CNN news 2015-03-23 加文本

cnn news 2015-03-23

CARL AZUZ, HOST: Welcome to our viewers worldwide.

I`m Carl Azuz for cnn STUDENT NEWS.

Our first story this March 19th focuses on an apparent terrorist attack in the North African nation of Tunisia. It`s a country between Algeria and Libya, population about 11 million. Officials say several gunmen entered a museum in Tunisia`s capital on Thursday and killed at least 17 tourists and two others, one of them a Tunisian security officer.

The terrorists also took hostages, but Tunisian law enforcement were able to end the siege and kill two of the attackers. Police are looking for three other gunmen.

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid called it "a cowardly attack targeting Tunisia`s economy." Tourism is a key part of that.

The museum where the attack happened has exhibits of Tunisian art, culture and history. It`s right next to the parliament building, which was evacuated.

No group immediately took responsibility for the attack, but ties to the ISIS terrorist group are suspected.

From North Africa to the Middle East, immediately after Israel`s election on Tuesday, polls in local media indicated that two main political parties were locked in a dead heat. But when the actual vote count came in, it became clear that the party of current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, won a major victory, taking 29 of the Knesset`s 120 seats.

Results are still unofficial, but most analysts expect Netanyahu to keep his job leading Israel.

(ON SCREEN)

Roll Call

AZUZ: Time for our epic Thursday Roll Call.

Which state is known as The Pine Tree State?

Here`s the main reason we ask. Tripp Middle School is there in Turner, Maine, The Tigers are on the prowl.

There are tons of gators in The Sunshine State, but the ones at Island Coast High School are on today`s Roll. Hello, Cape Coral, Florida.

And in St. Cloud, Minnesota, The North Star State, it`s The Eagles of North Junior High School who round out our role.

About 50,000 people live on the Faroe Islands. They`re roughly halfway between Scotland and Iceland. But thousands more will be there Friday to witness an event that lasts just two minutes -- a total eclipse of the sun. The U.S. won`t see one of those until 2017.

In addition to the Faroes, parts of Europe, Northern Asia and Northern Africa could see a partial eclipse. And as long as viewers don`t look directly at it, they`ll be fine.

What is a Solar Eclipse?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (voice-over): Long ago, ancient cultures around the globe looked to the skies in shock and bewilderment. Many believed they were watching the sun being eaten by an animal, like a dog or a mythical dragon.

Now we know there`s a more scientific explanation for one of nature`s most spectacular displays, the solar eclipse.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Watching as the moon blocks out the light from the sun, it can be hard to imagine the amazing cosmic coincidence taking place. The sun`s diameter is some 400 times larger than the moon`s, but it`s just the right distance away to appear the same size.

For a couple of minutes when the sun and moon are perfectly aligned, the moon completely covers the sun`s disc. The sun`s atmosphere or corona can be seen in the dim light, along with stars and planets. This glowing atmosphere is much hotter than the surface of the sun, but no one is exactly sure why. It`s a question puzzling astronomers.

This so-called totality only exists in a narrow band, where the moon`s shadow falls on the Earth. Outside this zone, some observers can see a partial eclipse, where it looks like a chunk has been taken out of the sun.

It`s not a phenomenon that will last forever. The moon is slowly moving away from the Earth and one day, it will appear too small in the sky to cover the sun completely. But don`t worry, if you miss this total solar eclipse, NASA estimates that you still have 563 million years to catch one.

If you are lucky enough to see this incredible spectacle, remember, never look directly at the sun, even with everyday sunglasses. You risk causing permanent damage to your eyes. If you don`t have access to special filters, a safe way to observe the show is to make a pinhole in a piece of paper and project the image onto another sheet.