CNN news 2007-05-18 加文本

cnn 2007-05-18




【电信1】 Realvideo / MP3

And a very good day to you, I am Veronica De La Cruz from the cnn center in Atlanta. Let's go and check out what is happening right NOW IN THE NEWS.

The massive search for three US soldiers missing in Iraq is now on its sixth day. Thousands of US and Iraqi troops are involved. The military is offering a 200,000-dollar reward for information leading to the soldiers or their captors. At Fort Drum where the soldiers are based, officials say the army is working to confirm the identity of the fourth man killed in Saturday's ambush.

In the Middle East, Israel launched air strikes on Hamas targets today, killing two people and leaving 30 others wounded. Two dozen Palestinian rocket attacks in Israel have hurt 17 people. Palestinians accused Israel of trying to take advantage of some of the worst internal violence in months. More than 40 Palestinians have been killed in fighting between rival Hamas and Fatah factions since Sunday.

Senior administration officials tell cnn that embattled World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is close to stepping down. They say Wolfowitz and the White House are in talks with World Bank officials to work out the details of his resignation. Wolfowitz is accused of arranging a State Department job for his girlfriend who used to work at the World Bank along with a hefty pay-hike.

Tony Blair is speaking to reporters in his final visit to Washington as Prime Minister. Mr. Blair told reporters he regards President Bush as a loyal friend. The president described the Prime Minister as a strong effective leader and an ally in the war on terror. Tony Blair will leave office late next month.

Biologists are checking out the health of two humpback whales that made their way about 90 miles inland from the Golden Gate Bridge. Researchers have reason to believe the whales have been injured by a boat propeller. It's possible the two are mother and calf. Scientists want to use underwater whale sounds to lure them back out to sea. If that doesn't work, they might try out herding the whales with a platoon of boats.

And those are your headlines at this hour. For more on any these stories as well as other news of the day, don't forget that cnn is always your source online, on television or even when you're on the go.

Words&Expressions

embattled a.
If you describe a person, group, or organization as embattled, you mean that they are having a lot of problems or difficulties.

hefty a.
Hefty means large in size, weight, or amount. (INFORMAL)