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1. Five miners were killed when an explosion ripped through a coal mine in eastern Kentucky. A 6th worker was able to escape the blast without serious injury. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
2. In New Orleans, voters are choosing a leader to oversee the rebuilding of their hurricane-ravaged city. Incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu are the candidates in the run-off election. The winner will start the term just one day before the next hurricane season begins June 1st.
3. At least 31 people have been killed in attacks around Iraq today. The violence comes on the same day the nation's parliament finally approved a unity government, ending months of political wrangling.
4. San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds just hit his 714th career home run. The hit came during the 2nd inning of today's game in Oakland. Bonds is now tied with Babe Ruth for second place on baseball's career list
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. ravage : verb
A town, country, or economy that has been ravaged is one that has been damaged so much that it is almost completely destroyed.
e.g. For two decades the country has been ravaged by civil war and foreign intervention.
2. incumbent : n-count
An incumbent is someone who holds an official post at a particular time. (FORMAL)
e.g. In general, incumbents have a 94 per cent chance of being re-elected.
3. Lt. : n-count, n-title
A lieutenant is a person who holds a junior officer's rank in the army, navy, marines, or air force, or in the American police force.
e.g. Lieutenant Campbell ordered the man at the wheel to steer for the gunboat.
4. run-off : n-count
A run-off is an extra vote or contest which is held in order to decide the winner of an election or competition, because no one has yet clearly won.
e.g. There will be a run-off between these two candidates on December 9th.
5. wrangle : verb
If you say that someone is wrangling with someone over a question or issue, you mean that they have been arguing angrily for quite a long time about it.
e.g. The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems.
6. slugger : n-count
In baseball, a slugger is a player who hits the ball very hard. (AM)
7. hit a home run
(of a batter) to hit a pitch over the outfield fence or within the ballpark that allows the batter to circle the bases and score.
SYNONYMS: homer, touch 'em all, go downtown, go yard, get all of it, park one, park it, hit for the circuit, get it all, go deep, unload one
8. inning : n-count
An inning is one of the nine periods that a standard baseball game is divided into. Each team is at bat once in each inning |