spotlight

Al-Qaida chief Zarqawi killed
Edited by Kovis

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced last Thursday that the most wanted insurgent in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been killed.

Maliki announced Zarqawi's killing at a press conference in Baghdad with top US commander General George Casey and US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.

"Today Zarqawi has been killed," Maliki told reporters. He said that Zarqawi and seven of his top aides were killed in a joined US-Iraqi raid on an area called Hibhib, near Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, last Wednesday evening. Hibhib is about 40 km northeast of Baghdad.

The announcement came six days after Zarqawi recorder an audiotape calling on his followers to launch a war against Shiites in Iraq.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad described the killing of Zarqawi as "a good omen" for the new Iraqi government and the war against terror.

Congratulating Maliki on the death of Zarqawi, Khalilzad also warned of "difficult days ahead" in the fight against terrorists.

General Casey, on his part, said that the US air strike came after an intelligence tip-off and that Zarqawi and his aides were believed to have been holding a meeting when the raid occurred.

The top US military commander in Iraq also revealed that Zarqawi's whereabouts was pinpointed about two weeks ago and that his identity was confirmed by fingerprints and facial recognition.

Two forensic specialists have arrived in Iraq to examine the remains of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. An autopsy would be performed to see how al-Zarqawi actually died and to reconstruct the last minutes of his life.

Zarqawi, with a 25 million US bounty on his head, is believed to be the top leader of the al-Qaida terror group in Iraq. He is accused of being behind some of the most gruesome kidnappings and killings in Iraq.

world in pics

Fancy hats at Germany 06
世界杯赛上演"帽子秀"
A Mexican football fan with a traditional Mexican hat at the 18th FIFA World Cup in Germany, June 11. Many fans have decked themselves out in national dress to support their teams.


Green cars exhibit
"绿色汽车展"惹眼球
Visitors take a curious look at a "green car" on show under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, June 11. Lots of environmentally friendly cars with out-of-the-ordinary shapes were on exhibition.


Wall of pictures
米兰建世界最大画墙
Students of the Naba, the academy of the Fine Arts, pose in front of what is supposed to be the world's biggest wall made out of pictures, June 8, in Milan.


Oracle mirror
"魔镜"可以显示人未来相貌
A picture taken June 1 in Nice shows a woman operating a so-called "Persuasive Mirror". The mirror is equipped with a camera picking up images of the user and after some processing shows how the person will look in the future.

odds & ends 大千世界
Collected & translated by Daisy

Nude cyclists peel off around Spanish cities
裸体环游倡环保

Hundreds of nude cyclists pedaled around Spanish cities on Saturday to protest against car-clogged streets and to demand greater respect for pollution-free transport. With slogans like "one car less" and "bio methanol" painted on their backs, the naked cyclists staged Spain's third annual Ciclonudista or "Nudecycle" in Madrid, Barcelona and Pamplona. The protest was part of a world-wide naked bike riding movement which covered Europe, North America and South America.
几百名反对机动车的环保主义者上周六裸体踏自行车环游西班牙. 这只是他们示威活动的第一步, 接下来的计划里, 还包括裸体巡游欧洲, 北美和南美.

Cat chases black bear up tree
猫追熊上树

A black bear picked the wrong yard for a jaunt, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree - twice. Jack, a 15-pound orange and white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, often chasing small animals, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising. Jack was spotted chasing the bear up a tree twice.
不是笑话, 一只15磅的家猫从自己的领地赶跑了一头熊. 凶巴巴的猫咪让黑熊在树上挂了两次, 在确定猫咪离开后才斗胆下树.

Late employee saves post office
员工迟到使邮局免遭抢劫

Three robbers were forced to suspend a post office raid in Bosnia because the employee who had the key for the safe was late for work, police said Saturday. The three masked robbers entered the post office in the village of Glavicica, in northeast Bosnia, on Friday and ordered the staff present to open the safe. However, they had to flee empty-handed after being told that the key was with an employee who not arrived at work yet.
一个持有保险箱钥匙的员工迟到了, 这让三个抢劫犯一筹莫展, 也挽救了这家邮局, 使它免遭抢劫.


Vocabulary
omen 预兆
whereabouts 下落
pinpoint 对准
forensic 法医的
autopsy 验尸
bounty 赏金
gruesome 可怕的
kidnap 绑架