1. The leaders of Japan and China agree that a North Korean nuclear test can not be tolerated. The White House is encouraging North Korea to improve relations with its neighbors and participate in 6-party talks.
2. A new opinion poll has bad news for the Bush administration. The Newsweek poll says President Bush’s approval rating reached a new low of 33%, a 3-point drop from August.
3. An Indian TV crew captured this skirmish between a bodyguard for actor Brad Pitt and a British photographer. The incident happened outside a hotel where Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie were staying while in India to film a new movie. The photographer was trying to take a picture of the celebrity couple.
4. A Thai snake charmer has kissed 19 highly poisonous king cobras in an attempt to set a world record. The cobras were released onto a stage set up in the resort town of Pattaya Saturday. An American set the record in 1999 kissing 11 venomous snakes.
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. skirmish : n-count A skirmish is a minor battle. Border skirmishes between India and Pakistan were common.
2. snake charmer : n-count A snake charmer is a person who entertains people by controlling the behaviour of a snake, for example by playing music and causing the snake to rise out of a basket and drop back in again.
3. venomous : adj A venomous snake, spider, or other creature uses poison to attack other creatures |