Tuesday began clearing barriers in a small area of the city occupied by pro-democracy protesters.  A court ordered the action. But, protesters say the effort to clear the streets could take days.

In Hong Kong’s central business district, security forces cleared a small part of a protest area near local government offices. However, reports say the protesters remained after some barriers were removed.

Protesters began occupying areas of Hong Kong after police fired tear gas and pepper spray on the demonstrators on September 28. The demonstrators want direct elections of the city’s leader in 2017.  Beijing proposes a plan for Hong Kong’s elections that would require a committee to choose candidates for chief executive.

Words in This Story

synagogue – n. the house of worship and communal⁸ center of a Jewish congregation

prediction – n. a statement about what will happen or might happen in the future

jury – n. a group of people who are members of the public and are chosen to make a decision in a legal case

volunteer – n. someone who does something without being forced to do it; someone who does something without being paid for it

barrier – n. something (such as a fence or natural obstacle) that prevents or blocks movement from one place to another