CNN news 2012-01-22 加文本

cnn news 2012-01-22

CARL AZUZ, HOST, cnn STUDENT NEWS: Hi, everyone. I`m Carl Azuz and this is cnn Student News. We`re back from a long weekend and ready to bring you 10 minutes of commercial-free news, and we`re starting today off the coast of Italy. That is where rescue efforts are going on right now after a cruise ship ran into rocks last Friday night.

There were around 4,200 people on board the Costa Concordia when it ran aground. As of Monday afternoon, at least six people had died, at least 20 others were injured and around 29 people hadn`t been accounted for.

AZUZ (voice-over): These incredible pictures show you what happened. After the cruise ship hit the rocks, it rolled onto its side. Passengers scrambled for lifeboats. Investigators have ruled out technical errors as a cause of the wreck. They say the captain of the ship made a, quote, "grave error."

The captain has never been involved in an accident before, and his lawyer says the captain was able to save many lives by performing a difficult emergency maneuver and getting the ship into shallow waters. Authorities are waiting to recover the ship`s data recorder so they can get more information from that.

AZUZ: Now, Dan Rivers is in Italy at the site of this wreck. He filed this report on rescue operations and the potential impact this could have on the environment.

DAN RIVERS, cnn REPORTER: This picture says it all about how precarious, dangerous and difficult this search-and-rescue operation is proving to be.

Earlier on fire, officers had to be winched off the superstructure of the Costa Concordia as she started shifting in the sea. Now they`re beginning to resume their search operation of the some 2,000 cabins inside.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of Costa Cruises has defended the actions of the crew following this disaster, but says the captain`s actions probably contributed to this wreck.

The other unknown is whether the 2,300 tons of fuel oil aboard can be prevented from spilling out into these pristine waters. Italy`s environment minister has said very urgent action is needed to avoid an environmental catastrophe here -- Dan Rivers, cnn, on Giglio Island, Italy.

AZUZ: Onto U.S. politics now, we`re checking out some headlines from the race for the Republican presidential nomination. South Carolina is home to the next primary contest. That is this coming Saturday. But there will be one fewer candidate for voters to choose from.

AZUZ (voice-over): Yesterday, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman announced that he is suspending his campaign. This means he`s dropping out of the race. During his announcement, Governor Huntsman endorsed Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who won the first two Republican contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

There are still five main Republican candidates competing for the party`s nomination, but experts say that number could get smaller after South Carolina. Depending on the results of Saturday`s primary, some analysts expect more candidates to drop out.

AZUZ: Whoever does get the Republican nomination will face off against President Obama in the general election, since he is the likely Democratic nominee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See if you can ID me. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. I was the first African-American to be "Time" magazine`s "Man of the Year." When I was about five years old, my father changed my first name from Michael to Martin.

I`m Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the leaders of the U.S.` civil rights movement.

AZUZ: Every year, America pays tribute to Dr. King and his work for peace and equality. Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986. In 1994, Congress also designated the holiday as a day of service. It is the only federal day of service. We told you about that on our show last Friday.

AZUZ (voice-over): You can check it out at cnnstudentnews.com.

President Obama says everyone can find a way to serve, and that includes him. The president and first family spent part of the MLK holiday helping out at a Washington area school. President Obama said the best way to honor Dr. King`s life is to help others.

This was also the first Martin Luther King Day when people could visit the civil rights leader`s national memorial in Washington. It just opened last year. Park rangers placed wreaths at the memorial on Sunday as part of a ceremony on what would have been Dr. King`s 83rd birthday.