VOA慢速英語: 尼泊爾宣布全國(guó)哀悼三天

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Nepal has declared three days of mourning for the victims of Saturday's 7.8magnitude earthquake that left nearly 5,000 dead and thousands more indesperate need of aid.

In a televised news conference Tuesday, Nepalese Prime Minister Koiralathanked donors for their assistance. He added that getting help to remoteareas remains a major challenge.

The United Nations says the disaster has affected eight million people with 1.4million in need of food. The U.N. says it would draw $15 million from itsemergency fund for relief operations.

Officials said Tuesday the death toll had climbed to more than 4,600 people.About 9,000 others are injured. They said those numbers could go higher asworkers clear more of the damaged areas.

A man walks through rubble of houses damaged by the earthquake in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu, Nepal, April 28, 2015.

Indonesia executes eight drug convicts, spares one

Indonesia has executed eight drug convicts, including several foreignnationals, despite strong opposition abroad.

The convicts included two Australian members of a heroin trafficking ring, aBrazilian national, and an Indonesian citizen.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo refused to reduce the severity of theconvicts’ punishment, despite opposition and appeals from the internationalcommunity. The president described the executions as necessary to controlwhat he calls Indonesia’s “drug emergency.”

Local media reports say a ninth convict, a woman from the Philippines, was to be executed, but suddenly was not. Officials say her execution was delayedbecause of a request from the Philippine president. The Filipina convict has been asked to testify in the trial of a person suspected of human trafficking in the Philippines.

Obama, Abe pledge to complete Pacific Rim trade pact

U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abeagreed Tuesday to complete a 12-nation Pacific Rim trade agreement. Mr.Abe is in the middle of a state visit to the United States.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Abe spoke at a news conference Tuesday at the WhiteHouse. Mr. Obama said the trade bill would boost U.S. exporters and the country’s labor market. But he also accepted that there is opposition to aPacific Rim trade agreement in both the U.S. and in Japan.

The two leaders did not announce any details about the remaining difficultiesto completing an agreement. The proposed trade bill would open up exportsfor both Japanese and American manufacturers, along with those in 10 othernations that border the Pacific.

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Words in the News

donor - n. a person or group that gives something (such as money, food, orclothes) in order to help a person or organization

severity - n. the condition of being serious or unpleasant

boost - v. to increase the force, power, or amount of (something)