President Obama has told a meeting of seniorInternational military commanders that he's deeplyconcerned about the continuing Islamic Stateoffensive against the Syrian town of Kobani. He toldthe gathering near Washington that the campaign against IS would be long term. Seniormilitary figures from more than 20 countries attend the talks. Here's our Washingtoncorrespondent John S.

　　When Barack Obama announced in the White House a month ago that the US was forming acoalition to attack Islamic State, all the talk was a degrading and destroying and making surethere was no safe heavens. Today a more somber assessment of how that campaign isgoing. Yes, there had been victories, stopping IS in Irbil, retaking a Mosul dam, the rescue ofthe Yazidis in Mount Sinjar. But the president singled out Anbar Province in Iraq and Kobani onthe Turk-Syria border as a source of deep concern. He said there'll be days of progress andperiods of setback.

　　The head of United Nations mission for Ebola has urged the world to act swiftly. AnthonyBanbury has warned that the biggest enemy in tackling the disease is time.

　　I'm deeply, deeply worried Ebola got a head start on us. It is far ahead of us, it is running fasterthan us and it is winning the race. We can not let Ebola win, for if Ebola wins, we the people ofUnited Nations lose so very much.

　　Mr. Banbury called for more money, protective suits, diagnostic laboratories and beds. Earlierthe World Health Organization warned that the number of people becoming infected with Ebolain West Africa could reach between five and ten thousand a week by the end of the year. Fourand a half thousand people have already died. In another development, the UN has warned thatthe Ebola outbreak is having a devastating impact on the economies of the worst-affectedcountries. Mark Doyle reports from Akra.

　　Fear is the main factor driving down the economies of the Ebola-hit nations. The UN says thatmore than half of the typically bustling markets in Liberia have closed or got smaller. Foreigntechnicians and engineers are scared, too. Many of them have left the region. Nine out of adozen large mining companies in Liberia have shut down or reduced operations. A senior UNeconomist K. N. said farms in the worst-hit Ebola zones of Sierra Leone were also affected.

　　The US Secretary of State John Kerry has said Washington will cooperate more closely withRussia on globe security despite did divide over the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking after ameeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris, Mr. Kerry said they had agreed tointensify intelligence cooperation over the Islamic State group.

　　World News from the BBC.

　　Hundreds of police in Hong Kong have moved again to try to clear pro-democracy protestersout of an underpass near the city government headquarters. Officers armed with shields firedpepper spray and scuffled with protesters. Local television showed live pictures of theoperation. Dozens of the demonstrators were detained. The protesters had been occupyingparts of Hong Kong for more than two weeks, demanding forthcoming elections be helddemocratically.

　　Police in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro say they have broken up a large net work of illegalabortion clinics. Nearly 50 people have been arrested including doctors, police and lawyers. Theraids followed the recent high profile deaths of two women who'd undergone illegalterminations. Abortions are not allowed in Brazil except in strictly defined circumstances.

　　Britain's most prestigious literary award, the Man Booker Prize has been won by theAustralian writer Richard Flanagan. Vincent Doll has more details.

　　This was the year American authors became eligible for the Man Booker. In the event, however,Richard Flanagan has become the third Australian to take the prize. The Narrow Road to theDeep North has been much praised by critics. It's about a surgeon who, in World War II, isheld in awful conditions in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during the building of the Burmarailway. The author's own father was one of those who survived that experience. And RichardFlanagan finished writing the book just before his father died last year.

　　A European Championship football match between Serbia and Albania has been abandonedfollowing a brawl involving players and fans. The referees stopped the match in the 41stminute after an Albanian flag was thrown around the stadium by a remote-controlled minihelicopter prompting a fight between the players. Riot police moved in for up to a dozen ofSerbian fans then invaded the pitch.

　　重点词汇：

　　1.offensive n. 攻势，进攻

　　The armed forces have launched offensives torecapture lost ground.

　　这支武装部队已发动进攻要夺回失去的阵地。

　　2.degrade v. 降低，贬低;(使)退化;(使)降级

　　Don't degrade yourself by answering him.

　　不要贬低身份去答理他。

　　3.swiftly adv. 迅速地，敏捷地

　　We must value the good time which passes swiftly like flowing water.

　　我们要十分珍惜这似水流年的好年华。

　　4.tackle vt.着手处理

　　Time and again political parties have failed to tackle this issue.

　　各个政党处理这个问题时都屡屡失败。

　　5.typically adv. 典型地;代表性地

　　He is typically American.

　　他是典型的美国人。

　　6.intensify vt.& vi.(使)增强，(使)加剧

　　You must intensify your sense of responsibility.

　　你必须加强责任感。

　　7.prestigious adj. 受尊敬的，有声望的

　　I hope that the prestigious man will be put into power at the next election.

　　我希望下次大选中这位德高望重之人能当选。

　　8.referee n. 裁判员