英语听力精选进阶版 9981（在线收听）

European leaders say they’ve agreed to cut the EU’s long-term budget for the first time since the union was created. Following marathon talks in Brussels, the amount of money available for EU funded programmes over the next seven years will be capped at 960bn euros, a cut of about three per cent. The president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, called it a budget for the future.

“We simply cannot sacrifice our investments in education, research and growth. Second dimention: this is a budget of moderation. We simply could not ignore the extremely difficult economic realities across Europe. So it had to be a leaner budget.”

However, the four largest groupings in the European Parliament, which needs to approve the legislation, said the budget was not in the interest of European citizens and would weaken the European economy.

Huge crowds have attended the funeral of the Tunisian opposition leader Chokri Belaid amid violent scenes. Cars were torched and police fired teargas at protesters. Wyre Davies reports.

There was genuine upset and anguish across Tunisia today, nowhere more so than in the home of Chokri Belaid. His wife, father and young daughter sat at the foot of his coffin. His neighbours and political allies wept openly. As the opposition leader’s coffin was carried through the narrow alleyways of this modest working-class suburb, the huge crowd started chanting Belaid’s name and blaming the Islamist-led coalition for his murder. Tensions over the future direction of Tunisia have been bubbling under the surface for months. This was where the Arab spring began. The mourners today were adamant. It should not also be where it meets a premature death.

Egyptian police have used water cannon and teargas to disperse protesters outside the presidential palace in Cairo amid nation-wide rallies against President Mohammed Morsi. The protesters have taken to the streets in their thousands demanding amendments to the constitution and guarantees about judicial independence.

The leader of an Amish sect in the American state of Ohio has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for organising hair and beard cutting attacks on other Amish communities. Samuel Mullet Sr was found guilty in September. Jenner Bryon reports.

The court heard how a large group of Samuel Mullet’s followers forced their way into the homes of seven men and women, tied them up and shaved their beards and hair. The gang used scissors, clippers, shears and battery-operated razors. The attack was deeply humiliating for the victims because Amish men and women are expected to grow their hair to show religious observance. However, Mullet had decided they’d strayed from history teachings and needed to be shown the error of their ways. The defence had argued that the assaults arose from a personal dispute and did not amount to a hate crime.

World News from the BBC

A former American ambassador to Mali has said that France paid ransom money to free hostages which ended up funding the Islamist group that’s now fighting in Mali. Vicki Huddleston told a French television station that France paid $17m to free hostages seized from a uranium mine in Niger in 2010. She said other European countries including Germany had also paid ransoms amounting to nearly $19m.

Scuffles have broken out in the Georgian capital Tbilisi as opponents of President Mikheil Saakashvili tried to prevent his annual state-of-the-nation address. The protesters attacked several politicians loyal to the president. From Tbilisi, Damien McGuinness.

President Saakashvili expressed concern and regret over the chaos and violence which prevented him from making his state-of-the-nation address, saying that what happened today is not the path which will lead Georgia to EU membership, one of the country’s main foreign policy objectives. The president accused the new government of using former prisoners who’d been released over the last few weeks to protest against him, but said it was crucial for the rival factions in parliament to now start to cooperate.

A major snowstorm is starting to hit the north-eastern United States, where it’s expected to cause significant disruption in the coming hours. Almost 4,000 flights have been cancelled and the train operator and track will stop running services north of New York City. The governor of Massachusetts has temporarily banned all non-emergency traffic on the state’s roads, saying safe travel will be nearly impossible. And the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is urging people to stay indoors.

“Stay off the city streets, stay out of your cars and stay in your homes while the worst of the storm is on us. That’s for your own protection during potentially hazardous outdoor conditions.”

Meteorologists say it could be the worst storm to hit New England in decades.