CNN 2011-08-18

 From the Middle East to the Midwest, Fukushima, Japan to Fairfax, Virginia, we are spanning the globe to bring you today's edition of CNN Student News. My name is Carl Azuz. Let's go! 

 

Today, we're getting started in the Middle East and Northern Africa, with updates on what's been going on in several countries there. First, Iraq. The U.S. has troops there, and that nation is recovering from multiple bombing and shooting attacks that happened yesterday. Dozens of people were killed in these attacks. There were hundreds of more people injured. Officials say this wave of violence is a lot like a series of attacks that happened a year ago. 

 

Next, we move to Syria, where there are reports of ongoing¹ violence between military forces and protesters -- like you see here -- who are speaking out against the Syrian government. Those protesters say at least 25 people were killed on Sunday. The government denies that claim. 

 

In the North African nation of Libya, there's a civil war between rebels and the government of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi. This civil war has been going on for months. The rebels say they've made some big advances, but Gadhafi has urged his supporters to continue to fight. 

 

Finally, in Egypt, former President Hosni Mubarak is on trial. He's accused of ordering military forces to kill protesters during the revolt that removed Mubarak from power earlier this year. Now, you'll notice that Mubarak is in a cage. That is standard in Egyptian criminal trials. The reason he's in a bed is because he has had serious health problems.

 

Time for the Shoutout! Which U.S. state is highlighted on this map? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it:  Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa or Nebraska? You've got three seconds -- GO! The highlighted state is Iowa, the Hawkeye State. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! 

 

Iowa's a big focus right now when it comes to the 2012 presidential election. It might be more than a year away, but the campaign season is in full swing. And someone who's celebrating an early victory: U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann. The Republican candidate won the Ames, Iowa straw poll over the weekend. What a straw poll is is a kind of unofficial vote that gives an idea of people's opinions. In this case, they're opinions about Republican presidential candidates. 

 

You can see the full results of the poll right here. Representative Bachmann coming in first. Representative Ron Paul in second. And former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty in third. You can see where some of the other candidates finished there as well. This straw poll doesn't officially decide anything. It's more like the first series in a football game: it kind of sets the tone for the campaign, but it doesn't tell you the final score. But former Governor Pawlenty's third place finish wasn't the result he wanted. He was hoping to get a boost from the straw poll. When it didn't come, he announced that he was dropping out of the race for the White House. Pawlenty's out, but Perry is in. This is Texas Governor Rick Perry. He announced on Saturday that he's joining the race, wasn't on the ballot² in that straw poll because he hadn't declared his candidacy yet, but he still got more than 700 write-in votes. 

 

Each of those Republican candidates is hoping to be the one to face off against President Barack Obama in the 2012 general election. He's running for re-election. This week, he's out talking to crowds in Minnesota, Illinois and -- you guessed it -- Iowa.

 

You might have been on vacation over the Summer, but there was no break in the news. We put together an interactive³ quiz to test how well you kept up with the headlines or to help you catch up on them. Technology, the economy, sports, movies: all of it's there. To see how your summer news knowledge stacks up, head to CNNStudentNews.com and find the "Spotlight⁴" section.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

4 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。